Attached is a long piece I wrote which is really more of a background paper than an article. I believe we are making progress in getting the public worldwide to understand that the blame for perpetuating and worsening the conflict lies with Israel. Attempts to blame the Palestinians, etc. are starting to sound hollow. Still, people need for this to be said and, even more so, for a case to be made as to why Israel is the stumbling block for a just peace. It is my hope that if we can pinpoint the sources of Israeli opposition to a just a genuine peace with the Palestinians, if we can begin to hold Israel accountable for its policies and its actions, then we can move the struggle one step forward.
So forgive the length of this essay. I wanted to set out the "problem with Israel" in a coherent way, and it cannot be done in a soundbyte. Fortunately Bill Gates also invented the "delete" button for those who don't like attachments.
Regards to all of you from Stuttgart, where I am in the midst of a speaking tour in Germany. And thanks to Jimmy Carter whose courageous use of the term "apartheid" will help greatly to cut through the obfuscation and warn us all of what Israel is planning in its "convergence plan," the idea of which could be seen yesterday as Israel demolished six more houses in the village of Al Funduk, and at least one more nearby today.
In peace,
Jeff Halper