I came from a long line of worriers — we’re Jews after all! My parents worried that
I’d never make a living as a songwriter and urged me to become a shoe salesman! I didn’t become a shoe
salesman but I remain a worrier.
I worry about Israel today, after nearly 50 years as an occupier of another people. The Occupied Territories
hardly figure in the public discourse in Israel these days, and yet the occupation won’t go away simply as a
result of inattention.
The attitude of right-wing extremist supporters of Israel also worries me greatly. When you tell them that
constructing peace is a complex undertaking, that it requires both imagination and pragmatism, they’ll dismiss
you by dumbing down the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. They say things like, "The Muslims want to destroy
Israel" or "The Arabs refuse to recognize Israel as a Jewish state" or "If the Arabs had accepted Israel in
1948, the Palestinians wouldn’t be where they are today."
They say things like, "Israel has no partner for peace," ignoring the Palestinian government's renouncement of
violence against Israel. They even have problems with the Palestinians using a non-violent diplomatic path
towards peace by turning to the international community for support of their national aspirations.
Extremists here and in Israel will never find a situation in which Israelis and Palestinians can reach an
accord and a Palestinian state can peacefully come into existence.
That’s why I’m so worried — and infuriated.