To the Editor:
In response to Meredith Liu '04's May 22 letter, "Embracing Compromise, I would like to point out two inconsistencies in her arguments.
Her assertion that Hillel is "blindly" supporting Israel would be more compelling if she had indicated that she attends Hillel meetings. I was not there, so I won't comment on whether the decision was deeply thought out or just a knee-jerk reaction, but if we're going to start making assumptions about a campus organization's policy decisions, I think we should probably attend its meetings.
Also, the idea that a state is greater than human life has been proven again and again across the world. If human life were greater than any state, and the ideals it purports to hold, you can pretty much dismiss the American Revolution, World War II, the American Civil War, the October Revolution in Russia, etc. It is because people are willing to subordinate their lives to the continuance of a state that places like East Timor and Taiwan came into existence.
Compromise is critical, and it will be vital to any Middle East peace process, but just as the United States has learned time and again, you cannot effectively criticize or cajole other parties' positions unless you are actively engaged in their discussions. Otherwise it's just noise.
