AN OPEN LETTER TO BENJAMIN NETANYAHU

Dear Mr. Netanyahu,

I want to start by thanking you for taking the time to address the United States Congress earlier this week to share your opinion about a nuclear deal with Iran. While there were political repercussions in the United States and Israel, your dedication to your nation and your beliefs ought to be more important than political decorum for the sake of political decorum.

But I do want to pose a serious question to you, because as you said in your speech, a decade may seem like a long time, but Israel and the United States do not want to revisit the threat of a nuclear Iran 10 years from now. Knowing that, when you imagine Israel 50 years from now or 100 years from now, what do you see? Are you content with a future of surviving one existential crisis after another in perpetuity?

At this moment, the threat of a nuclear Iran hangs over Israel. It is important to address this immediate concern and prevent Iran from constructing a nuclear weapon, but what is your plan for securing Israel’s future, not just its present?

Israel cannot exist indefinitely surrounded by enemies, and counting on the United States to always be there is comforting, but what if in the future our nation cannot support you for political or other reasons? When I imagine Israel in 100 years, I see it not only strong and capable of defending itself, but also able to rest more secure knowing that it is not surrounded by foes; I see an Israel with friends as neighbors.

Like you, I want peace for Israel, and although not Jewish myself, I understand the historical and modern grievances suffered by the Jewish people. I cannot right these wrongs, nor can I eliminate the unfortunate and real anti-semitism that still exists all over the world. But I can predict that these hateful biases won’t disappear without a proactive attempt from the state of Israel and the Jewish people to engage their neighbors. Not all minds will change at once, but dialogue will pay dividends. Conversation does not always lead to friendship, but mistrust and fear never do. While Israel, the United States, and our mutual allies engage in this dialogue, we will remain vigilant. Conversation does not mean appeasement nor does it require that we let down our guard.

I urge you to work towards a deal with Iran that will prevent an Iranian bomb while laying the foundation for conversation and chipping away at mistrust. There are other areas, as well, where Israel can expand conversation and cooperation with her neighbors, especially with the threats of ISIS causing destabilization in Syria and Iraq. The time for Israel to be a leader in actions in words is now, and while we work together to protect Israel from not just an Iranian bomb but the other enemies who surround her, we should also attempt to build friendships for a more secure tomorrow. Th future of Israel and Iran is unwritten, but only by giving conversation and dialogue a chance will you give that future and its children hope for peace.

-Will Staton

#ForeignPolicy