by Myron (Mike) Stagman, PhD
Here is what I firmly believe concerning the best way to deal with Israel, for the sake of the Palestinians, Lebanese, the Israeli people, and all the rest of us living in this increasingly ugly world:
There needs to be public education campaigning conducted in Israel,
(1) door-to-door with leaflets/talking (which personalizes) and
(2) special efforts made in Israeli universities. Educating and politically activating university students is extremely important.
It would be best if Palestinians cooperated with sympathetic Israelis and Israeli Arabs to do the job.
Offhand, there are 3 things I would have the Palestinians/Israeli sympathetisers emphasise to the Israeli Public:
1. That a free and independent and liveable Palestine is not a threat to Israel. Indeed, it would enhance Israeli security and prosperity.
(This needs to be spelled out with facts & reasoned argument.)
2. Israeli violent actions smear & taint the Jewish heritage, and damage the soul of Israel.
3. Perhaps quote appropriate passages from, or make references to the Old Testament. (One might presume this will fall on deaf ears UNLESS (1) and (2) are effectively written.)
An astonishingly close historical analogy exists between the evolution of Israel and that of Classical Athens --- freedom-fighting against the odds, the establishment of democracy, the great years of achievement and high hopes, the corruption by money and power, and aggressive military repression of freedom-fighters from other states (although still maintaining a domestic democracy -- the problem is the corrosion of moral fibre and intellectual acuity due to power and money).
Should anyone find interest (and lessons) in the above, he or she might wish to glance at a particular book, "Socrates, the Martyred Messiah: An Essential History of Classical Athens", by Myron Stagman. See www.MyronStagman.com