foreign policy

Even though we might be made blind to the evil afoot, we will not be silent. This is the lesson of modern history. We will sing a new song as strangers in a strange land: Let My People Go. While the Egyptians, Israelis, and Americans conspire to keep us from seeing the conditions of life in the world’s largest prison (sorry, no visiting hours this month), there is a chorus, a voice, 43 nations rich, which is lifted in greater harmony and crescendo than ever before to call for raising the siege of Gaza and thereby increasing the security of Israel.

For many years, peace activists engaged with Iran-U.S. relations worked hard to create an atmosphere for direct dialogue between the two counties. Their activities have had a wide range of aspects known as "track two" diplomacy; these people-to-people connections have led toward writing and talking to the U.S. Congress to encourage the members of the Senate and House to press for direct talks with Iran.

As Congress prepares to consider more Iran sanctions, it should also consider that confrontational U.S. policies have come nowhere close to changing Iran's behavior in the last 30 years. On the other hand, in reaction to a contested election, the Iranians have formed an unprecedented home-grown movement for political expression through their own resources, their own desire for democratic progress, and their own sacrifices.

No coercive American government policy -- be it threat of force or punitive sanctions or negative broadcast propaganda -- is responsible for the wave of mass public protest that has taken Tehran by storm and split its political and religious establishments over the last month.