Rex Kerr
Feb 23, 2024

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Instructive, but the most important question isn't what people feel reflexively right now but rather what positions are within reach and which are right out.

In that, the interviews are actually rather encouraging. Over and over the interviewees express their views that Israelis hate them and want all of their land. Given Israel's policies towards them over the last 20 years, this isn't an entirely unreasonable perspective, and why wouldn't one then think a two-state solution isn't viable?

Yes, of course there's a huge amount of work necessary to establish even a baseline level of trust, but the attitudes aren't for the most part viciously anti-Jewish or anti-Israeli but rather aggrieved and also unwilling to accept compromise that would relieve the aggravation. If, nonetheless, the compromise was reached without prior acceptance, there might be a good deal of post-hoc acceptance in time.

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Rex Kerr
Rex Kerr

Written by Rex Kerr

One who rejoices when everything is made as simple as possible, but no simpler. Sayer of things that may be wrong, but not so bad that they're not even wrong.

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