I said yesterday that I would like people to be open to surprises when discussing Israel/Palestine — and then I was, myself, surprised!
I don’t know how I missed this, but J Street got a hell of a letter on Wednesday from Tzipi Livni, former Israeli Foreign Minister and head of the Israeli opposition. Livni is a woman who has made quite a journey in the course of her life and political career, born to parents who were uncompromising Revisionists and served in the far-right Irgun, raised to believe firmly in the ideology of Greater Israel, and for years a staunch member of the the Likud party.
When she joined Kadima, it was quite a shift — when she endorsed a two-state solution, it was kind of stunning. Here’s some of what she wrote to Jeremy Ben-Ami, executive director of J Street, after Israeli ambassador Michael Oren snubbed the organization in advance of this weekend’s conference:
I would like to congratulate you on your inaugural national conference. I believe most American Jews support Israel and want to see it thrive as a Jewish and democratic state. Like you, I believe ending the Israeli-Palestinian conflict by realizing the vision of two nation states, living side by side in peace and security, is in the best interests of Israel, the United States, the Palestinians, and the region as a whole.
In my view, the discussion within the pro-Israel community of what best advances Israel’s cause should be inclusive and broad enough to encompass a variety of views, provided it is conducted in a respectful and legitimate manner. Along the way, we may not agree on everything but I do believe that we must ensure that what unites us as Jews who are committed to Israel’s future as a secure, Jewish, and democratic State is far greater than what separates us.
(You can see the whole thing here).
Yay for surprises!
