Robert Naiman wrote: > Rangel - cited below - has a primary opponent in the form of economic > justice advocate Jonathan Tasini, who has also spoken out on Gaza. > This would seem like an ideal talking point for Tasini... >
From his website. It may be just me, but I found this to be a bunch of pap. Israel-Palestinian Conflict At the heart of the conflict in the Middle East is the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Unlike virtually all American politicians running for public office who express their position on the Israeli-Palestinian conflicts, Jonathan’s views on the issue come from a deep, personal connection and experience. Jonathan’s father was born in Palestine and fought in the Israeli underground. Jonathan lived in Israel for seven years, during which he was involved, as a teen-ager and young man, in the fledgling peace movement. He went through the 1973 Yom Kippur war, and one of his cousin’s was killed in the war and that cousin’s brother was wounded. Half of Jonathan’s family lives in Israel, some within a few miles of the West Bank border. So, it is absolutely clear to Jonathan that only a two-state solution will end the violence that has taken so many Palestinian and Israeli lives--and bring stability and peace to the Middle East. Jonathan unequivocally supports the creation of a Palestinian state in the West Bank and all of the Gaza Strip, consequently ending Israeli occupation of these areas because such a solution is the only way to ensure Israeli security. The current situation in Gaza is intolerable and unconscionable. The final peace settlement has to accommodate Israel’s security requirements but it also has to ensure a viable, thriving, independent Palestinian State which has territorial contiguity and is not broken into cantons. Jonathan also lived in Jerusalem and still remembers what a beautiful city it is. Its special nature, though, is the role it plays in the spiritual lives of Judaism, Islam and Christianity. A negotiated settlement must include a plan that allows Israelis and Palestinians to share the city because Palestinians make up one-third of the city’s residents and have historic and long-standing political, economic, and religious ties to the city. A Palestinian capital in Arab areas of Jerusalem will not threaten the city’s role as the capital of Israel. Violence is not the answer for either side. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict must be resolved via negotiated, non-violent means. Both peoples have suffered from the bloodshed. Yet, clear majorities of both peoples say they want a peaceful settlement of the conflict. A credible negotiating track, linked with a bi-lateral effort to ensure security and stop the violence, is the only path to a long-lasting settlement. “Credible” means that everyone must have a seat at the table. _______________________________________________ pen-l mailing list [email protected] https://lists.csuchico.edu/mailman/listinfo/pen-l
