Regarding the ongoing conflict and recent events:
We believe that there is no reasonable answer to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict other than immediately declaring a ceasefire, amnesty to Palestinians and Israelis who committed horrific crimes, and establishing ONE DEMOCRATIC, SECULAR, DEMILITARIZED STATE with international peacekeepers. Assigning guilt is not constructive. Who ‘owns’ a country? The Palestinians inhabited the country for centuries. The Jewish people were mistreated in Europe and many believe they have a historical and religious right to create a Jewish state from the Mediterranean to the Jordan River? We must also remember: the Palestinians had nothing to do with the Holocaust. Humans are capable of unimaginable cruelties, and there are few countries whose governments never condoned or ordered cruelties. We must do more to halt cruelties everywhere, in Yemen, in Darfur, etc. In Israel, we have most influence to stop bad political decision-making that has no chance of succeeding.
Please write to President Biden, to news editors, etc. My letter below:
10-9 2023,
https://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/
Dear President Biden,
Please halt any military support for Israel. Hate and violence will not solve any problem. Israel has been ignoring international laws and ethics for decades. The Palestinians have been making very serious mistakes, however, they do not justify cruel vindication.
Israel does not have a right to the whole land of Palestine, as conservative religious Israelis believe – Palestinians have rights.
Isn’t the only solution at this time to work rapidly towards one SECULAR, DEMOCRATIC, demilitarized Israeli-Palestinian country?
Also, Saudi-Arabia should not be our (or Israel’s) friend and Iran our enemy. We must treat them with respect and cooperate in many ways while working in both (and many other) countries on strengthening Human Rights.
Heinz Aeschbach, MD, Swiss-American psychiatrist, president of Humane Civilization Worldwide