It's time for Princetonians to act

In his speech, Obama asserted, “Peace is possible. I’m not saying it’s guaranteed ... but it is possible. Negotiations will be necessary, but there’s little secret about where they must lead: two states for two peoples.” He also passionately argued that “the only way for Israel to endure and thrive as a Jewish and democratic state is through the realization of an independent and viable Palestine.”

But most importantly, Obama called on the audience of college students before him to help end the conflict: “I can promise you this: Political leaders will not take risks if the people do not demand that they do. You must create the change that you want to see.”

President Obama’s brilliant speech and Kerry’s urgent warning have made it clear: The window for a two-state solution to the conflict is closing, and if we care about Israel or Palestine, or about the very cause of peace itself, we must act now.

Now, don’t get me wrong — such a solution will not be easy. As noted lawyer and leading expert on Jerusalem Daniel Seidemann said when J Street U Princeton brought him to campus earlier this year, the two-state solution is “on life support.” Take, for example, the consistent expansion of Israeli settlements, which are illegal under international law, into the West Bank. In 2012, The New York Times reported that the settlement population grew by 4.7 percent, and each day, settlements are expanding and the two-state solution is moving further away from reality.

And yet, not all hope is lost. A recent poll cited by the U.S. Department of State showed that 78 percent of Palestinians and 74 percent of Israelis supported a two-state solution to the conflict. While the conflict has often seemed unresolvable, there has been a great deal of new energy in working toward a resolution of the conflict as of late, and support for such a solution has never been higher among Israelis and Palestinians.

This information leaves many Princetonians asking what they can do as students on campus to make a difference and help move us toward peace.

Fortunately, there are many concrete steps we can take. Firstly, since conversation about this issue can often become polarized, we, as a University community, must create a more constructive conversation on our own campus. Through educating ourselves about these issues and discussing them in a productive and non-divisive manner, we can utilize our energies to work toward the peaceful resolution of the conflict. Though the conflict can often seem distant, this issue in particular is one where our dedicated work can ultimately have a significant impact, and we may one day be able to take pride in knowing that we meaningfully contributed to the end one of the most entrenched conflicts in the world.

Secondly, we must advocate for our government to prioritize the two-state solution, because the impact that we can have as college students is, sometimes shockingly, huge. People often think that they cannot effect change, but history has shown that when college students stand together to fight for causes we hold dear, we can make a difference. To take one example, in the 1960s, the movement to free Soviet Jewry began with a few students at Columbia University and ultimately led to the deep involvement of the U.S. government, with President Reagan personally negotiating the release of Soviet Jews. And in my own advocacy work, time and time again, elected officials have expressed that they look to young people for guidance.

J Street U Princeton, an organization I founded earlier this year, has been coordinating advocacy efforts all year to encourage our government to take a leading role in ending the conflict. For example, after President Obama’s speech in Jerusalem, we mobilized Princeton students to call their senators and express their support for Obama’s vision, and the vice president of J Street U Princeton, Kyle Dhillon, actually spoke to his senator directly! Repeatedly, our elected officials expressed that they were excited and interested to hear from Princeton students and that our advocacy has an impact in shaping their thinking around these issues.

We must come together for a secure Israel and a future state of Palestine. If we stand together and work together toward achieving peace, we as a Princeton community can help ensure that in the very near future, we can rejoice in peace in the Middle East and a safer, more just world. The time has come. It is our time to lead, and I hope you’ll join me.

Aryeh Nussbaum Cohen is a sophomore from Brooklyn, N.Y., and the president of J Street U Princeton. He can be reached at aryehnc@princeton.edu.