Letter to the Editor: Debating reality

The Jewish Advocate

November 28, 2008

By Stan Fleischman

In his letter "Enthusiasm vs. reality" (Nov. 21), Rick Blumsack of Cambridge, in responding to Sidney Topol's editorial ("The Time for Peace is Now," Nov. 14), claims that the reality in the middle east is that "...Arab leaders have never agreed to, or even proposed a genuine two-state peace."

Mr. Blumsack appears to differ with the assessment of Tzipi Livni, who stated in the interview referenced in Mr. Topol's editorial that Palestinian and Arab leaders overwhelmingly support a two-state solution. Furthermore, the parameters of such a solution are well known, having been laid-out in the Geneva Accord document produced after the Oslo talks collapsed.

Additionally, the Saudi initiative, supported by the Arab League, while certainly requiring modification before it can be acceptable to Israel, offers the hope of the entire Arab world recognizing Israel in the context of a twostate solution.

No less a respected Israeli figure than Shimon Peres has recently commended this initiative.
STAN FLEISCHMAN
Newton Highlands