These struggles are intertwined, and the core of the issues is very similar. It is the distorted view by the majority of a population that other people are a threat. No individual should be treated differently than anyone else in their community, not in Ferguson, not in Palestine, and not anywhere else.
At this juncture in history it is critical for our country precisely to reassess its relations, to reappraise the knowledge with which we discuss and debate the bombardment of Gaza. If this means reconsidering with whom we build institutional relations (recall that the resolution says nothing about individual scholars), then this is a critical time to do so.
Much to Netanyahu's dismay, the United States has to now work with Iran to combat ISIS advances in the Middle East. The US and Iran share a common enemy in Al Qaeda and ISIS. The US can no longer view Iran as the greatest threat to world peace or be spending so much diplomatic capital nursing the peace process.