Continuing the Middle East Journey

I recently completed the book, the Lemon Tree written by Sandy Tolan. This is a wonderful read which sheds some light on the Israeli-Arab-Palestinian issue that has long been in the news. As I mentioned in my last blog I wanted to do some research to learn more about why Hamas has been attacking Israel. While I a far from knowing all the issues the book did a wonderful job describing the background and what is causing all the animosity.

In the late 1800's and the early 1900's a Zionist movement was begun in which Theodor Herzel, the father of the political Zionism, knew that establishing a Jewish national home meant forging allies with key world leaders. The powers that be would need to be convinced that a Jewish state, perhaps in Palestine or elsewhere, would be in their interest. Herzel would eventually look to Britain for support - to help establish a Jewish colony in a British possession. Discussions took place where the leaders looked at areas like Cyprus, Sinai and even Uganda. For various reasons those places were discarded.

By the end of WWI Britain would enter Palestine and establish control of the area. At the 1917 Balfour Declaration, there was a promise to help establish a Jewish national home. Three decades later, in May 1948, Palestine would become that home.

The Jewish nation - Israel - long without a home was given 78% of Palestine as their new home country. Palestinian Arabs were forced out of their homes via military might and Jews settled into the now abandoned homes, stores, and whole towns.

The Arab people of Palestine would spend the next decades trying to reclaim their homeland; yet they never realized the support of the UN in a manner that would give them their land back. "The Palestinians failed to see why they should be made to pay for the Holocaust... why it was not fair for the Jews to be a minority in a unitary Palestinian state, while it was fair for almost half of the Palestinian population - the indigenous majority on its ancestral soil - to be converted overnight into a minority under alien rule in the envisaged Jewish state according to partition." (The Lemon Tree, 298)

The UN renewed an annual resolution supporting the reoccupation of Palestinians in the now Israeli country, yet they never gave teeth to the resolution. I.E. they never made the decision to back the resolution forcibly or with military might. Arab countries and especially Egypt would make efforts using military to overthrow or force their way back into the now Israeli country. In 1967 a short war, called the Six Day War, was fought between Israel and the neighboring states of Egypt, Jordan and Syria. Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Tunisia, Morocco and Algeria also contributed troops and arms to the Arab forces. Israel conducted a preemptive strike against Jordan and within six days Israel gained control of the Sinai Peninsula, the Gaza Strip, the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Golan Heights.

In 1973 Egypt launched a surprise attack in what came to be known in Israel as the Yom Kippur War. In 1974 Arafat addressed the UN in New York where he offered the "Palestine of Tomorrow" dream where Arabs and Jews would live side-by-side in a secular, democratic state.

For decades the Palestinian resistance or efforts to reoccupy "their land" justified in their minds the terroristic attacks against Israel. Their belief was that any means available to them was justifiable because they had been forcibly removed from their lands and homes and there was little to no real support from other nations to bring them back home - essentially the end justifies the means.

In the Lemon Tree, one of the main Israeli characters Dalia worked towards a peaceful resolution in which both nations (Israel and Palestine) would compromise and give up something. She stated that there needed to be acknowledgement of what had happened to the Palestinians in 1948, an apology for it, and amends towards resolution. Acknowledgment was in part to "see and own the pain that I or my people have inflicted on the Other." But this must be mutual. Israelis must see the Arab Others and Palestinians must see the Israeli Others. Neither one should continue to perpetuate the righteous victim syndrome and not take responsibility for one's own part in the fray. (The Lemon Tree, 260)

With Israel firmly established in the Palestinian land of pre-1948 could the Palestinians be allowed to reoccupy and reestablish themselves like Arafat was proposing? Perhaps. Israel would need to give up some of their land. Palestine would need to realize they won't get everything back the way it was. Can two people live side-by-side in relative peace, perhaps even democratically? I believe so, but not without further diplomacy and compromise. Each side will need to give up something - not their values, but the essential things that keep them focusing on their differences and blinding them to their similarities.

I often think of people in my own life who struggle to get along. We all know co-workers, neighbors, even family members that we struggle with. All too often we focus on the things we don't like, the things that make us different, the things we oppose (perhaps philosophically, theologically, moralistically...) and we neglect to see the ways we are similar or the things we have in common. There are characteristics, mannerisms and beliefs we all have that can draw us closer to one another. The difficult part for us is letting go of the differences, choosing to understand the other person, and letting go of our own pride and self-centeredness. Once we do those things it becomes easier getting along with others.

Until next time,

Blessings - Patrick