The article, “Fault Lines Open As Civilian Deaths Mount” (July 25), does well to highlight the divisions within the American Jewish community regarding Operation Protective Edge. And while we at Partners for Progressive Israel do oppose this war, we do not oppose it because we are, “invested in being critical of Israeli policies,” as your article quotes Thane Rosenbaum as having said..
On the contrary, Partners for Progressive Israel applauds every positive action the Israeli government takes in the direction of peace, and we welcomed the Netanyahu government’s willingness to enter the recent peace talks sponsored by Secretary of State Kerry. Partners for Progressive Israel opposes this war because we cannot justify the death of innocent children. We take that position with a firm understanding of what the escalating violence means for Israel. I was a combat soldier in the Israel Defense Forces and I am still today a reservist in a combat unit. In November 2012, I prepared to enter the Gaza Strip as a part of the ground invasion that was prevented by the ceasefire.
Professor Rosenbaum‘s comment that “we see the idea as more important than anything else” is at the least patronizing. As an IDF veteran I know the very real consequences of the firepower it is capable of wielding. Israel’s use of massive force has done nothing to actually stop the rockets. Until the violence stops, neither Israel nor the Palestinians will be able to think clearly about the solvable issues of this conflict. We invite Professor Rosenbaum to join in helping Prime Minister Netanyahu to grasp that before many more Palestinians and Israelis are killed.
Managing Director, Partners for Progressive Israel
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