by Mark David Blum, Esq.

I am an American by birth and by character. By chance of birth, I am also a Jew. In both, I am well aware of my history and the history of both the United States and the State of Israel. To me and many millions of others like me, the State of Israel is the line in the sand where we Jews who live by a creed of ‘Never Again’ have drawn a line in the sand and it is there that we will live or die as a People.

But, as an American; where I live, work, and adhere to our national policies and paradigms, I am not willing to stand by and let the State of Israel set American foreign policy. If it is in the best interests of the United States to end the forty year war with Iran which commenced when our embassy hostages were taken captive and held for 444 days, then we should be able to determine our own course – even if such course is contrary to the best interests of the State of Israel.

Clearly Israel would prefer the United States to be in a state of conflict with Iran because that takes a lot of political and military pressure off of Israel. But frankly, that may be where American and Israeli interests part company. Israel wants us to have no peace in our lifetimes. I want peace in what is left of mine.

The United States should not tolerate nor pander to let the State of Israel set America’s future course. I know a lot of Israeli and money from Jews, such as AIPAC, is being used to manipulate our current negotiations with Teheran. I say to Israel; stand down and stay out of my home. Deal with your own issues. The United States has a different mission and place in the world. We may have Israel’s back. But my children deserve a future of hope and of peace and of lower gas prices. We need to cut the spending on militarizing the Gulf. Most importantly, we need to focus and further American ideals; not Israeli ones.

I am fully behind the State of Israel. But I cannot tolerate her butting into and harming American politics. Given a choice between the two, I will make my last stand here in the U.S.