"As this is being written, the explosive
situation between the Israelis and the Palestinians is still raging.
Who knows when it will end? Who imagined that things would get this
way just when it seemed some trustworthy action was being taken to bring
these two peoples to a rational agreement so that a bona fide Palestinian
state could be formed and coexist in this war-battered Holy Land? I
must confess that even I, after so many conflicts and set-backs at the
peace table, believed some resolution to this long-standing peace proces
was finally not only possible, but actually beginning to happen. And
now as the world can see, the entire process is in ashes. Never prior
to this outhreak have I seen hopes this high dashed this low.
Perhaps we should ask ourselves if we truly want
peace. There are some who say, "If we cannot have all, we will
never accept less." Others, as a result of the bitter struggle
and losses, seem to be saying, "we will not stop until we have
everything in our control." Still others seem to be saying, "enough,
already, let´s stop this senseless killing which is getting us
nowhere."
I could go on with a number of other opinions
that we hear voiced from both sides, but won´t. My point is, that
it is not just two sides, but many. There are peacemakers and warriors,
perpetrators and victims under both flags. And to complicate matters,
we Arab, Israeli citizens are caught in between - virtually disenfranchized
in the decision-making arena, second class citizens in our own land.
Who hears our voice? The plurality of players in this desperate drama
pits power against the powerless.
But this in itself may offer some hope for a
change, some hope for light at the end of the tunnel, for the more voices,
the more questions, the more openness and publicity the realities on
the ground receive, the better the chance of a more viable coalition
in the near term. Those of you reading this are familiar with my message.
For 23 years I have felt the only way to peace is for those who have
been victimized since 1948 and even before, to share the land, to come
to terms with ourselves and to learn to forgive. The dynamic of peace
is neither easy nor is it merely humanistic.
There is no realistic way the clock can be turned
back. Demolished homes can be rebuilt, but human losses and infury can
not be fully compensated. What satisfaction can we hope for in terms
of justice denied for over a half century? What world court has the
magic formula for restoring to its rightful heirs the land deeded by
our fathers to their grandchildren? And how would that work out with
those who have, by fiat or force, occupied the land and a generation
of whose children have been born and raised in the political state of
Israel?
Two wrongs cannot make a right. Somewhere the
killings must stop. The question is, what can break the circuit and
cool things down before we all kill each other? The conquest of another´s
land by sheer power is neither wise nor possible in a nuclear age.
My own sense of things is that somehow there
is timing of human events like Ecclesiastes asserts - "a time for
war, and a time for peace." (3:8b). The time for peace must be
under some divinely given orders. Are we praying for peace? Peace must
not be defined only in terms of cessation of hostilities or open warfare.
Nor can it be accomplished by retribution, or mere restoration, since
neither may effectively apply after several generations. I venture to
say from experience that peace, in fact, is humanly impossible. If it
were possible, we would have long ago devised a way.
It is by way of truth that we have
any hope of life free from the fears born of our inhumanity to each
other. The way by which I hold my enemy down, keeps me down as well.
Peace cannot, however, be made apart from the human willingness to let
it happen - a willingness, I might add, that will not take place until
we learn to forgive the hurt we have suffered or been a part of and
accept losses however horrendous. That can never happen apart from a
change of heart prompted by our awareness that where there is no justice,
peace is far from our grasp. And where there is no forgiveness, justice
too is beyond reach. The lesson of our day is undeniably costly. The
question of our day is why should we keep paying and never learn?"
The
House of Hope
The House of Hope was founded in 1978 and is
a non-profit organisation dedicated to the realisation of peace and
cooperation based on mutual understanding between Arabs and Jews. Here
people of differing beliefs, cultures and traditions can meet and listen
to each other, and destructive stereotypes, defenses and passions be
addressed and worked out through establishing substantive and constructive
dialogues.
The House of Hope is planning the establishment
of the First International Peace Academy in the Middle East in Shefar´mer.
The House of Hope welcomes anyone who may wish to visit the centre and
invites visitors to share their own experiences of peacemaking and conflict
resolution by offering valuable counsel, materials and suggestions.
Among the many House of Hope activities are:
* Sponsoring cultural and educational exchanges
between Arab and Jewish children and youth including Summer Peace Camps;
* Providing courses in youth leadership for both
Arabs and Jews;
* Establishing an intercultural women´s
group for peace and conflict resolution
* Establishing a Peace Kindergarten to begin
early childhood development in a cooperative vs. competitive peace curriculum
and setting;
* Providing speakers on peace dialogue for community
groups, professional associations and universities in Israel and abroad;
Contact: THE HOUSE OF HOPE, International-Peace
Centre, PO Box 272, Shefar´am ISRAEL
E-mail: HOH@Inter.net.il