Reboot two-state goal

Reboot two-state goal

Violence in the Middle East is increasing, and any long-term solution gets less and less likely. Right now, escalation is spooking countries in and outside the region (‘‘Explosions put Mid-East on edge’’, 20/4).

Meanwhile, the US has vetoed Palestine’s bid for UN membership. Although largely symbolic, this would have been a step towards a two-state solution.

Better still, the partition of Palestine in 1947, into a Jewish and an Arab state with Jerusalem ‘internationalised’, could have been accepted by all parties. Since then, various agreements have been proposed and even signed, but governments and other organisations have always been able to undermine the peace process.

One problem now is finding a compromise among the major players. Leaders of Israel and Iran (amongst many others) will not publicly concede anything at all to the other side.

President Joe Biden is criticised by supporters of both Israel and Palestine for not exclusively supporting them. Foreign Minister Penny Wong was called ‘‘reckless’’ by Peter Dutton, for calling for a restart of the conversation on a two-state solution.

This issue should not be a party political problem. There is no simple solution in Gaza, or the Middle East overall, but discussing a two-state solution would be a start.

John Hughes, Mentone

Paint-over metaphor

The provocative act of painting over posters of Israelis held captive by Hamas, Islamic Jihad, Al-Aqsa Brigade and others in Gaza since October 7, to paint free Palestine graffiti in the ‘‘bagelbelt’’ of Caulfield (‘‘Australia is losing the war within’’, 17/4), is a metaphor for the disdain the perpetrators have for the Jewish community and Israel; as if Jews don’t matter.

What’s more disturbing, is it shows that those responsible for the graffiti are more anti-Jewish than they are pro-Palestinian.

Henry Herzog, St.Kilda East