Metrowest Daily News, March 13, 2014
by Susan Massad
The rebuilt Yawkey commuter rail station in Boston clears way for increased service across the Framingham-Worcester MBTA line, boosting the total number of weekday round trips to 24.
One MBTA ad that commuters may have seen recently is: ‘Will More Land for Arabs Really Bring Peace?’ depicting a map of “Arab lands vs. land occupied by Israel.” This disturbing message completely ignores the root of the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians. Palestine was taken over by force in 1948 – hundreds of thousands of Palestinians were involuntarily expelled from their homes, and many were killed, to create a homeland for Jewish people displaced after World War II. Just like there was no justification for the holocaust, there was no reasonable purpose for banishing people who weren’t responsible for the atrocities.
This kind of ad perpetuates two-way hatred and prejudice over a longstanding conflict that has never been resolved. As long as one group is subjugated – those who live under occupation, there will be no peace. According to B’Tselem – The Israeli Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories – Israeli settlers living in 135 settlements and about 100 outposts in “Area C” of the West bank – land controlled by Israel, are in contravention of international law.
Wouldn’t it be better to advocate, as a way to “really bring peace” a two-state solution under which both Palestinians and Israelis can live in peace?
SUSAN J. MASSAD
Framingham
