Democracy for Israel

By Robert L. Green

Nancy Farrell's letter (Free Press, Nov. 29) pleads for an end to the suffering of Burlington's sister city, Bethlehem, and for a solution to the deteriorating situation in Palestine/Israel. Supporters of Israel point with horror to the most shocking examples of Palestinian resistance, using these outrages to justify the continuing assault upon Palestinian towns. All Americans are against the attacks upon Israel's civilians, but our media rarely show the humiliation and violence perpetrated daily against unarmed Palestinians by a rampaging Israeli military.

Amnesty International has cited Israel for "war crimes," and Israel remains in violation of the 4th Geneva Convention and at least 69 U.N. resolutions. As an American Jew, I must acknowledge the Palestinians as the aggrieved, displaced party. What the Nazis did to drive Jews from Europe was not the Palestinians' fault, and they should never have been forced to pay that debt through the loss of their homeland.

Still, the present is here, and the Israelis are not going anywhere. Neither are the Palestinians, whose presence on that land dates to the Bronze Age and earlier. Israel must give up the dream of a nation dominated by one group, and opt for democracy. There is already only one country, under the control of one government. The problem is that there are different levels of political rights, depending upon one's religion and ethnicity. One state, with one vote per adult, and full right of return for Palestinian refugees will result in peace and safety for both peoples.

Robert L. Green
Burlington, VT

Photo credits: Photos courtesy Ben Scribner, International Solidarity Movement