Over the past year or so, President Obama has received many criticisms from the Jewish community on how he is dealing with conflicts involving Israel. The number of criticisms have reached their peak over the past few months during the current conflict over settlements in East Jerusalem. We at ShalomBoston.com decided it would be a good idea if the people who visit the website could engage in friendly debate over this issue, which is obviously important to Jewish communities around the country, and around the world.

For many years, American support for Israel was necessary for Israel's very survival.  Today, Israel's survival is threatened only by Iran, and neither the US nor anyone else can do much about that.

So, while 10 years ago, it would have terrified me to have the President say what he did, today, it doesn't bother me in the least.

In the long, long run, it makes no sense for Israel to rule over a population of Palestinians that hate Israel, especially because the Palestinians will eventually outnumber the Jews.  At some point, Israel will let go of the West Bank.  True, giving back Gaza and Southern Lebanon didn't lead to peace there.  But the wars there were successful, in a military if not in a political sense, and there is no existential or even moderately serious threat to Israel from either Lebanon or from Gaza.  So it will be, eventually, with the West Bank; arguments about rights will fall in the face of the need to survive.

Building more settlements in the West Bank simply puts off that day.