I’ve been contemplating whether to write this post, mainly because it goes against prevailing sentiment (and as I’ve written this post, I’ve conviction in my view).
Reflecting on my law college days (UCL), the Israel-Palestine conflict dominated so many arguments/heated debates with peers. I recall Burberry-toting classmates picketing the Israeli Embassy over the weekend, boycotting M&S food etc. At 19, sentences began as “When I am in charge…” or “When we rule the world…” envisioning a different future
Fast forward to today, this conflict has worsened. While the Middle East makes incremental progress to peace and prosperity away from petrodollars (I benefit greatly as an immigrant), it has for me (for the past half-decade) raised the Q of why we have left the Palestinians behind.
We’ve let the Israelis down too, who despite significant socio-economic progress, feel their existence is under threat. Again. There are few survivors of the Holocaust, but in the same lifetime to feel this pain? Again. The monumental incompetence of the Netanhayu govt, outwitted by terrorists, only compounds this injury.
Our collectively poor decision-making has led to a state of war, and in war, the first victims are not kids but our conscience.
The dehumanization of human life and how this is playing out on social media, especially as propaganda, should disturb all of us.
Our children are witness the normalization of large-scale violence and the failure of over 7 billion people to stop it. What kind of world are we living in?
It’s not that too much has been lost on both sides; rather, neither side wants to move beyond three critical issues:
religion,
the right to protect property by any means, and
the fear that this is a fight to the death.
Consider another narrative: what if Palestinians and Israelis, discarding all fears, religious beliefs, and arms, asked themselves individually, as communities, and collectively: “My goal is peace and prosperity for my grandchildren – what do I need to do?”
“Strength is not just about lifting heavy weights; its also about releasing the burdens you carry on your heart.” Palestinians and Israelis need to release the heavy burdens from yesterday and move forward.
This is undeniably easier said than done, but even though it’s challenging, it doesn’t mean it’s not worth pursuing. In the history of human accomplishment, events that we recall, are usually the ones that nearly broke us.
Palestinians and Israelis are close to breaking and they do have a choice.
I’m not claiming to know how to achieve this; I genuinely don’t. However, I recognize that the weight of religion, arms, and property suffocates everyone in the region.
If we can inflict such harm, we should summon the courage and conviction to heal ourselves and others.
I urge us to take responsibility for ourselves and our communities instead of delegating it to the past.