We received many comments in response to the proposed Policy Statement recently published by the Israel/Palestine Working Group of the PDA Peace Task Force. We are sharing a broad sampling of them below. They reveal much about the sentiments among our viewers, including some we find deeply disturbing. The blatantly anti-Semitic comments below should indeed deepen our understanding of this issue, but not necessarily as their authors intended.
-CL, Israel/Palestine Working Group Chair 

“The U.S. government must cut off all aid to Israel until it abides by the dozens of United Nations Resolutions it has ignored, withdraws from all occupied territories and dismantles its illegal colonies on Palestinian lands, honors the World Court of Justice’s verdict and dismantles its apartheid wall, and opens for international inspection its nuclear weapons facilities.”  (NY)

“Lots of nice, politically correct words.  But indicates apparent total ignorance of the dedicated effort to destroy Israel by the Palestinians since 1964, when the PLO was born (and the West Bank and Gaza were in Arab hands).  This dedication to destroy Israel has been supported by all Palestinian factions, continuing with the Hamas government today. Isn’t it somewhat ridiculous to even speak of peace when Israel has never had a genuine partner for peace?” (FL)

“The only just solution is a one state solution. Israel must be made responsible for all the land and people it de facto governs, but all Palestinians, even those who have fled Israeli state sponsored terrorism, must be given citizenship and equal rights. Israel should become a secular state with equal rights for all. America should not be supporting a nation born of terror which continues to this day to carry out genocidal policies. The two state solution is a farce. There can be no viable independent Palestinian state on the current scraps of land which Israel has turned into open air prisons. Nor should America support a racist regime.” (PA)

“If you want to change this it may be necessary to address the undue influence of the American military-industrial complex on this policy.  The amount of arms and military consulting sold to Israel by U.S. firms is staggering.  These businesses have everything to lose by an Israeli-Palestinian peace settlement, since it would reduce tensions in  that part of the world.” (NY)

“While I generally support PDA’s positions, in this case I believe that the policy statement is “too neutral” in a way that is disingenuous. There must be a recognition that the parties do not in fact have equal rights to the land. The Jews are there because no other country would take them and they would otherwise die out, and because of a historical claim. The Palestinians are there in large part because the neighboring countries chose to not absorb the refugees, instead using them as pawns in a battle against the Jews.  Despite this impossible situation, Israel has bent over backwards to treat the Palestinians fairly, even while the Palestinians teach their children to hate Jews and to murder them.”  (MA)

“Piece of waffling Democratic crap! Take a stand against the land-grabbing ethnic cleansing Israeli government and its US enabling supporter.”  (CA)

“Thank you for this even-handed and sensitive approach to a very difficult situation. I have been discouraged by how many progressive groups condemn the Israeli occupation without addressing Palestinian terrorism and then fail to endorse the right of Israel to exist. Your statement condemns injustices and violence on BOTH sides and acknowledges the right to self-government of both peoples.”  (MA)

“Nothing unbiased can occur regarding Palestine and Israel when it is run by Jews. Jews have been inculcated over millennia that they have been persecuted and victimized more than any other humans. This fact is generally true even with secular Jews. No panel on the topic led by Jews is worth a warm bucket of spit.”  (NY)