Gadi Taub in Tablet Magazine: There Is No Two- State Solution

Worth reading!

There Is No Two State Solution

The Tablet is my favorite online magazine these days. This article is definitely worth your time. It matches up with what my Israeli friends say, and I take my cues from my Israeli friends. They are there. They are in danger. They also understand the culture of the Middle East much better than we can here. Everyone wants peace, but peace is not living in fear that you will be dragged out of your home in the early morning hours, raped and murdered.

“How is peace possible when your enemy does not want peace?” asked one of the members of my synagogue at the Torah study on Saturday. Good question.

The leadership of my synagogue continues to talk about a two-state solution. Everyone was for that right? In the profile I read of Galant in Tablet, it talked about how he had warned that October 7 type violence was possible for many years. A very interesting profile, and also worth reading.

In another context, I had occasion to speak with an American Jewish man who had lived in Israel. He said, “The Israelis don’t give a flying (blank) what Americans think.” One of my Israeli friends counted up what percentage of Israel’s defense budget comes from American aid. I quietly read my books and write things that just a few people will read.

Thank you for being one of the few people!

I have many friends who are much more well-versed in the history and politics of the Middle East than I am. So far none of them have any better ideas. It has been suggested that I visit other synagogues that might be less ambivalent about Israel, but I am intrigued by the move of my congregation from a “Why is this happening? Can’t we just have peace?” stance to “This is happening. We need to win.” tone of voice.

Meanwhile, we have our own crisis right here. Anarchy on the rise in our cities, too many guns in the wrong hands, and the total abandonment of dialogue as a form of settling political disagreements. I’m going to an event at Penn soon hosted by several Jewish organizations, and I expect a protest. I plan to walk right through it and I will be wearing my Star of David necklace and my Bring them Home button. The necklace looks just like the one my high school best friend gave me when she graduated one year before me. It kept me company for my senior year in high school and I wore it to Yale. I couldn’t figure out why all these Jewish guys were asking me out…

And so it goes. Happy Monday to all. Be safe, watch your back, speak out, win the day, drink all the coffee that you feel you need. Your piece on why you should get more sleep is coming soon, and I know, I promised you Billy Joel.

Coming soon: “Uptown Girl”: Class, Political Correctness in the 1990’s, and the Slices of Pizza I Feel I Am Owed

.