B’nai B’rith International CEO Daniel S. Mariaschin and AJIRI-BBI Chair Richard P. Schifter sent a letter to The Washington Post regarding its recent opinion article by the Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa. In his guest piece, Mustafa attempts to lay out a plan for the future of Gaza, purporting to present a vision for the future, but fails to mention the State of Israel and the Islamic extremist terrorist group Hamas. This kind of whining and magical thinking explains a lot. Read the full letter below.

From Daniel S. Mariaschin, B’nai B’rith International CEO and Richard P. Schifter, AJIRI-BBI Chair:

To the editor:

The Washington Post published a surrealistic opinion piece by the Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa (“A Day After Plan for Gaza,” Washington Post, September 12, 2024) purporting to present a vision for the future. Preposterously, neither the State of Israel nor the Islamic extremist terrorist group Hamas are even mentioned (as if the war happened in a vacuum or on some other planet). It would be comical if the reality wasn’t so tragic. This kind of whining and magical thinking is exactly why there is no peace in the Middle East and why the Palestinians are stuck in a doom loop created by their terrible and cynical leaders.

The proper and constructive thing for a serious Palestinian leader to say would look something like this: “We absolutely condemn the despicable, horrible and unacceptable murder and terrorism committed by Hamas against Israeli civilians on October 7. It caused severe damage and harm to the Palestinian people. Our aim is to reconstruct Gaza, do away with Hamas, and build a peaceful and terror-free future with our Israeli neighbors.”

The fact that no Palestinian leader is able to say this tells us all we need to know.

Daniel S. Mariaschin, CEO, B’nai B’rith International AND Richard P. Schifter, Chair, American Jewish International Relations Institute-B’nai B’rith International (AJIRI-BBI), Washington, D.C.