A two-state solution is in America’s best interest

March 10 − To the Editor:

Last Monday, I attended the Portsmouth City Council meeting on the resolution calling for a cease-fire in Gaza. I'm not Jewish or Muslim. I'm just an American looking for a Middle East strategy that puts America first. This starts with a cease-fire leading to a two-state solution. This may not be ideal for Israel or the Palestinians, but these folks are not my primary worry. My chief concern is us. I'm 68 and have supported U.S. Middle East policy since sitting in a gas line as a 17-yearold during the first oil embargo. I spent my entire career in the airline industry where over the years ever-tightening security measures were put in place to thwart terrorist threats. I was working in New York City when the attacks on our soil on September 11 unfolded. I accepted these circumstances in support of our foreign policy objectives in the region. But, after 50 years, the expenditure of blood and treasure has not worked for America and I fear that we will continue to be at risk if we don't alter our approach.

Our long-term national economic and security interest lies in a stable Middle East—one that aligns U.S. interests with a broader group of regional allies, including Israel. Stability could go a long way to defuse Iran and enhance our position relative to 21st-century adversaries: Russia and China. The timing and circumstances may now be right for us to support a two-state solution that guarantees Israel's existence while giving Palestinians a home state. It won't be easy but I believe it's a must for us.

The passion expressed on both sides on the violence in Gaza during the city council meeting reminded me of my late father. He was a teenager in Nazioccupied Greece during WWII. Before he passed in 2011, he took me to a spot in his Greek village where he recounted the execution by firing squad of 40 men and boys randomly rounded up from the local civilian population by the German army. They were executed in retribution for the killing of one German by the Greek resistance force. The Germans made no distinction between innocent civilians and armed resistance fighters. For them, the value proposition was one German was equal to 40 innocent civilians. As I was listening to the debate that night, I wondered what is our value proposition for innocent Palestinian lives?

James T. Lalos

Portsmouth