BRATTLEBORO-Being against the Netanyahu regime is not necessarily antisemitic, and supporters of innocent victims and a free state in Palestine are not necessarily pro-Hamas terror, yet many expressing those opinions around the world are.
Brattleboro passed Article II, saying in part: "We affirm our commitment to freedom, justice, and equality for the Palestinian people and all people. We pledge to join others in working to end all support to Israel's apartheid regime, settler colonialism, and military occupation."
What does this mean? Eliminate Israel? Not permit a Jewish majority state? Enforce Israel's1948 borders? Insist on our version of democracy in Israel when we can't uphold it here?
Stop all aid to Israel, or just military aid? Allow Israel military aid for self-defense, or none at all? Boycott cultural, educational, and scientific exchanges and business with Israel?
What about the terror, antisemitism, misogyny, homophobia, and transphobia of Hamas and Palestinians, communities, nations, and individuals who support Hamas?
I believe that Palestinian lives matter, Israeli hostages should be immediately unconditionally released, and anything other than support for two states or a confederation of Palestine and Israel territories and the peace movement there, despite history and as hopeless as that currently seems, is a zero-sum game and a recipe for endless war.
Failure to be as clear about condemning Hamas's genocidal terror and antisemitism as about condemning Israel's genocidal war and apartheid practices and the constant forefronting of our differences on Zionism are hampering our ability to move forward together for peace and against the Trump coup d'état as well as we might.
Jean Anne Kiewel
Brattleboro
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