Witnessing Apartheid in the West Bank
I went to the West Bank and saw the apartheid firsthand. I returned two years later and drove all over the region with UNRWA and a woman from UNRWA named Allegra Pacheco. I'll never forget one day when we were driving north towards Jenin. I remarked that at least they had nice roads—it was a nice two-lane blacktop tarmac road. Allegra looked at me as if I was being naive and said, "Yeah, if you're Jewish." I asked what she meant. She explained that you're not allowed to drive on that road unless you're Jewish.
I was incredulous. I tried to picture it in America—driving to Pennsylvania or Philadelphia and getting on I-95, only to be told, "You're a Christian, aren't you? If you're not, you can't use this road." That would be absurd. But that's the reality there. It's a completely apartheid society. If you're an Arab, you're not allowed on the road. I didn't believe it at first, but I did after experiencing it myself. What I saw was hell on earth. They've created hell on earth.
Commitment to Equal Rights
During that visit and the subsequent visits I made, I decided that I would be vocal and do anything I could to help my Palestinian brothers and sisters achieve equal human rights with their Jewish brothers and sisters between the Jordan River and the sea. I'm not asking anyone to kill anyone. But you have to have equality. You cannot allow apartheid societies to exist in the world. That is not a way to encourage one another to be kind, in my view.
Speaking Out and Facing Opposition
When you witness something like that—when you're stunned by it, moved by it, and outraged by it—you decide to talk about it immediately. I was moved to speak right away. The response I received, however, was significant. The Israeli lobby in America particularly were not pleased. Since that time, they have done everything they can to destroy my career. They have failed. I fight back.