Letter: Drop Israeli divestment idea

EDITOR,
It concerns me that a number of well-meaning students on college campuses and others are advocating divestment of Israeli securities and imposing trade sanctions with the ill-conceived purpose of forcing peace negotiations between Israel and the Muslim inhabitants of the area.
Although thoughtful consideration of these proposals will probably not result in widespread action, I am urging those who are the least bit interested in implementing them to reconsider for the following reasons:
There can be no peace in the Middle East until Israel feels secure. While there is no absolute security for any nation, Israel is surrounded by a large population that includes many who have stated their intention to destroy it. It follows that even moderate levels of security are impossible while states with the potential power to accomplish that goal prevail in that intent.
There are numerous citizens of Israel and others, including Muslims, who are urgently working to increase security for Israel and the world, including such organizations as the American Friends Service Committee and J Street.
Divestment and trade restrictions would obviously be seen as destructive to Israel’s security, as they are really a form of war and only increase the tension in the area. They would be counterproductive and undermine the efforts of many to increase goodwill and security.