Submitted b y Hector Arzeno, State Rep, (D-151)
Since October 7, 2023, after the attack on Israel by the terrorist organization Hamas, in addition to witnessing the horrors of this invasion, we have also been subjected to shameless opinion letters and statements exploiting this terrorism for political gain. I suggest an alternative to such an approach, and instead call for a unified voice against the terrorism of Hamas and the aggressions of Russia.
Words have meaning, and it is important to differentiate Hamas from Palestinians, and to avoid devolving into “us” versus “them.”
Bigotry soils the memory of those lost in this senseless terrorism.
On Friday I had the opportunity to participate in a public forum on the Israel-Hamas war organized by the Council on Foreign Relations. I listened to very enlightening comments led by Ambassador Michael Froman, president of the Council and the three panelists invited to this event, plus excellent questions from several participants.
The conclusions and comments made by Ambassador Froman and his panelists offer some meaningful guidance I believe we should embrace.
– Our Senate in Washington DC needs to confirm the nomination of Ambassador Jack Lew as Ambassador to Israel in a bi-partisan vote. It is of a vital importance for the US to have the ambassador leading the embassy delegation and trying to collaborate in solving this conflict.
– It is a time to be inclusive. It is not a time for extremism. We might foresee a rise in antisemitism as well as Islamophobia in our country.We should resist these impulses.
–Please understand that the language we use locally, when it is us versus them, or them versus us, has an impact. Words have power.
– It is a time for us, the people, to be together in supporting both Israel and Ukraine.