All good questions Eduardo, thoroughly and thoughtfully presented! This tiny parcel of real estate - so deeply imbued with history and significance, along with huge amounts of unresolved, unhealed trauma - from the Holocaust & beyond (for Jews) and 8 decades of incremental genocide (for Palestinians). The PTSD and OTSD (Ongoing Traumatic Stress Syndrome) on both sides is so acute that fear, mistrust, hatred & revenge are making the decisions and literally calling the shots. Western colonial powers, so instrumental in creating Israel, have a lot of the responsibility in helping to unwind the wound. Hundreds of billions of dollars now spent on weapons for Israel can be redirected to peace-building ("swords into plowshares" - Isaiah 2:4 and Micah 4:3). SO complex, yet "where there's a will, there's a way" and "the longest journey begins with one step". That way and next steps may be unexpected, innovative and lead to a new configuration of national entities. Both Israel and Palestine as we've known them may cease to exist and something new and glorious appear in their place. My nomination for mediator is The Baha'i World Centre in Haifa-Akka. The 4th Abrahamic religion, Baha'is are non-partisan & respected by both the Israeli government as well as Arabs in the region. Their administrative and spiritual centre was established in Palestine in 1868 when Baha'u'llah was exiled to Akka by the Ottoman sultan. An international peace-keeping force might be necessary for a generation or two until a multi-cultural civic society (like Canada) with equal rights for all, can be firmly planted in the garden of the community of nations. Sound idealistic? Yes, and ideals and their ideologies have moved the world! Modern Israel was conceived though an ideal and later born amidst and through utmost violence and chaos. So great things are possible. Eduardo, In further blogs I hope you will help to unpackage some of the possible answers to your valuable questions in this one. 😀
Many thanks for your kind words Hugh. I had the pleasure of visiting the Baha'i World Center in Haifa in 1976 and was overwhelmed by the sensation of peace that enveloped me there. However, Muslims view Baha'is as apostates and discrimunate against them, and the fact that their main center is in Israel might mitigate against their playing a role as mediator since the mediator must have the and respect of both sides. Let's see how things play out! Cheers!
Hi Eduardo. Thanks for your reply. Yes, there IS that apostate business. Similar to Christians believing Jesus is the ONLY way. Another question to un-package is the degree to which the conflict in 'Palesrael '(as I like to call it sometimes - a place where Jews & Palestinians can once again be 'pals' 😀) is religious and to what degree ethnic, political, economic, geographic (access to land, water & resources), etc. Inextricably interwoven perhaps? Baha'u'llah wrote that the 'Most Great Peace' (the spiritual unity of mankind) will eventually come about as a fruit of His Revelation, but that the 'Lesser Peace' (a political one) would first have to be established through the consultations & efforts of the nations themselves. When it comes to those deliberations, including those to resolve this conflict, it will be interesting to see which trusted nations, groups and diplomats are included in the dialogue and negotiation and which methods employed. Any suggestions? As this conflict seems to be of global concern, then perhaps global assistance will be important ... that is non-partisan, effective, and even heart-centered, along with, of course, the contributions from the many wise and brilliant Jews and Arabs in that land.
That is a difficult question. To find a person, government or institution that could convince the Palestinians and Israelis to make the huge compromises required for a peace deal appears impossible today barring a cataclysm of sorts. But hope springs eternal, and hope is the last thing we should lose. Cheers!
Once again, gracias Eduardo! Fully agree with you and, moreover, while the UK puts conditions to Israel it does not demands Hamas for example to release all hostages and to surrender their arms! One could sadly acknowledge that Hamas succeeded with it's strategy of sacrificing Palestinian lives to isolate and demonize Israel in the eyes of the world! Azril
I expect you've given this more thought than all the stakeholders involved, well-intended as they may be.
I guess, as was the case with Germany after WWII, this will all proceed with MANY (non-financial, obviously) conditions on Palestine which, unlike Germany, they will not be able to meet.
The people in Gaza doubtless look on Hamas as the only people who can offer any defence against the ongoing war crimes and ethnic cleansing being perpetrated by Israel, against the inhuman cruelty of IDF soldiers shooting their children as target practice, against the genocide that most experts have declared.
But if we want to compare polls, how should we react to the results of a recent poll of Jews in Israel:
82% support expelling Palestinians from Gaza.
56% support expelling Palestinian “Citizens” of Israel
47% support agree that “when conquering an enemy city, the IDF should act like the Israelites did in Jericho under Joshua’s command - killing all its inhabitants.”
By your logic, instead of questioning the recognition of Palestine, we should be questioning the place of Israel in the international community.
