Lessons in Peacemaking – Israel/Palestine Conflict 101

The 10-minute video below does a reasonably good job summarizing the last 100 years. As you watch, consider this one overriding theme; there are no bad guys and there are no good guys just people dealing with unspeakable trauma, suffering and fear, the kind most of us in America can’t conceive or will ever know.

LAY OF THE LAND AND OBSERVATIONS

Below are a few statistics about the region, as well as my observations and experiences getting to know the people (Palestinians and Jews) and their perspectives.

• Israel is made up of 9.1 million people, 74% Jewish, 21% Arab. Of the Arab population, 98% are Muslim, 2% are Christian.
• The Palestinian Territories is made up of 2.9 million people, 72% Arab, 28% Jewish. Of the Arab population approx. 2% are Christian.
• Israeli Arabs are often considered second class citizens, discriminated against directly and indirectly.
• Arab Christians and Muslims get along reasonably well and have solidarity as Palestinians and as Arabs.
• The Palestinian Territories are broken up into two areas…
• The West Bank, run by an organization called the Palestinian Authority (PA). Many Palestinians feel the PA is corrupt, has failed the people, and no longer trust them.
• The Gaza Strip, run by a militant organization called Hamas. Many consider them a terrorist organization.
• Most of the West Bank is considered occupied territory where the Israeli military uses intimidation, oppressive tactics, and fear to control the area. I have seen and experienced this first hand.
• The West Bank is completely surrounded by Israel. All trade and municipal services (water, electricity, etc.) for the most part, are controlled by them.
• Many Palestinians feel a deep sense of hopelessness. They have tried peace talks, demonstrations and violence and nothing has worked. Anger and resentment are often taken out on their own in domestic violence.
• There is a growing preference with Palestinians, for a one-state solution under Israel. The Palestinians I’ve talked to would be ok with this as long as they had more rights than they currently have and freedom of movement.

What I have learned over the last few years, especially with this most recent trip, is the situation on the ground is extremely complicated, with no clear solutions. Most disturbing is the misinformation communicated in the US about who the good guys and bad guys are. The narrative pretty much goes like this… “the Israelis are the good guys but are surrounded by enemies out to destroy them, the Palestinians are Islamic terrorists that want to see the destruction of Israel. Not only is this overtly simplistic and falsely dualistic, but it denies the historical and geopolitical complexity on the ground. We seem to want to oversimplify things so they fit in our preconceived ideological narratives, but the reality is there are a lot of bad players on both sides and good folks seeking peace on both sides as well. As usual, it’s the people, both Arab and Jew, trying to seek a better life for their families who get caught in the middle.

Whats under the hood

Although this conflict is extremely complex, and I don’t want to minimize that, I believe there are underlying motives responsible for this conflict and perpetuate it. See part two of Lessons in Peacemaking to learn more.