Second Letter to The Israelis - The Flower of Zion

His Excellency Benjamin Netanyahu
Prime Minister of Israel
3 Kaplan Street
Kiryat Ben Gurion
Jerusalem, Israel 91919

Subject: The Flower of Zion

To the Honorable Benjamin Netanyahu, Prime Minister of Israel,

I am writing to you with a heavy heart and a hopeful vision, inspired by the struggles of the Palestinian people in the West Bank and Gaza, as well as the broader conflict that has long divided our shared land. Enclosed is a poem I have written, titled The Flower of Zion, which reflects on the pain endured by Palestinian women—symbolized as the "mountain flower of Zion"—and the urgent need for a path toward peace and unity.

The poem specifically references a distressing scene of IDF soldiers mistreating Palestinian women at a well in the West Bank, a moment that captures the broader suffering of a people yearning for dignity and justice. But beyond this pain, The Flower of Zion dares to imagine a future where Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank are granted citizenship in a united state of Israel and Palestine—a nation where all can live as equals, sharing in the promise of this land.

I urge you to consider this vision: a state where the "shared fence" between neighbors becomes a bridge, where the lessons of millennia guide us toward reconciliation rather than further division. The poem speaks of "analogous choices made in parallel," reminding us that our fates are intertwined, and that true peace requires bold steps—steps like extending citizenship and rights to Palestinians, ensuring their voices are heard, and protecting the vulnerable among us.

Here is the poem in full:

The Flower of Zion

Written January 15, 2025

Mountain flowers of elegance
among well-tracked
rocks of stone—
mules and men,
citizens and children.

Analogous choices made
in parallel:
a hand to your neighbor
over your shared fence,
the woman
at the well.

Homes, cities, even
sustenance—
as He promised,
eating of the tree
of knowledge of good and evil
forebode the day
we are to die.

A second fall,
harsher still to come.

We learned nothing
from millennia to millennia,
and stayed
farther yet.

Carrying the great soul
in your vessel
makes clear to you
also
your intended purpose.

Her Advocate—
here still.

I believe this poem captures not only the anguish of the present but also the possibility of a better future. As a leader with the power to shape this future, I implore you to consider policies that foster unity, grant citizenship to Palestinians, and protect the vulnerable—ensuring that the "woman at the well" is no longer a symbol of suffering, but of hope realized.

Thank you for your time and consideration. I hope this letter and poem inspire reflection and action toward a shared, peaceful future for all who call this land home.

With the utmost sincerity and a profound hope for a just and lasting peace,

Konstantin Romanov