A number of right-wing Israeli politicians wrote to members of the US Congress on Monday telling them their support for a two-state solution in Israel and Palestine was “far more dangerous” than BDS.
The Congress last month voted overwhelmingly in favor of a non-binding resolution to condemn the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement.
The nonviolent BDS movement seeks to end Israel’s occupation of the West Bank and push Israel to adhere to international law and human rights by pressuring corporations, artists and academic institutions to sever ties with Israel.
Israel has admitted there was never a possibility of two states. Finally they’ve accepted the reality of a single state in historic Palestine – exclusively for Jews. #BDShttps://t.co/X9u7ta4y2Y
— Mary Hughes-Thompson ?? (@Mariapalestina) August 14, 2019
Just 17 lawmakers voted against the bipartisan bill, which also offered support for a “negotiated solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict resulting in two states – a democratic Jewish State of Israel, and a viable, democratic Palestinian state”.
A group of 21 Israeli lawmakers from right-wing parties, including Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s Likud party, thanked the members of Congress for their condemnation of BDS in a letter sent on Monday.
But the Knesset members (MKs) also urged the US politicians to drop their support for a two-state solution for Israel and Palestine, calling the issue “far more dangerous” than BDS, The Jerusalem Post reported.
Right-wing members of Israel’s Knesset are unhappy with recent legislation backed by staunch pro-Israel Republicans because of language endorsing a two-state solution https://t.co/mkMc1Lc4Xp @Brykharris_ALM
— Al-Monitor (@AlMonitor) August 14, 2019
The MKs argued that, while many world politicians consider a two-state solution to be pro-Israel, the state of Israel and its population do not.
They claimed in the letter:
“The establishment of an additional Arab (so-called Palestinian) state in the region would severely damage the national security of both Israel and the United States.”
They added:
“Such a state would undoubtedly be a dysfunctional terrorist state, which would distance peace and undermine stability in the Middle East.”
MKs argue that while some sectors promote the two-state solution as being pro-Israel, the actual will of the Israeli people and the current policy of the State of Israel does not reflect that attitude. #ApartheidIsrael https://t.co/XAYClXqdUo
— Scottish PSC (@scottishpsc) August 12, 2019
The letter, backed by Likud’s nationalist group, the Land of Israel Caucus in the Knesset, and Yossi Dagan, the head of the Samaria Regional Council, a leading organization for illegal settlements in the West Bank.
The MKs also criticized AIPAC, a prominent pro-Israel lobbying organization in the US, for its advocacy for a two-state solution.
Among the other Israeli politicians to sign the letter were Deputy Defense Minister Eli Ben-Dahan, Deputy Foreign Minister Tzipi Hotovely, and Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee Chairman Avi Dichter.
(Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, PC, Social Media)
