This is Yossi’s reply to Rosaline from Yemen. To read Rosaline’s full response check this link 

 

Dear Rosaline,

Thank you so much for your warm response to my book.

I agree with you that good intentions will not be sufficient to begin solving this conflict.  And yes, people-to-people initiatives are the best way for us to move forward, especially in the absence of negotiations among the leaders. It was with just that intention that I wrote my book. Thank you for being among those courageous enough to read my words and to respond.

I am especially grateful to you for affirming that the Arab world needs to come to terms with Israel’s existence. I believe that that is essential for convincing Israelis to move toward a two-state solution. Only by easing the sense of siege under which Israelis have lived from the first day of our founding as a state will we manage to overcome the understandable security fears that dominate Israeli discourse today, and offer an alternative vision of a new Middle East.

For that reason, I see the Abraham Accords as a crucial first step toward a regional agreement that would include a Palestinian state and full Palestinian acceptance of Israel’s legitimacy and permanence.

Finally, I send you and the Yemenite people my prayers for peace and safety. I follow the news from your country with horror and great anxiety. May God bless you, your family and your country.

With warm regards,

Yossi