IT IS indeed regrettable that synagogues and greenhouses left by the Israelis were destroyed upon residents’ pullout from Gaza. However, Jeff Jacoby (“The failure of the Gaza pullout,’’ Op-ed, Aug. 18) fails to acknowledge that, because Israel just pulled out unilaterally and did not negotiate an agreement that would include security guarantees and empower moderate leaders, Gaza became a vacuum — one where Hamas was able to come into power.
Jacoby also makes quite a jump in citing Gaza as proof that belief in a peace process resulting in a two-state solution is delusional. Israel has never had Palestinian negotiating partners as moderate as the current Palestinian leadership (Salam Fayyad and Mahmoud Abbas, prime minister and president, respectively, of the Palestinian Authority). Fayyad, in particular, has greatly improved economic and security conditions in the West Bank, while Abbas has clearly acknowledged the Jewish right to a homeland in the historical land of Palestine and has shown that he understands the tough compromises Palestinians will have to make for peace between the two sides.
The outlines for a two-state solution are well-known (and are expressed in the Geneva initiative as well as the Saudi plan). This is the only choice for securing Israel’s future as a Jewish and democratic state.
Stan Fleischman
Newton Highlands
The writer is a member of the group J Street.
