To the Editor:
Last week, The Dartmouth published two op-eds (“A Taboo Term,” May 4, and “Setting Things Straight,” May 6) that resorted to finger-pointing all too familiar to individuals hoping for a resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
It’s easy to selectively use facts to create one-dimensional narratives that emphasize blame over responsibility. Feras Abdulla ’17 and Reem Chamseddine ’17 blame Israel exclusively for the collapse of the 1990s peace process, neglecting to account for the significant rise of Palestinian terrorism culminating in the Second Intifada, Palestinian Authority chairman Yasser Arafat’s role in the failure of the 2000 Camp David negotiations and Arafat’s complicity in smuggling weapons for terrorist use.
Similarly, Mayer Schein ’16 and Adam Schneider ’15 blame the Palestinians for perpetuating the conflict while praising Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. They willfully ignore his government’s aggressive settlement expansion and denial of a previously agreed-upon prisoner exchange, as well as Netanyahu’s unwillingness to accept a peace proposal formulated by Israeli president Shimon Peres and Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas three years ago.
It’s difficult to eschew partisan narratives and take responsibility for creating a peaceful Middle East. It’s telling that neither of these op-eds offered a cooperative vision. But if we want to see a just peace and end to occupation, then we must forgo finger-pointing and instead ask ourselves what we can do to help end this conflict. Indeed, we need to ensure that our elected officials vocally support a two-state solution. Only serious political engagement can make that a reality.
Zachary Kamin ’14
Asher Mayerson ’15
Board members, Dartmouth’s chapter of J Street U
This letter was originally published in print on May 12, 2014.