The P Word
Did you watch Tuesday night’s debate between Obama and Clinton? Was the P word ever mentioned? No it was not. Both Obama and Clinton reiterated their support for the Israeli government.
But not a word was spoken about the occupied, blockaded Palestinian people and their daily suffering.
Many months ago, Obama let slip that he thought the Palestinian people were “suffering.”
Not on Tuesday night.
Even though the plight of these millions of Palestinians in that gulag – also known as the West Bank—and that giant prison – also known as Gaza – is becoming much more serious for its children, women and men – a worsening humanitarian crisis of hunger, poverty, disease, and constant military-caused casualties inflicted by the super-modern Israeli military.
It is as if the Palestinians are no longer considered humans. They have been shunted aside as non-persons, dehumanized in the political dialogue of both Democratic and Republican politics. Why not instead join in a non-violent movement supported by many Israeli peace and human rights organizations?
Why not join with the many outspoken prominent and wise citizens in Israeli society – including former high ranking military, security and elected officials, cabinet members, present members of the Knesset, mayors and leading intellectuals and commentators – as expressed in one of Israel’s finest newspapers – Haaretz?
It is time for the candidates of the two major parties to rise to levels of statesmanship that will move forward the U.S. government’s even-handed role in establishing a two-state solution supported by a large proportion of Israelis and Palestinians and by a majority of polled Jewish-Americans and Arab-Americans.
