This is Yossi’s reply to Radouane from Morocco. to read Radouane’s full response check this link 

 

Dear Radouane,

Thank you for your nuanced and thoughtful response, which I deeply appreciated. I felt the seriousness with which you read my book. For a writer, there is no greater gift than that.

I was also especially pleased to hear from a reader in Morocco. Now that our two countries are officially at peace (we’ve been “unofficially” at peace for a long time), these are the connections we need to deepen our relationship.

You write about the need for a Palestinian response to my book. In the latest English-language edition of the book, I published 50 pages of Palestinian responses. And on my website (letterstomyneighbor.com) there are also a number of Palestinian responses.

Still, I agree with you: A full-length book from a Palestinian to an Israeli would be a wonderful addition to the literature on the subject. One Palestinian friend did promise me that he would write such a book, so who knows…

Thank you, Radouane, for your warm response to Jewish faith and history. I feel the same way about the holy Qur’an as you write about the Torah: Even we disagree on some points of faith, there is so much truth that we share in common.

Where you and I disagree is over the question of one state. The Jewish people waited for two thousand years for a corner of the world where we could be the majority, and now that we have fulfilled our (nearly impossible) dream, we cannot give it up. I agree with you: the land is very small, and the obstacles facing a two-state solution are overwhelming. Still, the alternative, I am convinced, would be far worse. In a single state, Arabs and Jews would constantly compete with each other for power. The wounds of a hundred-year conflict are still too raw; it will take a long time for them to heal.

Meanwhile, I believe that we need to continue striving for a fair solution that will empower both peoples. That is my hope and prayer.

With blessings and warm regards,

Yossi