The Timing Is Ripe for Obama to Make Demands on Israel to Settle for Peace

Obama is in a better position than any president in decades to insist that Israelis agree to an independent Palestinian state. And we need to speak up with him.

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And yes, it’s still a time of crisis -- not between the U.S. and Israel, but between a peace movement that spans both nations and a militaristic faction in both nations that would thwart efforts for peace. Now (as a sign of the changing times) the peace movement can take guidance from a one-time "pro-Israel" hawk like Rep. Ackerman, who says, "It's a never-let-a-crisis-go-to-waste moment."

To make sure this moment doesn’t go to waste, thousands of Americans and Israelis have to make their views known, especially to their elected leaders. Here in the U.S., we need a voice for peace loud enough to make it safe for the Obama administration to heed the warnings from the Pentagon and finally take a firm stand against the Israeli war hawks.

The real crisis, then, is a crisis of conscience within each American and each Israeli who knows that the status quo is no longer acceptable. Who will remain silent and who will speak out? That’s the most critical question of all. The answer will decide the future of the Middle East, and the U.S. role in the Middle East, for a long time to come.

Ira Chernus is Professor of Religious Studies at the University of Colorado at Boulder. Read more of his writing on Israel, Palestine, and American Jews on his blog: http://chernus.wordpress.com.