A New York Times op-ed in which Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) wrote that Washington must pressure Israel to achieve a two-state solution is “historically inaccurate and out of touch,” according to Democratic Majority for Israel.
“For decades, Palestinian leaders have repeatedly rejected partition plans and statehood offers, and Hamas continues to reject Israel’s right to exist while embracing terrorism,” wrote Brian Romick, president and CEO of DMFI. “Yet these realities receive relatively little attention in the senator’s argument.”
U.S. President Donald Trump “should also use his diplomatic tools to pressure Hamas’s backers, regional actors and Palestinian leaders to reject terrorism, support Hamas’s disarmament and accept Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish state,” according to Romick.
“Israel has been willing to trade land for peace, but Palestinian leaders have refused opportunities for a two-state solution,” he wrote.
The senator’s call for Washington to stop selling offensive weapons to Israel “reflects a misunderstanding of how weapons are used in real-world situations and the security environment Israel faces,” the DMFI head stated.
“Sen. Van Hollen claims to know the region well,” he wrote. “But lasting peace will not come from placing responsibility on one side while ignoring the roles of Hamas, Iran-backed terror groups, failed Palestinian leadership and the refusal of some in the region to accept Israel’s legitimacy.”
