Nissim Dahan
Admin
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09.24.2007 17:00
Hi VKatz,
Thank you for joining our forum. Believe me when I tell you that every comment on the website is a blessing. A comment provokes discussion, which develops into dialogue, which eventually sets the parameters for the universal language of Common Sense. If we cast a wide enough net ideologically, we can attract all sorts of points of view, so that an Ideology of Common Sense, once embedded in the public mind, can have as its foundation the widest possible range of opinions and beliefs. At such time, the notion of Common Sense will enjoy the universality that its name suggests. So thanks again for having the courage to speak out. We can only hope that others will follow in your footsteps.
You ask why it is that American Zionists tend to view with skepticism the peace process in the Middle East. I do agree with you that there is quite a bit of reluctance in this regard, particularly among American Zionists of the older generation, some of whom were deeply instrumental in the founding of the State of Israel.
Two reasons come to mind for the reluctance to embrace the possibility of peace. In the first place, elderly Jews were witnesses to the suffering of the Jewish people when they did not have a state of their own; namely, two thousand years of persecution culminating in the tragedy of the Holocaust. So it would make sense that Jews of this generation would be keenly aware of what it took, against all odds, to establish the State of Israel, and what risks Jews would face if Israel ceased to exist, as amply demonstrated by history.
In the second place, American Zionists have witnessed a succession of peace efforts which all ended up in failure. They also bear witness to the rhetoric of hate, and see the prospects for peace as dim at best. Therefore, taking into account a history of Jewish suffering and persecution, and a persistent inability to move the peace process forward, it would be natural for American Zionists to be wary of any attempts at peace.
Having said that, I still say that peace will eventually come?that there is really no alternative to peace. The real question is whether it will be the peace that comes in death, or the peace that comes to the living. If we push things far enough, it will be the peace of death that awaits each and every one of us. If we start thinking straight, we can usher in an age of peace among the living. The choice is ours. It always has been. And everything we know and love hangs in the balance.
How do you bring peace, you may well ask? The answer: Don?t worry too much about the hateful things that people say to one another. Words of hate come easily to those in pain. Instead, create facts on the ground which speak louder than words. Create a reality on the ground that speaks for itself.
Condition people for peace. Give them hope so that they can embrace the possibility of peace. Speak to one another with common sense and with a sense of personal dignity. Put some serious money on the table and give every Palestinian a place at the table, a stake in his or her future. Invest in education. Invest in jobs. Invest in women. Give the man on the street a sense of hope, and you will have turned the corner on peace in the Middle East. Nothing more is needed, and nothing less will suffice.
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