To the editor,
Guiora and Romirowsky might have added that the Palestinians’ leadership problem has been fueled for sixty years by those who claim to be their friends. The world gave no consideration to Palestinian statehood when Egypt and Jordan controlled Gaza and the West Bank. Since the Six Day War, the Arab world’s focus has been on destroying Israel, not building a healthy Palestine.
Just as real friends don’t let friends drive drunk, it is past time for those who share a genuine concern for the future of the Palestinians to insist they demonstrate they can soberly handle the responsibilities of statehood before they get the keys. Otherwise, it is only a matter of time until once again, someone else needlessly dies.
John R. Cohn MD
Professor of Medicine, Thomas Jefferson University
Member, Board of Directors Scholars for Peace in the Middle East