Actor Leonard Nimoy, best known for his role as Spock in the original "Star Trek" series, has come out in support of a two-state solution in a plea for peace in the Middle East.
In an open letter posted on the website for left-leaning organization Americans for Peace Now, Nimoy advocates for two states with a divided Jerusalem capital, calling the solution "critical" for the Israeli and Palestinian people.
Nimoy cites the recommendations made by prominent Israelis in April, including former heads of Mossad, Shin Bet and the military, who called for a Palestinian state with a capital in East Jerusalem.
Nimoy made a "Star Trek" episode reference to help prove his point:
You might recall the episode in the original Star Trek series called, "Let That Be Your Last Battlefield." Two men, half black, half white, are the last survivors of their peoples who have been at war with each other for thousands of years, yet the Enterprise crew could find no differences separating these two raging men.
But the antagonists were keenly aware of their differences–one man was white on the right side, the other was black on the right side. And they were prepared to battle to the death to defend the memory of their people who died from the atrocities committed by the other.
The story was a myth, of course, and by invoking it I don’t mean to belittle the very real issues that divide Israelis and Palestinians. What I do mean to suggest is that the time for recriminations is over. Assigning blame over all other priorities is self-defeating. Myth can be a snare. The two sides need our help to evade the snare and search for a way to compromise.
View the clip below:
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