(CNN) Jason D. Greenblatt - I have spent nearly three years working with colleagues on the U.S.-Israel relationship, Israel's relationship with its Arab neighbors, and a vision for peace between Israel and the Palestinians. I am proud of the work we have done. I was surprised at how much misinformation exists about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, some pernicious, some innocent. Surprised at how many people with views different from ours were unwilling to engage in rational, respectful dialogue and seemed so certain that no one else's view mattered. Surprised that Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad are willing to destroy the lives of 2 million Palestinians in their quest to destroy the State of Israel, and even more surprised at their belief that one day they will prevail. I was sad for the many Palestinians I was so fortunate to meet who seek a better life, who are hopeful that we can provide a path to such a life, but who understand the many obstacles. Sad at how 2 million Palestinians could be subjugated by Hamas and its partner in terror, Palestinian Islamic Jihad. Sad at the lives lost and despair caused to so many families by the conflict, especially Israelis murdered in cold blood by terrorist attacks, as well as from rockets launched from Gaza. Sad that some actually believe that a moral equivalence exists between those murdered in cold blood by terrorists and those accidentally killed in Israel's ever-challenging need to defend itself from such attacks.
2019-09-23 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive