2-State Solution Act Places Israeli-Palestinian Conflict Front and Center in US Politics

For Israelis uncomfortable seeing their nation as a lightning rod in America’s domestic politics, Thursday’s launch by Rep. Andy Levin, D-Michigan, of his Two-State Solution Act just might be the first element of the coming perfect storm. The legislation comes at a time when the unanimity of support the Jewish state once maintained vis-à-vis the partisan politics of its most important ally is clearly strained, with a not-insignificant number of Democratic voices espousing policies vehemently opposed by the traditional pro-Israel core. Levin’s bill is a virtual compendium of policy positions that critics assert would create chaos in the US-Israel relationship. They argue that, after years of mantra-like repetition, key phrases remain undefined while specific policies that would be codified into law are plain wrong. To its supporters, though, the legislation would take the nation from a perception of talk without action to policy with teeth.