8 April 4 • 2019 jn views A s difficult as it is to admit, our country’ s history is rich in hate. Far too often, we’ re reminded of how far we still must go for the greater good of all people. Violence, pain, death and sorrow impact victims of hate crime every day, both domestically and abroad. Last month, New Zealand experienced a tragedy that’ s all too familiar here in the United States. What was supposed to be a sanctuary and place of worship quickly morphed into a nightmare. A total of 50 people were killed and 31 injured — nine still in critical condition. This was a crime of pure hate and heartbreakingly tragic. The attack played out on social media along with the visibility of the manifesto online: Terrorists were applauded, and blatant hatred for specific groups along with self-proclamations of racism were all included. Unfortunately, active shooters and the hate crimes they commit are no stranger to us in the United States: Charleston, S.C. – June 17, 2015, a man* murdered nine people in worship at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church. He admitted to police his desire to start a “race war. ” Orlando, Fla. – June 12, 2016, a man* murdered 49 people and injured 53 at Pulse, a popular nightclub geared toward members of the LGBTQ community. Pittsburgh, Pa. – Oct. 27, 2018, a man* entered the Tree of Life Synagogue, ultimately murdered 11 innocent people and, according to law enforcement, made anti-Semitic statements while shooting and on social media. I want to make it clear that senseless acts of hate and terror have no place in Michigan. We created the Hate Crimes Unit with the express purpose of protecting everyone in this state from those who wish to terrorize people who live here. We are committed to working relentlessly and tirelessly in cooperation with federal and local authorities. This is personal for me as a Jewish woman. My grandparents fled Europe in order to be free from those who wished to exterminate them for no other reason than they worshipped differently from the majority. But to them, America was — and is — the land of freedom — freedom to be who we are and to worship any way we like. Our state is home to immense diversity, which is a source of joy and pride for us. There may be individuals who feel the opposite and choose to speak about their dissatisfaction. Regardless of how vile or appalling their words can be for some, hate speech is not illegal and is, in fact, protected. When speech turns to action, however, we are compelled to act. That’ s why I established the Hate Crimes Unit within the Department of Attorney General. The Hate Crimes Unit is here to work with both local and federal law enforcement to be vigilant in our efforts to investigate and prosecute actual crime driven by hate. As attorney general, I will always uphold the law and do everything guest column Hate, an Action Word Dana Nessel guest column Trump’s Recognition of Israeli Sovereignty Over the Golan: Politics not Peace W ith Israeli elections sched- uled for April 9 and polls showing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a tight race with the new Blue White party, President Donald Trump has tried to tip the scales. Publicly praising Netanyahu, Trump announced his recognition of Israeli sovereignty over the Golan while refraining from revealing the details for his Israel- Palestinian peace plan until after the election. Although Israeli Prime Ministers Yitzhak Rabin, Shimon Peres, Ehud Barak, Ehud Olmert and Netanyahu (until the outbreak of the Syrian civil war in March 2011) all sought “land for peace” deals that would have returned most or all the Golan to Syria, many Israelis are relieved that those deals never came to fruition. They feared bases for Hezbollah or Iran might have been built in the Golan in the aftermath of the Syrian civil war, thereby literally gaining the high ground over Israeli populations. Prior to the 1967 Six Day War, Israelis remember Syrian troops shooting from these heights at Israeli farmers below. As a 5-year-old, I recall spending the 1973 Yom Kippur War in Israeli bomb shelters as Syria initially stormed the Golan and the Egyptian army initially crossed into the Israel-controlled Sinai Peninsula. Israel has legitimate security concerns, exacerbated by a Syrian regime that has committed crimes against humanity, let Iran build bases in its territory and has allowed Hezbollah to entrench itself on the Israel-Syrian border, as it has on the Israel-Lebanese border. Regardless, it is in Israel’ s long- term interests to make peace with Syria when there is a regime that could bar an Iranian and Hezbollah presence from any territory that Israel concedes. Before the Syrian civil war, Netanyahu was negoti- ating such a land-for-peace deal. According to Dennis Ross in his book The Missing Peace, Barak was close to trading the Golan to Syria for peace but bowed to the poten- tial domestic political costs of con- ceding land to both Syria and the Palestinians in a short time frame. These prime ministers recognized that an Israel-Syria peace requires a land deal. Egypt got the entire Sinai back for peace, and negotiations with the Palestinians have been based on this “land-for-peace” formula. The door should be left open to a future peace agreement with Syria. Israel possesses the strongest military in the region and would be able to make a deal ensuring its long-term security. Trump’ s bid to give Netanyahu an election boost has additional costs. They have contributed to cracking the solid bipartisan U.S. support for Israel that is vital to the relation- ship. The Golan announcement has also galvanized the Israeli far right bent on annexing all or part of the West Bank. Israel’ s normalization with more Arab states and its long- term survival as a Jewish majority democracy rely on eventual peace agreements with the Palestinians and Syria, based on the pre-Six Day War borders with land swaps. Until such time, Israel controls the Golan. The temporary emotional appeal of U.S. recognition of Israeli sovereignty over the Golan is not worth the negative effects on Israeli politics, bipartisan American support for Israel, and the chances for long- term peace with Syria and normal- ization in the region. ■ Yael Aronoff is director of the Michael and Elaine Serling Institute for Jewish Studies and Modern Israel and the Michael and Elaine Serling and Friends Chair in Israel Studies at Michigan State University. Yael Aronoff continued on page 10