The Diane Rehm Show

I do not think Israel has a right to exist as a religious state. It has a right to exist as a country that does not give second class citizenship to anyone who is not Jewish.
And if the Jews were to face this reality, then perhaps giving free access to all holy sites in what the West calls the "Holy Land" is more key than demanding that the Jewish state be wiped from the face of the earth.
The freedom to worship in this area has ALWAYS been at the heart of the issue.
All religions need free access to the Holy Land
The direction for solutions seem to have ignored ALL of this fundamental problem demanding permanent solution.
For the United States, having more Jews here than in Israel, the problem of access has been solved by the creation of an Israeli State. But that creation has caused conflict with the Islamic world. They are not guaranteed access to their religious sites if either Jewish or Christian peoples have sovereignty over this property.
And this is especially true since Islam seems to been as aggressive in spreading its beliefs as Christianity.
Belief should be left to each individual and to each family and should not be forced upon anyone. This is actually impossible. But there are those in all three religions who think this can be done with force. And this too is at the heart of this conflict.
Israel should be a democracy or some form of government that does not identify the political state with ANY religion, and does not impinge the right of any religion to practice its beliefs. And this too should be recognized as integral to the solution of this conflict.

I don't understand these comparisons to Martin Luther King, who himself was pro-Zionist if you examine his statements about the conflict.
But comparisons to the American civil rights movement are not valid because most Blacks were not asking for a separate Black state in the United States, except for the Black Muslims. The Black Muslim movement was a separatist movement that did demand a separate territory for American black people, but that never became the mainstream position of most American black people. Most just wanted equal rights in US society and not a separate state, They did not demand that Washington DC be split between white and black countries.
So most of the comparisons between these two movements are spurious and silly.

You should read my previous post more carefully. Anyhow, Jews are a tribe, like the Navajos or Comanches. Every tribe had a religion, but many tribes have decided to adopt "universal religions" like Christianity or Islam or Buddhism, etc. But the Jewish tribe has stuck with its own religion since the beginning. Like every tribe, it has a tribal homeland. Those borders are in our tribal book of sagas, you call "the Bible." But as for modern day State of Israel, it now has a border with Egypt, which was negotiated in the peace treaty. It has a border with Jordan, also negotiated with a peace treaty. It may have one with Lebanon and Syria someday as well. And maybe with the Arabs who call themselves "Palestinians." But since they have no state, their independence and borders have to be negotiated face to face with the government of Israel. Until they do, there is no border with them. The 1949 Armistice line is not a border, but just a ceasefire line. When the Palestinians seriously sit down to negotiate with ISrael, then such matters will be hammered out. That is what peace talks are all about: creating states, borders, etc.

Dear Diane,
This is one of your most important shows, and this is a very important documentary. There has been too much death and suffering in Israel and Palestine. A nonviolent movement that joins Palestinians, Israelis and supporters has great promise not only for resisting the wall but for building new social relations.
The Israelis and Palestinians are related tribes with strong links between their languages, cuisine, and of course, attachment to their land. Recent genomic research shows that Jews from Europe and the Middle East can trace their ancestry back to the Middle East.
As Amos Oz says, it is not a matter of wrong vs. right, it is a matter of two rights. These two groups call the same place "home" and like the Catholics and Protestants of Northern Island, they must find a way to share that home.
The current situation causes great suffering for the Palestinians. The domination of militarism in Israel is perforating its democracy.
I hope that this nonviolent movement flourishes. Many thanks to the filmmakers for educating all of us with this film. Mr.Ayed Morrar is worthy of the Nobel Peace Prize.

Excellent show on an important subject.

Thank you for allowing us to listen to these grounded, ethical, and inspiring voices on your show. As beautifully told in this new film, the story of Budrus confirms that grassroots activism, especially with participation across factional, ethnic, and national lines, does force Israel to work harder to sustain its 43-year occupation over the Palestinian West Bank and Gaza Strip. This is key, for no occupier ever leaves until the political price becomes too high to pay.

Although the victories of these popular struggles do not come fast or frequently enough, they continue to make a difference. In the meantime they have forever transformed the people who join them.

Thank you for this wonderful interview about such an important film! As a Jewish American, I am so happy to see the American media showing that there ARE powerful, successful nonviolent movements among the Palestinian people. The brave Israelis activists who stand with them should be commended as well, as they stand together, united for justice. Where there is understanding and respect, there can be peace. Kudos to the Diane Rehm Show for bringing this documentary attention! Thank you and keep it up!

I think I am one of those. I suggest you think about South Africa. I also do not see the relevance of any of your examples to the Israel-Palestine situation. For that matter, what about the US's long assimilation of cultures, races, and religions. Oh yes, and Canada too. The failure to live in harmony is due to parochial attitudes with differences in religion, culture, or politics. It is completely clear that the message of this village is co-existing not as neighbors but as one people. To say that it somehow implies that the two-state solution could have worked completely misses the point.

The problem with the two-state solution is that it has been failing by increaing degrees since the creation of Israel; both peoples want the same land! Shazam: both people can live on the same land if both can co-exist on the same land.

Diane - Thank you for covering the film Budrus on your show. I appreciate you taking the time and effort to communicate the reality of the Israeli Occupation in Palestine. The silence of other media outlets is deafening by comparison.