Sunday, January 23, 2022
Jack and I first met about 14 years ago when I attended a meeting of the Middle East Task Force, which he and Stephen Buck chaired at River Road Unitarian Church. Both men had served in the Middle East, Jack as a project officer in support of Palestinian farming cooperatives and Stephen as a Foreign Service officer. I had just read President Jimmy Carter’s book, “Palestine, Peace Not Apartheid;” so I was interested in learning more about the Israeli-Palestinian issue. I was a high school student when the United States recognized the statehood of Israel in 1948, a situation I had supposed was similar to the United States declaring independence from England. Since my wife had served as a travel administrator for trips to Israel, I had mistakenly assumed a more favorable view about the development of Israel. Its Declaration of Statehood promised the development of the land for the benefit of all inhabitants without regard for race, religion, or gender. Jack contributed to my realization that Israel was clearly divided on this issue. Many Palestinians were dispossessed of their homeland. Israel has one set of laws for Jewish Israeli citizens and 5 sets of other laws for Palestinians, depending upon their location. Jack invited me to join the Washington Interfaith Alliance for Middle East Peace, a small group of dedicated individuals who championed the human rights of Palestinians. We appreciate his helping us become advocates for improving the life of all inhabitants in Israel and its occupied territories. My wife and I fondly remember a delightful summer vacation in 2010 when Jack had invited us to join him in San Miquel de Allende.
Ralph and Janice Krause, 8606 Garfield St., Bethesda, MD 20817