In reading the excerpt from the author, I couldn't help thinking a couple of things:
1) That the author started out with a completely rational sentiment that the Middle East situation will not be resolved with guns or treaties, and
2) That the argument downgraded with the expectation that Israel need only be the one to change.
I agree with her statement:
I feel we should avoid formal declarations for now. Instead, we should seek ways to be together — at soccer matches, at conferences, at family dinners. The most important step now is getting to know each other and establishing mutual respect. We share so many fundamental values: the way we socialize, the way we raise our children, the way we argue loudly and embrace ancient mores and a sense of honour. What we need is to believe in our own ability to lift ourselves up out of this quagmire that threatens to choke all of us. We need a heavy dose of hope.
I agree with her that the only way to stop the fighting is to learn that the other party does things in the same way - that all play soccer, meet for family meals, help out your neighbours.
The author then cites the Israeli refusal to allow recall as one of the most contentious issues, failing to also mention that the Gaza Strip isn't just walled off from Israel, but also from Egypt. That people living in refugee camps in the Middle East are there not just because Israel refuses entry, but also because Jordan, Syria, et al also refuse entry. It is this latter refusal that has hardened Israel against recall as much as the latest Iranian leader's stated goal of annihilation of the Israeli state.
The simple fact of the matter is that Israel is and for most of modern history, always has been, an occupied state in one manner or another. It was the gathering point for the Jews in Roman times, it has been occupied by the Greeks, the Romans, the Turks, the Persians, the British (among many other empires) until it became independent again. The fact that Israel has, over the past several decades, held a standoff against all of its surrounding neighbours who seek to destroy and occupy the land says more about their resolve to not themselves be pushed around than it does about the people seeking to once again occupy the space.
What the whole situation comes down to is a lack of respect on both sides of the conflict. Each side doesn't recognize the other's right to be in the space. The author was absolutely right though - this isn't going to be solved by bombs or words... it's going to be resolved through understanding and trust - things that won't happen for a good many years.
The author then cites the Israeli refusal to allow recall as one of the most contentious issues, failing to also mention that the Gaza Strip isn't just walled off from Israel, but also from Egypt. That people living in refugee camps in the Middle East are there not just because Israel refuses entry, but also because Jordan, Syria, et al also refuse entry. It is this latter refusal that has hardened Israel against recall as much as the latest Iranian leader's stated goal of annihilation of the Israeli state.
The simple fact of the matter is that Israel is and for most of modern history, always has been, an occupied state in one manner or another. It was the gathering point for the Jews in Roman times, it has been occupied by the Greeks, the Romans, the Turks, the Persians, the British (among many other empires) until it became independent again. The fact that Israel has, over the past several decades, held a standoff against all of its surrounding neighbours who seek to destroy and occupy the land says more about their resolve to not themselves be pushed around than it does about the people seeking to once again occupy the space.
What the whole situation comes down to is a lack of respect on both sides of the conflict. Each side doesn't recognize the other's right to be in the space. The author was absolutely right though - this isn't going to be solved by bombs or words... it's going to be resolved through understanding and trust - things that won't happen for a good many years.
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