John MuesVerified account

Thank you to the folks who have commented in private to me about my Op-Ed on Israeli-Palestinian relations and the need for a two-state solution - link to Op-Ed provided in a previous post. Some of the commenters have far deeper knowledge about this issue and in-country time

than myself. I appreciated their feedback immensely, as well as the replies of those who have not traveled to the Levant but have good ideas and are passionate about the matter. In short, I agree with the prevailing feedback: the situation and hope for a two-state solution

has never been bleaker. Some may believe that the United States has been too friendly with Israel, and too hostile and dismissive towards the Palestinians. On one level, that is valid. On another level, the U.S. has ceased being a true friend to both Israel and Palestine.

But, one may ask, didn’t the U.S. support relocating the American Embassy to Israel from Tel Aviv to “contested” Jerusalem? Wasn’t Prime Minister Netanyahu invited to address the U.S. Congress? Yes, that’s all true. But a true American friend to Israel would have opposed that

embassy relocation, and wouldn’t have permitted a hyper-partisan like Netanyahu such a platform. As well, a true American friend to Israel would oppose continued settlement construction and intrusion into Palestinian territory. #stevedaines and #greggianforte and the Trump