No more “peace” Talk

“Peace in the Middle East” is as hot as ever.  President Barak Obama is constantly emphasizing his support of Israel and his desire for a peaceful negotiation between Israel and the Palestinians. Prime Minister Netanyahu and Mahmoud Abbas are constantly talking about (unfortunately, independently) how they want to re-open peace talks.  

As a resident of Jerusalem, on a daily basis, I hear religious Jews praying for peace (I myself do so a few times a day as well). And travelling in Ramallah and Jericho, I’ve stricken up conversations with individuals who say that all they really want is peace. It seems so simple; everyone wants it, why can’t we just have it? However, this question assumes the fact that we have the same idea of what “peace” is and how it is manifested. Unfortunately, this is not the case.

The reason that negotiations are perpetually stalled is not because of boarders, refugees or Jerusalem. When it comes down to it, these details are just that, details. Rather, negotiations are stalled because everyone involved has a different idea of what peace looks like. You can’t have a discussion, let alone come to a solution when the basic premise of the conversation is not understood by both sides.

What is “peace” for the Palestinians? From discussions I’ve had, interviews I’ve read and conferences I’ve attended, “peace” means the end of a Jewish state. While very few people I’ve met have actively advocated for the destruction of the Jewish state and the expulsion of the Jews by force, this view does exist and is somewhat prevalent (but it makes sense that these are not the individuals that I am friendly with). However, a greater number of individuals do advocate the “soft” destruction of the Jewish State. Getting rid of Jewish sovereignty is not their expressed goal but it is an inevitable side effect of one sovereign state, where everyone has equal rights; while Jews will not be expelled, by default (due to population size and growth) the Jews will lose their majority and the state will cease to be Jewish by nature.

What is “peace” for Israel? The general understanding that I have come to is that when Israelis say peace, they mean no more violence, no more fear of uncontrolled violence and the ability to maintain sovereignty as a nation without endless international condemnation of this basic right. How this is to be manifested is the big question. Having the barrier wall is not peace in itself, but it leads to a more peaceful existence for Israelis. The other day, a friend told me, “you were not here ten years ago, of course you’re not scared to go food shopping, but ten years ago, there was no nightlife here, people were scared to walk to work.”

Another misunderstanding regarding peace is how it is achieved. For Israel, peace is obtained through negotiations and concessions (through the same internationally accepted procedure of discussion). This can be demonstrated by the fact that in the past, Israel has given up land and evacuated settlements for a promise of peace (think Gaza). This concession was met by Hamas' rockets.

For the Palestinians, peace can only be achieved though Israeli concessions to fulfill what the Palestinians want for themselves. Peace means getting what you want, and if not, negotiations are cut off. You can see through the history of failed negotiations when the Palestinians have refused to accept a portion of land for their state. In 1947, the land mass was greater than the land mass afforded to the Jews, in 1956, it was twice the size it is today. However, what is being given keeps being rejected.

While the situation may appear hopeless, there are some actions that I honestly believe can be taken to ensure that our idea of peace can be fulfilled. Continuing the building of settlements is harming the ability for the Palestinians to have eventual sovereignty (which we want). You can’t control a police force or run a state when it takes you five hours to drive to the town next door (due to circumventing settlements and check points).

The sad truth of it is, that at the end of the day, we have something infinitely more fundamental and difficult to deal with than borders, refugees or Jerusalem. But that does not mean that the situation is hopeless. The first step towards negotiation is understanding each others "language of peace." Through specific programs and activities (on which I have written about previously and will write about later) I believe we can understand each other.