This letter is in response to Eliot Kalman’s Feb. 11 letter and Stephen Pearson’s Feb. 7 letter to The Post. To Pearson: Yes, you’re right; in 1948, Palestinians were forced off their land. That was a terrible injustice, but what are you going to do? Kick the Israelis off the land that they’ve built their lives on for the past 65-plus years? We cannot consider kicking people off land a way of making right for another person being kicked off land. It’s the past, it’s awful, but we cannot change it.
To Kalman: You, too, are right. Christianity pervades American culture and government, just as it does in other various countries around the world. As long as these Christian overtones don’t infringe upon your right to freedom of religion, what is there to be so upset about? I believe Students for Justice in Palestine and Israel are choosing to bring up this subject because they have a connection to the issue, and they care, just as much as you do.
What I would like to point out is that it doesn’t need to be an argument, and in truth, if we were to ever see peace for this region that we care so much about, we would all do well to begin to find common ground. This can be found in, and only in, the two-state solution. Land for Israel, land for Palestine. There must be a mutual recognition of validity for each state to exist. That way both groups can have the right to self-determination, a freedom that has historically eluded both parties. It is terrible what is going on now between Israel and Palestine; as human beings we can all agree that any loss of life or oppression of another person is immoral. To solve this problem, though, we can’t get caught up in what happened in the past. Gentlemen, get over yourselves. We need a solution for the future, and we need to begin today. Two states will bring peace to the region we love.
Jessica Lindner is a sophomore studying plant biology at Ohio University.
