well as politically. Hence the dreamer within us asks, “if it can happen in Europe, why can’t it also happen in the Middle East?”
History/Background of Israeli-Palestinian Conflict
The Jewish people have suffered two major forced exiles, many massacres, a genocide, and much additional cruelty and oppression in their history that extends more than five millennia into the past. It is reasonable to state that no other people in the history of the world has suffered from more oppression and discrimination than the Jewish people. Quite remarkably, and uniquely among the peoples of the world, they have been able to maintain a strong sense of national identity despite all this suffering.
As a result, many Jews who suffered tremendous pressures and discrimination in the Europe and Czarist Russia of the 19th century began to yearn for a return to their ancestral homelands and started to migrate from their countries of birth to the Middle East. During the 19th century, great multinational empires started to face nationalistic aspirations. Early in the 20th century, establishing a Jewish state in Palestine became a part of British foreign policy; and despite the strong opposition of the Arabs, the British government remained committed to forming a Jewish state in Palestine. After World War II, and with the help and support of the Western powers which felt a deep sense of guilt about the Holocaust, the State of Israel was established in 1948.
History indicates great potential for Arabs and Jews to coexist peacefully in the future. Jews suffered discrimination and oppression throughout the world; nonetheless, until the end of the 19th century, Jews faced fewer hostilities in Arabic-speaking and Muslim regions than they did in Europe. For example, during the Spanish Inquisition, many Jews (including the ancestors of one of the authors of this article) had found refuge in the Ottoman Empire. This situation changed when an atmosphere of antagonism arose due to conflicting nationalistic aspirations as the great multinational empires began to decline. Over time, the depth of antagonism and the magnitude and geographical range of the armed conflicts have escalated due to the ethnic and sectarian divisions of the Middle East.
Today’s Realities
While all parties to this conflict have suffered, the Palestinian people have become its biggest victims. For almost three quarters of a century, Palestinians have been living a tragic life resembling what Jewish people endured in the past. The causes for their victimization are complex. These causes include not only the Israeli-Palestinian conflict itself; but also the callous policies, driven by cynical political calculations, of the governments of many Arab countries against the Palestinian refugees in their territories.
The Palestinian territories face several challenges, including limited resources, construction restrictions, and travel restrictions. The continuation of this conflict will only lead to more losses for the Palestinians.
On the other hand, Jewish Israeli citizens who have achieved their historical dreams of having their own state in their ancestral homeland are also uncomfortable. Israel is surrounded by enemies and is in a constant state of conflict and fight for survival. Israelis worry about the longevity of their state. They face serious national security challenges as well as personal safety issues ranging from the risk that war may again flare up at any moment to the risk of becoming victims of terrorism.
A major development of recent decades is that religious fundamentalist terrorist groups, which would not dare to wage war directly against the superior Israeli Defense Forces, have chosen instead to resort increasingly to terrorist acts against both Israeli and Western civilian targets. Such attacks are disturbing the sense of security and safety of people worldwide. These Palestinian terrorist groups do not respect the right of Israel to exist; as such, they are not interested in peace and negotiations with her. They have been sending thousands of rockets every year from Gaza into Israel. These rockets are aimed at civilians, which has caused widespread psychological trauma. They now have access to more sophisticated weaponry and are able to reach all the way to Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. There have been times in recent years when more than half of İsrael was under attack and millions of Israelis were in bomb shelters.
Their long history of bitter conflict has caused the Israelis and Palestinians to mistrust one another. As a result, peace negotiations were suspended and the full implementation of the peace plan announced in the Oslo Accords of 1993 was stalled.
For Arab countries that are not geographically Israel’s neighbors, the Palestinian problem is really one where their most significant contribution to a resolution would be to provide financial aid if they (such as the oil-rich Gulf countries) have sufficient resources. As for Arab countries that are neighbors with Israel, it is in their best interest to coexist peacefully with Israel, as attested by the fact that Egypt (in 1979) and Jordan (in 1994) both signed peace treaties with Israel and military conflicts indeed ceased permanently along the Egypt-Israel and Jordan-Israel borders after the signing of these treaties.
Another important consideration is the belligerent posture of Iran towards Israel. It may be most accurate to interpret this posture as a psychological strategy within the context of Iran’s long-term expansionist aims. The main objective of such a strategy is to gain supporters at the grassroots level among both Shiite and Sunni population segments of Arab countries and to thus expand Iran’s influence greatly throughout the Arab world.
Israel still continues to retain military superiority against Arab countries. Nonetheless, it no longer benefits from the aura of invincibility gained during the Six-Day War. Subsequent wars have shown that Israeli military power can be challenged successfully. Hence the younger generations of Arabs no longer share the awe and fear of Israeli military power that was prevalent among the Arab generations of the Six-Day War period.
The continuation of the status quo no longer appears to be sustainable for either side. So, it is in the best interest of all nations of the Middle East to cooperate for peace.
What Is Impossible?
(1) It is, in practice, impossible for Israel’s enemies to erase Israel from the map. Furthermore, their pursuit of such a goal would not be fair to the Jews, who among all peoples in the Middle East also have the right to statehood in their five millennial ancestral homeland. Furthermore, any solution that would eliminate the Jewish majority in Israel would also eradicate the State of Israel as a Jewish state; therefore, such options are unethical and counterproductive to our goal of two states for two peoples.
(2) It is, in practice, also impossible for a Greater Israel, controlling the entire geographical region identified in the Hebrew Bible as the “Land of Canaan”, to emerge. The political and demographic realities of today’s world make this dream unattainable. Moreover, such a goal would not be fair to the other native inhabitants of the Middle East, who also have a historical right to the land.
Fundamental Principles and Main Issues in Reaching an Israeli-Palestinian Peace Agreement and Peaceful Coexistence in the Middle East
(1) Israel and Palestine must coexist as two separate and independent states and their legitimacy must be recognized by all Arab states.
(2) Acts of terrorism against Israel must come to an end.
(3) A compromise settlement that will be acceptable to all sides must be agreed upon regarding the status of Jerusalem.
(4) Everyone must have the opportunity to live without being under constant threat of physical violence and/or dehumanizing treatment in Israel and Palestine.
(5) Everyone in the Middle East must have the opportunity to enjoy basic human rights and civil liberties meeting the standards of the 21st century. The European Union Human Rights Guidelines could serve as such a standard that the region can strive to approach.
(6) All parties in the Middle East must cooperate to preserve and strengthen peace.
(7) All parties in the Middle East must collaborate in sharing the resources of the region to raise the standard of living of all of its peoples.
Thoughts on Achieving a Lasting and Honorable Peace in the Middle East Page 2