Inconing Congressmember Melat Kiros: "By conflating “calls for the elimination of the Israeli state” with anti-Semitism, you delegitimize any solution that forces Israel to reckon with its colonial role in Palestine, including one-state solutions..."
"...called for by Palestinians and Israelis alike — one state, under the historic Palestine, where all citizens are equal under the rule of law, regardless of religion or ethnicity. As stated by Palestinian lawyer Michael Tarazi:
“Support for one state is hardly a radical idea; it is simply the recognition of the uncomfortable reality that Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories already function as a single state. They share the same aquifers, the same highway network, the same electricity grid and the same international borders…[The one-state solution] neither destroys the Jewish character of the Holy Land nor negates the Jewish historical and religious attachment (although it would destroy the superior status of Jews in that state). Rather, it affirms that the Holy Land has an equal Christian and Muslim character. For those who believe in equality, this is a good thing.”
Perhaps it is naive to believe that the people in Palestine and Israel might one day live together as neighbors, in peace, without fear of persecution, under a new government, but it is not hopeless, and, most importantly, it is not anti-Semitic. I sincerely hope you take my words in the earnest spirit I am giving them and reconsider your signatures on this letter by recognizing that there is no path toward peace if we do not allow the legitimacy of governments and institutions around the globe to be questioned and criticized, regardless of where they are or who they serve." --November 7th, 2023:
Context: Melat was fired from her job at a law firm for refusing to take this letter down. Now she's in Congress!