Peace is possible in the Middle East

It has long seemed that peace in the eastern Mediterranean and Middle East can only succeed by multiple simultaneous efforts. Such success is currently possible.

The nations receiving the most U.S. foreign aid are Israel and Egypt, most of that aid being military. We should, and are legally obligated to, suspend (with possibility of restoration of some aid) aid to Egypt because of the coup, and to Israel because of its occupation of Palestine. Both situations include significant human rights violations.

This is win-win. Conservatives want less government spending - this is a good start. Human rights advocates finally get the precedents for legal enforcement they've needed.

Pouring weapons into any region of the world makes problems worse. We should, in keeping with trying to help bring peace to this region, stay out of Syria, not send weapons there. Leave any intervention to those most intimate with Syria - the Arab League and Turkey.

The best hope for peace from North Africa to Persia may be an interconnected economy, a common market; then they couldn't afford to wage war.

Jeff Strottmann

Iowa City