Hi Yusef,

That is a very complicated issue that could easily consume a book — it cannot be handled with any depth in a comment on a largely unrelated essay.

In short, Israel has returning most of the land won while defending herself. There are many myths about Israel’s “land grab”, and I understand how settlements do promote that view, but it is a misconception.

At the same time, Palestinians live in terrible circumstances. They are in fact blockaded and they do lack for essential resources, and those conditions have persisted for several generations. Unfortunately every time those restrictions are loosened other Arab agents insure that the advantage is used to attack Israel and they are reinstated.

Here is where I differ from Senator Sanders: the first step has nothing to do with Israel or with the Palestinian people. The first step is to condemn the outside agents who insure peace cannot be worked towards. That Saudi Arabia sits on the Human Rights Council of the UN should offend anyone who has followed Saudi politics even casually. Russia does as well, so even mild condemnation of attacks on Israel result in no worldwide response, and Israel is left with nothing but the use of force or blockades for self-defense.

I suspect the true prerequisite is an end to the dominance of oil in the global economy. Keep an eye on the Panama Papers. I think we’re going to learn a lot.

I hope that we will elect Sanders, who I believe will mainly focus on long overdue work at home. If one of those things is a move from fossil fuels, I think the long-term result may be an opportunity for peace in Israel.

Then again, that makes Sanders’ actual platforms look simple.