Reinvigorating the Two-State Vision Could Start Reversing Anti-Peace Attitudes  

by Ori Nir

There have always been two kinds of barriers to Israeli-Palestinian peace. One set of obstacles was the so-called final status issues, the matters that Israeli and Palestinian representatives attempted to iron out around the negotiating table. These are questions such as borders, settlements, Jerusalem, and refugees.

The other set of impediments is public attitudes: the emotional, psychological, and ideological perspectives of the Israeli and Palestinian publics, which often block the way to the negotiating table and thwart negotiations. 

Ever since the Israeli-Palestinian peace process stalled and then came to a complete halt under Benjamin Netanyahu, negative attitudes mushroomed. They typically do when there is no political horizon. 

Americans for Peace Now (APN) welcomes last night’s announcement of the memorandum titled "Safeguards and Accountability With Respect to Transferred Defense Articles and Defense Services," issued by President Biden and modeled on Senator Chris Van Hollen’s recent amendment to the foreign assistance supplemental bill. APN commends President Biden and Senator Van Hollen for their commitment to oversight and transparency in the utilization of US security assistance.

This memorandum is an important step towards ensuring that US security assistance aligns with international law, including humanitarian principles. The memorandum requires recipient countries to provide credible and reliable assurances that they will adhere to international humanitarian law and facilitate US humanitarian assistance in areas of conflict in advance of receiving US assistance.

Hadar Susskind, APN’s President and CEO said: "We have long called for transparency and accountability measures to ensure Israel’s use of US military assistance aligns with existing US and international laws. This memorandum signifies an important step towards oversight and responsible use of US assistance.”

As the Senate considers legislation that would send supplemental assistance to Israel, Americans for Peace Now (APN) calls on legislators to ensure that all recipients of US foreign assistance adhere to established US and international human rights laws by adopting the amendment put forth by Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Dick Durbin, (D-IL), Tim Kaine (D-VA), and Brian Schatz (D-HI).

We call on the Senate to adopt this important amendment to implement key guardrails on US security assistance to Israel, ensuring that military operations supported by US tax dollars comply with American and international humanitarian law, with measures to minimize civilian casualties.

APN’s President and CEO Hadar Susskind said: “US foreign aid must not be used in ways that violate human rights laws. This amendment reflects a commitment to accountability, transparency, and the responsible use of American resources. I urge Congress to ensure that taxpayer dollars allocated for security assistance are used responsibly and in accordance with established legal frameworks.”

As both chambers of Congress consider legislation that would send supplemental assistance to Israel, Americans for Peace Now (APN) calls on legislators to ensure that these bills reflect US values and existing laws by providing vital humanitarian assistance to address the growing crisis in Gaza. Congress must also ensure that all recipients of US foreign assistance adhere to established US and international human rights laws.

Israel faces a war on two fronts, and the foreign military assistance outlined in the President’s supplemental funding request would continue to provide resources during this volatile time.

However, there is a pressing need for accountability regarding Israel's use of US-provided equipment. Adherence to both US and international laws, as well as the protection of civilians, must be a guiding principle of US assistance to all aid recipients. We call on Congress to implement key guardrails on US security assistance to Israel, ensuring that military operations supported by US tax dollars comply with American and international humanitarian law, with measures to minimize civilian casualties.

Produced by the Foundation for Middle East Peace. Views and positions expressed here are those of the writer, and do not necessarily represent APN's views and policy positions.

Americans for Peace Now (APN) welcomes news that the Biden administration is considering recognition of a sovereign Palestinian state and we urge it to move from deliberating to doing so.

The State of Palestine was accepted as an observer state of the United Nations General Assembly more than a decade ago. By recognizing the State of Palestine, the U.S. will join 139 out of 193 UN member states, and turn its long stated policy of support for a two-state solution into meaningful action. Recognition of the State of Palestine is not an alternative to a negotiated, mutually acceptable two-state peace agreement, but it is a meaningful step in that direction and would help pave the way toward it.

Since the Biden administration took office, APN has been calling on it to recognize the State of Palestine as a way to actualize America’s stated support of a two-state solution.

APN’s President and CEO Hadar Susskind said: “President Biden, going back to his days in the Senate, has long supported a two-state solution. Hopefully, his administration will remind all those who claim to support two states that those two states are Israel and Palestine.  Recognition of a Palestinian state is precisely what it means to support a two-state solution, in deeds as well as in words.”

Americans for Peace Now (APN) calls upon the Biden Administration to end the suspension of funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).

APN is very troubled by reports that 12 UNRWA employees may have been involved in Hamas’ horrific October 7 attacks and we welcome the news that UNRWA immediately terminated their employment contracts. The Commissioner-General of UNRWA has urged that the examination of these staff members be supervised by the top investigative body within the United Nations. Simultaneously, the UN Secretary-General emphasized the Secretariat's commitment to collaborating with a competent authority for the prosecution of the individuals involved.

At the start of the war, UNRWA employed nearly 13,000 people in Gaza. We must not let the small fraction of employees accused of taking part in Hamas attacks distract from the vital work that UNRWA does as the chief distributor of humanitarian aid to Palestinians in Gaza.

During this unprecedented humanitarian crisis, UNRWA has been at the forefront of providing aid to those in need. UNRWA provides critical, life-saving services to more than 2 million people. As more and more Palestinians in Gaza are facing the risk of starvation or serious illness, UNRWA must be allowed to continue its operations unimpeded with full access to US assistance. We call upon the Biden Administration to resume funding as swiftly as possible.

Dr. Dahlia Scheindlin, a scholar and writer, is an international political and strategic consultant. She has advised and conducted research on nine national campaigns in Israel over the past twenty years, and has provided research and advising for elections, referendums, and civil society campaigns in fifteen different countries.

As time passes and October 7 begins to recede from the immediate frontal cortex, don’t expect Israel’s trauma to go away – it will only get worse. If you’ve ever broken an arm,  you may know that the first moments are not so painful – scientists call it stress-induced analgesia – but the agony sets in over time. 

Thus, when I interviewed Dr. Cigal Knei-Paz (for Haaretz), a social worker responsible for both local mental health programs and the absorption of displaced people in Netanya, she observed that as time passes, mental health problems related to trauma or post-trauma are increasing. On one hand, the direct witnesses, victims and bereaved or displaced from October 7 are confronting the full extent of their losses. Additionally, she said, Israelis with older traumas are seeing resurgence of post-trauma symptoms and crises over time as the war goes on. 

Produced by the Foundation for Middle East Peace. Views and positions expressed here are those of the writer, and do not necessarily represent APN's views and policy positions.