Almost 85 years ago, the passenger liner St. Louis departed from Germany. Many aboard were fleeing from Hitler’s Third Reich in search of a safe haven, but were turned away from the United States and other nations because they were Jews.
Of the 6 million Jews killed in the Holocaust, 254 were passengers of the St. Louis who had been denied asylum.
Out of this collective horror and trauma, the State of Israel was born to ensure the Jews would always have a secure home in lands historically connected to their people. Many in the region have violently denied the right of this nation to exist, which is why I have consistently supported defensive aid to Israel so it can protect itself.
By the same token, Palestinians deserve their own state in these lands where they have long resided — their own home where they can be safe and secure from violence and displacement, including from illegal settlers in areas like the West Bank.
The only true pathway to peace for both sides is through a two-state solution, a goal I have long supported.
The current crisis sparked on October 7th has only magnified the stakes.
The war that Hamas began with horrific killings and kidnappings has given way to a war of reprisal by the Netanyahu-led government.
More than 34,000 Gazans have died due to this war — most of whom were civilians.
The humanitarian crisis in Gaza is already dire and is growing even worse as Netanyahu moves to invade Rafah, where more than a million Palestinians have taken shelter and the remaining Israeli hostages are likely held.
Netanyahu has consistently shown in words and actions that he will put his personal political interest above the desperate need of both Israelis and Palestinians for a lasting peace. This is why I voted against sending offensive military aid to his government in the recent foreign aid package.
The longer this conflict drags out, the more civilians and hostages die, and the further we will find ourselves from a two-state solution. The peoples of both Israel and Palestine desperately need a ceasefire that allows for the return of hostages, the delivery of much-needed humanitarian aid to Gazans, and the renewal of diplomatic negotiations towards a permanent peace.
Here in the United States, we have seen many demonstrations. While the majority of these have been peaceful efforts to call for an end to the violence, we have also seen protests and counterprotests featuring an alarming amount of antisemitism, violence, and Islamophobia.
This is unacceptable, and we cannot be silent. The consequences are too high for us not to speak out forcefully and clearly. For protests to be effective, they cannot give way to vandalism and the denial of access to public spaces by private actors.
We cannot continue to escalate rhetoric and conflict at home if we want to achieve de-escalation and peace abroad.
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Amid this strife, I was proud that University California, Riverside, was able to recently reach a peaceful resolution that saw students disband their encampment.
That took courage from leaders on both sides.
This compromise means that all students and faculty can return to studying, learning, and expressing their First Amendment rights — all while remaining safe on campus.
It is my profound hope that the very reason for these protests in the first place will soon have been achieved: a ceasefire that returns the hostages and restarts diplomatic negotiations.
Because it is only through such sustained, serious negotiations toward a two-state solution that both Israelis and Palestinians can secure the peace and prosperity they deserve.
Mark Takano represents California’s 39th congressional district.