Peace starts with us

    The misplaced focus of Israeli-Palestinian dialogue both on campus and nationwide is  disappointing and deplorable.
     While it is embarrassing that Israeli leaders have thus far been unable to grant the Palestinians their own state, and it is shameful how Israel has, at times, treated Palestinians and other non-Jews both within its borders and across the Green Line, those with a sincere desire to bring about a better future for the Palestinian people should be vociferous and aggressive in advancing the current negotiations for a two-state solution, rather than solely demonizing Israel. As rational and judicious students we must ensure that the separation between healthy criticism of the Israeli government's policies and offensive attempts at the delegitimization of Israel's very existence remains intact.
     If Israel expects continued support from human rights and democracy-valuing Americans, its violations must be addressed. That being said, intimidating rhetoric - which defined anti-Israel expression on campus in early March - only tells us that the participants are averse to engaging in dialogue and unwilling to respect alternative perspectives, narratives and histories.
     These actions also deter us from the more immediate issue of the negotiations that has been hardly touched upon on campus. After years of political stalemate, United States Secretary of State John Kerry has overcome incredible obstacles to bring the Israelis and Palestinians back to the negotiating table. Now that these talks have hit an impasse, we, as Americans, must funnel our energies into supporting the continuing of negotiations. With little time remaining until the April 29 negotiations deadline, now - while we still have the chance - is the time to join a struggling Kerry in the "great constituency for peace" that he has asked of us and to affirm our country's stance on the issue.
     Maintaining the status quo between Israeli and the Palestinians is unsustainable for both sides. For Israel, its democratic, egalitarian character is on the line. Also facing increasing international threats of isolation, it is gambling with a future as a pariah state. Slowly being dissolved by ever-growing Israeli settlements and led by an aging Abbas, Palestine would sacrifice the sole peaceful means of achieving sovereignty. Should the peace talks collapse, both sides of the Green Line would certainly face further despair - or worse.
    Altering the present dynamic into a single, bi-national state is an unachievable delusion and a recipe for disaster. What reason do we have to believe such a state could avoid the type of divisive inter-ethnic conflict that has ravaged nearby Lebanon, Syria and Iraq? Only through two states for the two peoples can both the Israelis and the Palestinians set the foundations for productive futures. Both the Jewish people and the Palestinian people have valid desires for self-determination that must be recognized. Though their histories are vastly divergent, the two nations experienced their formative years in the same Judean cradle and trace back to the same prehistoric Canaanite tribes. Both can rightly be called indigenous to the land between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean. Their differing evolutions over the millennia, however, have produced two separate nations that both maintain deep and interconnected historical claims to that land. Like all of the other ethnic movements for self-determination that have defined the modern era, the wills of the Jewish and Palestinian peoples deserve to come to fruition.
    Despite attempts on either side, the tragic histories of both cannot be erased. Only through painful compromises can the Palestinians be given a tangible, cohesive territory on which to build a state, as well as letting Israel have its own legitimate security claims guaranteed. Roughly two-thirds of Israelis are willing to forfeit sovereignty over much of Judaism's birthplace, the West Bank. The Palestinians must acknowledge that a massive influx into Israel proper is just as unacceptable as Jewish settlement expansion in the West Bank, as it would lead to Israel's demise. Kerry offers an unprecedented and vital non-partisan approach to such difficult issues. Not supporting his initiative is forfeiting one of the last true opportunities for a two-state solution - it equates to not really supporting peace at all. And peace is the only form of justice for all.
    For the experts invested in this conflict, it is not only clear what has to happen for peace to occur, it is formulaic: borders based on those of pre-1967, dividing Jerusalem and making land swaps. It is also clear that, to this day, the United States has not been willing to pay the political price necessary to bring about two states. Are all of us students invested in this conflict doing what we can to push the U.S. to make that leap? No side wants the status quo - the state of "limbo" between one and two states - to persist for another generation. And no one wants to see Israel inch down the path towards apartheid.
    It is easy to give in to emotions. It is easy to dwell on Israel's violations against Palestinians and other non-Jews. But it is far from practical to avoid advocating for a two-state solution altogether.
    Now is not the time to be fueling hatred and intensifying polarization. We, as Tufts students invested in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, must channel our hopes and frustrations toward something truly productive. Join us at J Street U in voicing support for Secretary Kerry's tireless and remarkable efforts. Help in bringing the dreams of both nations closer to true fruition through a negotiated settlement that would allow all to enjoy the rights of peace, recognition and security.
    We invite you to join us next semester for bi-monthly inclusive, pragmatic and values-driven conversations.