Last month the U.S. House of Representatives overwhelmingly approved a bipartisan resolution opposing the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement, “including efforts to target United States companies that are engaged in commercial activities that are legal under U.S. law, and all efforts to delegitimize the State of Israel.”
But the resolution also expresses strong support for a “two-state” solution which we find problematical:
A two state solution remains the best way to justly resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and ensure a future for two peoples living side-by-side in peace, security and prosperity. By denying the Jewish claim to a homeland, the BDS Movement is fundamentally incompatible with a two-state solution and pushes the cause of peace for both Israel and the Palestinians further out of reach. This resolution makes clear that Congress remains committed to a two-state solution and opposes zero-sum efforts to delegitimize the state of Israel.
Twenty-one members of the Knesset from right-wing parties sent a letter to members of Congress expressing thanks for the resolution but also urging a realistic assessment of the dangers of a jihadist Palestinian state established in the heart of Israel. They also argue that while some in Israel and elsewhere tout a two-state solution as being pro-Israel, the majority of Israelis think otherwise, and the current policy of the State of Israel also does not reflect that view.
We agree, but would also add that President Trump’s approach holds the best promise. He famously stated that he is not wedded to any particular solution but would support whatever Israel and the Palestinians come up with. This presupposes that the costs in blood and treasure Israel expended in order to defend itself from Arab wars of annihilation – and the leverage it achieved – will not have been cavalierly dismissed.
It will also means that Israel will be satisfied that its security interests are protected. And it will mean that the Palestinians will not be promised a state going into the negotiations, which have in the past militated against any peace agreement and would continue to do so.
Congress should take these concerns seriously and be wary of bowing to discredited political correctness.