-
Two states. 1967 borders. An open letter
To: The President of the United States, Barak Obama; Hilary Clinton, Secretary, US Department of State; The Honorable Kay Bailey Hutchison, US Senator from Texas; The Honorable John Cornyn, US Senator from Texas.
Dear Mr President, Madam Secretary, and Senators,
I am writing to express my support for the position outlined by Secretary Clinton in 2009 and restated by President Obama earlier this year, that it is in the interest of the United States and of Israel for the US to actively seek a two state solution based around the 1967 borders for Israel and a future state of Palestine.
It seems to be in my blood to care deeply about the future of Israel. I wish to see Israel remain a Jewish democracy which I can be proud of. If I may use a Christian metaphor, Israel should by a city on a hill whose light cannot be hidden.
It seems clear to me that the only way for Israel play that role is to seek a two state solution, and the only viable two state solution is one that corresponds largely to the 1967 borders. For those among you who disagree, I would like to ask which of the following alternatives would be preferable to such a resolution?
- Israel as an apartheid state, in which a large portion of the population within her effective borders are denied full political rights (Israel no longer a Democracy)
- Israel as a democratic state with a non-Jewish majority (Israel no longer Jewish)
- Israel engages in mass expulsions or “ethnic cleansing” (Israel no longer a state anyone could be proud of)
Those three options seem to exhaust the alternatives to a proper two state solution. It is easy to list the substantial problems in the two state solution, but anyone who rejects it should be ready to say which alternative they prefer.
Thank you.
Jeffrey Goldberg