All good questions Eduardo, thoroughly and thoughtfully presented! This tiny parcel of real estate - so deeply imbued with history and significance, along with huge amounts of unresolved, unhealed trauma - from the Holocaust & beyond (for Jews) and 8 decades of incremental genocide (for Palestinians). The PTSD and OTSD (Ongoing Traumatic Stress Syndrome) on both sides is so acute that fear, mistrust, hatred & revenge are making the decisions and literally calling the shots. Western colonial powers, so instrumental in creating Israel, have a lot of the responsibility in helping to unwind the wound. Hundreds of billions of dollars now spent on weapons for Israel can be redirected to peace-building ("swords into plowshares" - Isaiah 2:4 and Micah 4:3). SO complex, yet "where there's a will, there's a way" and "the longest journey begins with one step". That way and next steps may be unexpected, innovative and lead to a new configuration of national entities. Both Israel and Palestine as we've known them may cease to exist and something new and glorious appear in their place. My nomination for mediator is The Baha'i World Centre in Haifa-Akka. The 4th Abrahamic religion, Baha'is are non-partisan & respected by both the Israeli government as well as Arabs in the region. Their administrative and spiritual centre was established in Palestine in 1868 when Baha'u'llah was exiled to Akka by the Ottoman sultan. An international peace-keeping force might be necessary for a generation or two until a multi-cultural civic society (like Canada) with equal rights for all, can be firmly planted in the garden of the community of nations. Sound idealistic? Yes, and ideals and their ideologies have moved the world! Modern Israel was conceived though an ideal and later born amidst and through utmost violence and chaos. So great things are possible. Eduardo, In further blogs I hope you will help to unpackage some of the possible answers to your valuable questions in this one. 😀
Many thanks for your kind words Hugh. I had the pleasure of visiting the Baha'i World Center in Haifa in 1976 and was overwhelmed by the sensation of peace that enveloped me there. However, Muslims view Baha'is as apostates and discrimunate against them, and the fact that their main center is in Israel might mitigate against their playing a role as mediator since the mediator must have the and respect of both sides. Let's see how things play out! Cheers!
Hi Eduardo. Thanks for your reply. Yes, there IS that apostate business. Similar to Christians believing Jesus is the ONLY way. Another question to un-package is the degree to which the conflict in 'Palesrael '(as I like to call it sometimes - a place where Jews & Palestinians can once again be 'pals' 😀) is religious and to what degree ethnic, political, economic, geographic (access to land, water & resources), etc. Inextricably interwoven perhaps? Baha'u'llah wrote that the 'Most Great Peace' (the spiritual unity of mankind) will eventually come about as a fruit of His Revelation, but that the 'Lesser Peace' (a political one) would first have to be established through the consultations & efforts of the nations themselves. When it comes to those deliberations, including those to resolve this conflict, it will be interesting to see which trusted nations, groups and diplomats are included in the dialogue and negotiation and which methods employed. Any suggestions? As this conflict seems to be of global concern, then perhaps global assistance will be important ... that is non-partisan, effective, and even heart-centered, along with, of course, the contributions from the many wise and brilliant Jews and Arabs in that land.
That is a difficult question. To find a person, government or institution that could convince the Palestinians and Israelis to make the huge compromises required for a peace deal appears impossible today barring a cataclysm of sorts. But hope springs eternal, and hope is the last thing we should lose. Cheers!
Once again, gracias Eduardo! Fully agree with you and, moreover, while the UK puts conditions to Israel it does not demands Hamas for example to release all hostages and to surrender their arms! One could sadly acknowledge that Hamas succeeded with it's strategy of sacrificing Palestinian lives to isolate and demonize Israel in the eyes of the world! Azril
Many thanks Azril. It will be a long and difficult road indeed!
I expect you've given this more thought than all the stakeholders involved, well-intended as they may be.
I guess, as was the case with Germany after WWII, this will all proceed with MANY (non-financial, obviously) conditions on Palestine which, unlike Germany, they will not be able to meet.
It is going to be very long and very complicated, demanding patience of us all!
The people in Gaza doubtless look on Hamas as the only people who can offer any defence against the ongoing war crimes and ethnic cleansing being perpetrated by Israel, against the inhuman cruelty of IDF soldiers shooting their children as target practice, against the genocide that most experts have declared.
But if we want to compare polls, how should we react to the results of a recent poll of Jews in Israel:
82% support expelling Palestinians from Gaza.
56% support expelling Palestinian “Citizens” of Israel
47% support agree that “when conquering an enemy city, the IDF should act like the Israelites did in Jericho under Joshua’s command - killing all its inhabitants.”
By your logic, instead of questioning the recognition of Palestine, we should be questioning the place of Israel in the international community.