Today, J Street Director of Policy and Strategy Hadar Susskind released the following statement:
J Street applauds Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Howard Berman’s recent public remarks on the urgency of achieving a two-solution. As Chairman Berman put it, Israel is presented with a “democracy-demography problem” and “either it would eventually have to rule over a disenfranchised Palestinian majority, or if it enfranchises the Palestinians, Israel would eventually cease to be Jewish.” Speaking at an Americans for Peace Now luncheon in Los Angeles, he added two lessons from his nearly three decades in the U.S. Congress. One, that “there were indeed many Palestinians who were prepared to accept Israel and who genuinely believe in coexistence, [and two], I discovered the immense toll the occupation is taking on Israel.” It is not always easy to tell the truth about the dark doors that may open in Israel and the region should we fail to achieve a two-state solution in the near term. Yet in short order, Chairman Berman laid bare the stark contours of the immense and chilling challenges that Israel faces should it not be able to secure a two-state agreement with the Palestinians. We are proud to share Chairman Berman’s commitment to the security of the state of Israel and belief in the urgency of achieving a two-state solution. By working hand-in-hand with leaders like Chairman Berman, propelled forward by a shared sense of urgency and hope for a better future, we can achieve real peace and security for Israel as a democratic homeland for the Jewish people through a two-state solution.