We know that pro-Israel does not mean blindly supporting policies that are irrational, reckless, and counter-productive. Pro-Israel means supporting policies that are consistent with Israel's interests and promote its survival as a Jewish, democratic state.
You've heard the arguments of the religious and political right-wing, and so have we. They've had their say. Now, we'll have ours.
Go HERE for all installments of APN's "They Say, We Say"
What About Jerusalem and Hebron?
Arab claims to Jerusalem are flimsy. The Quran does not even mention the city, and in any case, Muslims have Mecca and Medina, while Jews only have Jerusalem. And in contrast to the Arab governments, which denied Jews access to the city and damaged our holy sites, Israel has been respectful of Christian and Muslim sites and has permitted access to them. Therefore, Jews have a more valid legitimate right to Jerusalem than either Muslim or Christian Arabs.
Jerusalem is the third holiest place to Islam. Muslims, not Jews or Christians, determine what is holy to them, and Muslims have believed in the city's sanctity for many generations, long before it became the geographic focal point of the Arab-Israeli conflict.
While we should not forget the desecration and destruction of Jewish holy sites before 1967, we should seek policies that offer a better future to Jerusalem, not policies that focus on settling the scores of past quarrels. Peaceful coexistence in the city of peace will be achieved only when all sides recognize and respect the legitimacy of each other's religious beliefs and traditions.