a perfect mess

"The encouraging discovery that free elections are possible in unexpected places has a discouraging corollary: If tolerance and pluralism and suchlike Western values are not essential preconditions for democratic elections, they are not the necessary result of elections either. By definition, democracy produces a government that the people—or some plurality of the people—want, at least at that moment. But it may not produce the kind of government that we wish they would want, or—more to the point—that we want."
ian fisher
new york times
january 29, 2006


in full disclosure, i am jewish. i have travelled to israel several times, and i have a very complicated understanding of zionism. i believe in israel. it is very special to sit and to talk and to think about judaism, jewish culture, and jewish history in our historic home. israel provides shelter and security for our ideals and our people even as we are targeted by hate and by terror.

however, i also struggle to understand modern israel's history. soldiers in the war for independence were incredibly brave. they showed steel resolve and clear determination. unfortunately, we also know that battles to establish a progressive jewish state uprooted whole palestinian towns and villages. benny morris explains that thousands of palestinan arab were killed and more than 700,000 palestinian arabs were displaced from their homes.
http://www.dailybruin.ucla.edu/news/articles.asp?ID=24281

interestingly, morris resurfaced in israeli news recently. as a scholar, he maintains that his historical research was clear and accurate. however, as a citizen, he explains that palestinian leadership has not shown integrity or honesty. how can we reconcile both inspired hope and a tragic loss? can both sides be right and wrong?

albert camus once wrote, "I want to love my homeland and to love justice alike. I wish no greatness for my homeland if that greatness is made of blood and lies. I want to instill life in justice and through it instill life in my homeland."

today, we have similar struggle. hamas clearly encourages and supports terror against israeli civilians. it refuses to recognize the israeli government, and it swears the destruction of the state of israel. yet, israel also continues to incite and oppress palestinians. palestinians in israel receive drastically low funding for communities and schools. israeli palestinan legislators are elected to parliament, but they cannot vote on active legislation.

thomas friedman recently explained that israel, the united states, and the european union have blundered real opporunity. while hamas clearly supports terrorism, it gained a parliament majority through free and fair elections. friedman maintains that a hamas election . . . about fatah corruption than hamas ideology. hamas is renown for social service and education programs in the territories. it is respected for bravery and integrity.

It is difficult to engage diplomacy; however, I believe we've ensured terrorism. further, I believe we have folded in an important advantage in world opinion.

Dominant world opinion accepts a just, two-state solution. Centrists recognize that Israeli and Palestinian society are intricately connected. Leftists realize that Israel is now a clear Jewish state, and they believe that Palestinians can establish a sustainable independent state. Rightists recognize demographic relaties: greater Israel is not possible. Indeed, without separation, Sharon concludes that any Zionist state might fail.

Palestinians deserve a sustainable, democratic state. While there is unjust poverty in the Palestinian territories, we know that terrorism is largely rooted in anti-Israeli philosophy. Extreme secular anti-Zionism (Fatah and the Martyr Brigades) and fundamentalist Islamic antisemitism (Hamas, Islamic Jihad) are largely inspired by sophisticated, University educated activist terrorists. A broad segment of the Palestinian population supports revolutionary attacks against Israel; however, they do not support wholesale destruction of the state of Israel. In fact, the Palestinian economy is essentially linked to the Israeli economy.

Still Israel continues "targeted" assassinations and "limited" invasions. Each strike may ostensibly grab terrorists and harm terrorist infrastructure. However, the greater loss of civilian life must make these missions unavoidably unsuccessful.

Opponents often ask, "Would you require the united states to hold the same standard?" Unfortunately, the current US administration does not hold the same standard. They have uprooted Iraqi civilians and Iraqi society without prejudice. Our planning and our response has been tragic. There are increasing American, British, and Iraqi civilian and military casualities. American and British contract workers and American soldiers. There are increasing bombings and assassinations of Iraqi families, Iraqi police officers, Iraqi soldiers, and Iraqi politicians.

We cannot isolate the judgments or violence of either Israeli or Palestinian political leaders. We are each responsible for the continued violence. The only path to peace is peace.