I think one group should go to both Israel and the West Bank.
While they’re in Israel they can:
1. Ask Bibi if the Israeli government continues to magically convert illegal West Bank outposts into legal ones?
2. Get a briefing on current Israeli security concerns and, if they still feel an IDF presence is required in Area A, then ask them why?
3. Ask if Palestinian requests for permits to develop the undeveloped parts of Area C are still being overwhelmingly refused?
4. Talk to Jews and Druze in the streets and ask about how they would feel being absorbed into a Palestinian Arab majority single state?
5. Ask if anyone has any idea how to solve this mess?
While they’re in the West Bank they can:
1. Tour some of the settlements near Jerusalem so they understand these aren’t frontier outposts but built up suburban neighborhoods.
2. Tour the illegal outposts so they understand that these are frontier outposts.
3. Ask the PA for a response to the Israeli security concerns and about having an IDF presence in Area A?
4. Talk to the Palestinian in the street about how they feel about the continued existence of a Jewish/Zionist state?
5. Ask if anyone has any idea how to solve this mess?
Now, let’s talk about the claim that “Ordinary Americans’ views on Israel/Palestine are changing.”
Actually, they’re apparently not. The poll referenced is on one aspect of the problem. From Pew Research:
”When asked about the dispute between Israel and the Palestinians, 46% of Americans say they sympathize more with the Israelis, 16% say they sympathize more with the Palestinians and about four-in-ten (38%) either volunteer that their sympathies are with both (5%), neither (14%) or that they do not know (19%). The overall balance of opinion has fluctuated only modestly since 1978, when 45% said they sympathized more with Israel, 14% with the Palestinians and 42% could not decide.”
What has changed is that the two parties have become more polarized. You can find the details at the link below but basically Republicans heavily favor Israel and Democrats are split 27%-25% in favor of Israel, 23% say neither and 25% say they don’t know. What Pew calls Liberal Democrats favor the Palestinians by 35%-19%, 22% say neither and 24% say they don’t know.
