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I No Longer Believe in a Jewish State-By Peter Beinart

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(it was obvious for long time that two state solution is dead as dictated by reality on the ground. Palestinians and their leaders are still in denials. Palestinians will be better of demanding equal rights as citizens of state of Israel rather then wasting blood and resources on two state solution. Peter Beinart is a journalist, supporter of Palestinian rights and two state solution-f.sheikh)

For decades I argued for separation between Israelis and Palestinians. Now, I can imagine a Jewish home in an equal state

I was 22 in 1993 when Yitzhak Rabin and Yasir Arafat shook hands on the White House lawn to officially begin the peace process that many hoped would create a Palestinian state alongside Israel. I’ve been arguing for a two-state solution — first in late-night bull sessions, then in articles and speeches — ever since.

I believed in Israel as a Jewish state because I grew up in a family that had hopscotched from continent to continent as diaspora Jewish communities crumbled. I saw Israel’s impact on my grandfather and father, who were never as happy or secure as when enveloped in a society of Jews. And I knew that Israel was a source of comfort and pride to millions of other Jews, some of whose families had experienced traumas greater than my own.

One day in early adulthood, I walked through Jerusalem, reading street names that catalog Jewish history, and felt that comfort and pride myself. I knew Israel was wrong to deny Palestinians in the West Bank citizenship, due process, free movement and the right to vote in the country in which they lived. But the dream of a two-state solution that would give Palestinians a country of their own let me hope that I could remain a liberal and a supporter of Jewish statehood at the same time.

Events have now extinguished that hope.

About 640,000 Jewish settlers now live in East Jerusalem and the West Bank, and the Israeli and American governments have divested Palestinian statehood of any real meaning. The Trump administration’s peace plan envisions an archipelago of Palestinian towns, scattered across as little as 70 percent of the West Bank, under Israeli control. Even the leaders of Israel’s supposedly center-left parties don’t support a viable, sovereign Palestinian state. The West Bank hosts Israel’s newest medical school.

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History tells us that ideological ‘purity spirals’ rarely end well-Katrin Redfern

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Nobody is more dangerous than he who imagines himself pure in heart, for his purity, by definition, is unassailable.

Author James Baldwin’s words, written in the America of the late 1950s, captures perfectly a feeling in the air that is currently troubling public discourse in many Western countries. Increasingly, questions once treated as complicated inquiries requiring scrutiny and nuance are being reduced to moral absolutes. Just look at Trumpism.

This follows a now dismally familiar pattern: two camps are identified, the acceptable “for” and the demonised “against”. The latter are cast beyond the pale, cancelled and trolled. Identity politics has become a secular religion and, like any strict sect, apostates are severely punished.

This can lead to a “purity spiral”, with the more extreme opinion the more rewarded in a pattern of increasing escalation. Nuance and debate are the casualties, and a kind of moral feeding frenzy results.

Are purity spirals inevitable? It is natural for humans to form “in” and “out” groups. Identifying a common enemy is often the key to group solidarity. Nationalist politicians and the marketing teams who serve them know how effective such strategies can be with ill-informed electorates. Equally, if an individual can manifest virtues valued by the group, this fosters a sense of self-worth and belonging.

Unsurprisingly, we have been here before. History demonstrates the ease with which ordinary people commit atrocious acts, particularly during crises. When you believe you are morally superior, when you dehumanise those you disagree with, you can justify almost anything. Take the example of one of the most consequential purity spirals, the Puritan Revolution in 17th-century England.

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“Schools Opening” Brief Thought by F. Sheikh

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I agree with Governor Cuomo that we do not have to choose between safety of children and opening the schools. We can achieve both if done properly and competently. The President is giving the nation a false choice between opening the schools and safety just as he did in opening businesses prematurely and it achieved neither. There is still enough time to take preventive measures which will help to open the schools safely in September. The measures start with the President himself. Start wearing mask yourself and mandate it for the nation. Stop and discourage rallies and gatherings which are source of close contacts and spread of virus. Actively promote, not undermine, mask wearing, hand washing, and social distancing. Make it mandatory for all your personnel and lead by example. This should be followed and promoted by all states and have one message for the nation to follow.

By September, it will create an environment which is much safer for the schools to open with original CDC guidelines (not watered down). During the months of July and August, White House and Congress should provide help to schools to prepare for the schools to open in September.

Blustering and threats to withhold aid will backfire and nation will pay a heavy price.