Gershon Baskin

None of you can offer a practical alternative to the two-state solution.

As long as Olmert holds on the reins of authority he holds the full responsibility and obligation to act as a leader. This is his only chance to make a positive mark on history and to serve the long term interests of Israel and the Jewish people.

Death pains a Jewish heart as much as it pains a Palestinian heart. We all carry our traumas with us and each and everyone one of us, Jew or Arab is a victim of this conflict carrying the trauma of war with them deep inside. This conflict has left no one without pain. For 100 years we have been killing each other for a piece of this land, for a piece of peace and quiet. We have been blinded by our pain and they have been blinded by theirs.

It would make a huge positive impact if Israel were to announce that it was willing for these refugees to be settled in the West Bank and that Israel would even provide some financial support for that purpose. Even without the financial support the gesture would be viewed as a real measure of building trust because it is an act of compassion when compassion is severely lacking

It is Iran which is challenging all of us to reexamine the rules of the game of the international chess board…the surprising end-game challenges the world to view Iran slightly differently. This has a great potential to influence the world-viewers in Gaza.

Arguing about the virtues of recognizing the new Palestinian government is a waste of time. Wasting time now is criminal. Now is the time for an Israeli peace initiative.

For the first time in the history of the Middle East, the possibility for genuine comprehensive peace is much more real than fantasy. The opportunity is placed at our doorstep. If we miss it, we will have no one to blame for the next war than ourselves.

This initiative is picking up steam and capturing the imagination of more and more people around the world. It is essential that we keep building momentum. * The June 5 Initiative – a grass roots enterprise is organizing events in Palestine, Israel and the rest of the world in support Read more

Those who want to support the moderates in Palestine and Abbas, their leader, must advance a genuine peace process. Creating hope based on political progress is the best ammunition in the battle for peace.

The issue of the construction of the Wiesenthal Center’s Museum of Tolerance on the site of the Muslim cemetery in Jerusalem’s Mamilla quarter is back in the High Court. In the meantime, on Wednesday morning there will another hearing in the Interior Affairs Committee of the Knesset on this issue. Read more