Finding Clarity and Direction in the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict –Part Two

Believing that Armed Violence Will Make a Difference

The killing continues and the rage and helpless grief goes on while the world watches. So many people have died that should not have died—a thousand by now—and so many are maimed and burned. There must be a better way! Yet still we cling to the crazy belief that this time armed violence will make a difference. Insanity, they say, is doing the same thing over and over, each time hoping for different results. . .

And the Next Generation of Terrorists Is Born
The guns will fall silent at some point, the clean- up will start and the finger pointing and blame will start. The mothers will bury their children and those that survive will join the next generation of terrorists—unless something new and unexpected happens that has never happened before.

The Conflict Only Ends When One Side Chooses The Future Instead of the Past
Like two scorpions locked in a death dance, the Israelis and the Palestinians have long been perfect partners for each other in an endless cycle of revenge. There are no winners in a conflict like this, and both sides know it; all that counts is who is left standing at the end. This conflict will end only when one side decides they have had enough of dying and chooses building instead of destruction, chooses the future instead of the past.
If a recurring conflict is to heal, someone must make the first move. All that matters is that one party goes first and makes a bold and unexpected move to mend the conflict. The Palestinians have the most to gain from ending of this conflict and I nominate them for this role. I recommend the following to them: choose life. Choose the lives of your children. Build a future.
It might look like building roads and schools. It might mean constructing hospitals, houses and factories. Teach children to do sports, to sing. Build. Build a future your children will be proud to live in, where future generations will look back and say, “Our ancestors were in a terrible conflict with the Israelis. They had the courage to stop it. They said, “No more fighting.” They accepted what was so. What a powerful choice!”

Violence Is Futile
Forget about trying to win the rest of the world over to your side. It’s a hopeless cause. Choose what is so, right now, even if you don’t like it, even if you hate it. Let the past go. You can’t change it. If the Israelis feel unsafe, make them feel safe. Know this: violence, no matter who commits it, is futile.

The Past Must Be Reviewed Together
To heal an intractable long-term conflict like this one, people must ultimately come together as human beings. They must review the past and weep together, atone for their errors and sins and finally make a decision to let it all go and move on into a new future.

U.S. Taking Sides with the Israelis is Dangerous
Finally, let’s take a look at the role of the US in this matter. We know the US is committed to Israel’s existence. But something is amiss in this relationship. The US has become an unquestioning supporter of Israel and rubber stamps everything Israel does. What is going on here? Is this leftover guilt from the Holocaust when the US failed to rescue Jews? Is this leftover Cold War policy in the Middle East? What is this all about? It’s time for the US to be even-handed in its approach to Israel and the Palestinians. For what harms the Palestinians, surely ends up harming American interests as Aaron David Miller notes in the current issue of Newsweek..

We Must All Let Go of Being Right
Clarity and balance is possible here. We must all let go of being right. We can, instead, move toward repair and build a world of safety, satisfaction and happiness for everyone: Palestinians, Muslims, Israelis, Jews, Americans, everyone on the planet. Let’s choose it. Now.

Like what you read in Peace By Design? Subscribe and make reading the blog easier. Get it in your email. The blog is published twice a week, on Tuesdays and Fridays. Or subscribe by RSS feed. Buttons on main page.