'Spock' calls for Jerusalem's division
Jewish actor Leonard Nimoy known for famous Star Trek role writes letter on 'Americans for Peace Now' website supporting two-state solution
The 80-year-old actor called upon the American people to support the peace initiative.
"I reach out to you as someone who is troubled to see the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians continue apparently without an end in sight," Nimoy wroe.
He went on to write that he supports the division of Jerusalem, mentioning 50 other prominent Israelis, including former heads of the Mossad, the Shin Bet and the military who support a two-state solution.
"There is a sizable number of influential voices in Israel saying the same thing… a call for two states for two nations. Their plan includes a Palestinian state alongside Israel with agreed-upon land swaps. The Palestinian-populated areas of Jerusalem would become the capital of Palestine; the Jewish-populated areas the capital of Israel."
"I'm a strong supporter of APN and the work it does," Nimoy wrote. "Peace Now's activities and programs… keep peace on the world's agenda… Like those Israelis who issued the peace plan, the members of Peace Now have their boots on the ground. They serve in Israel's military reserves and see every day what life is like without a negotiated peace with the Palestinians."
Nimoy also addressed the Itamar massacre and the increase in violence in the Middle East.
"A Jewish family was murdered in the West Bank and a woman was killed in a bus bombing in Jerusalem. A rocket attack on southern Israel from the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip resulted in a school bus being hit and a teen died of his wounds. Israel, in turn, has retaliated," he said.
He added that a strong American leadership is needed to "pivot from the zero-sum mentality of violence to an attitude that focuses on the parties shared interests: Security and prosperity." Paraphrasing his famous Star Trek quote: "Live long and prosper."
Nimoy recalled a Star Trek episode called, "Let That Be Your Last Battlefield," in which the Enterprise runs into "two men, half black, half white, are the last survivors of their peoples who have been at war with each other for thousands of years, yet the Enterprise crew could find no differences separating these two raging men… And they were prepared to battle to the death to defend the memory of their people who died from the atrocities committed by the other."
The actor attempted to convince the American people to act by supporting the APN, mostly through donations, in order to help resolve the conflict.
"I'm a strong supporter of APN and the work it does. It is a leading voice for Americans who support Israel and know that a negotiated peace will ensure Israel's security, prosperity and continued viability as a Jewish and democratic state," wrote Nimoy.
Nimoy stressed he does not intend to belittle the issues that divide Israelis and Palestinians.
"What I do mean to suggest is that the time for recriminations is over. Assigning blame over all other priorities is self-defeating. Myth can be a snare. The two sides need our help to evade the snare and search for a way to compromise," he said.
The actor also noted how the tumultuous situation in the Middle East has a direct effect on the US economy.
"We've seen oil prices rise sharply and America become involved militarily in Libya. The cost to American lives and our economy continues to rise at a time when unemployment and deficits are sapping our country's strength."
Nimoy explained that it is also in the interest of the US "to spread the message that there is a peace solution, and to let Congress and the White House know it's preferable for America to be part of the solution than to be drawn into another conflict."
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