Weblog Journal

Well, I prematurely posted my thoughts on the readings I guess but there are no regrets right now (just a little embarrassment - standard.) I'm just going to blame it all on the million cold medicines I'm taking while trying to get out of my sick bed.

I honestly have no idea how I would handle Arab/Israeli negotiations. It's the kind of thing where you can read as many articles as you can find, or watch a million documentaries on YouTube, and still feel as though you have no idea how to grasp the situation. It's not like you can sit the two sides down, offer them a cup of tea, and be like, "Hey guys, let's be rational here, what's happening with this whole war thing? We're still on that, right?" For a lot of people, this conflict has spanned their entire lives, and if not the entirety of their lives, at least most of it. Both sides want it to be over, sure, but how do you just end something that has taken up every day of your life for sixty years? How do you get over hurts, perceived or real, that have lasted generations? So many people have tried to analyse the conflict and come up with solutions, but I don't think anything right now is going to appease both sides and nothing is going to end while both are hurting.

I think the heart of the conflict right now is Jerusalem. The (illegal) settlements are one thing - yes, Israel needs to stop building them if any peace is going to be achieved - but ultimately even if the question of the settlements is met there is still the issue of Jerusalem. Both sides want the city as their capital and reject the idea of leaving it independent from both, so how to keep both happy? Plans have been made to split the city, but I'm not sure how that would work leaving the capital of two states who have fought for so long in such close proximity.

It's not like it's an issue of understanding each other either - it's not like Palestinians or Israelis  have never interacted, it's not uncommon to find people who speak both Hebrew and Arabic there fluently, or at least understand SOME of the other language. You'll also find people from both sides standing up for rights or protesting the conflict and calling for an end. I feel like half the battle lies with either government, not the people themselves, but how do you get two governments to stop bickering? There's also the problem of extremists on either side to deal with and satisfy. There's just no feasible way to meet everyone's needs here, so somebody in charge is going to have to suck it up and compromise.

I know it's been said before, but I think the first step to peace will be removing the Wall and any illegal settlements. Israel should not be above UN laws - I mean, until recently, Israel and the US pretty much controlled it and everyone else had to follow the law. I understand that Israel feels that removing the Wall is a security risk, but considering that as long as it's up no lasting peace is going to be achieved, isn't that just perpetuating the risk? It doesn't have to all come down in one day, and at least stop adding on to it! The IDF is one of the best armies(?) in the world; I'm sure they can come up with a plan to keep Israel safe AND get rid of the wall.

Another thing that could help end the conflict are the groups that condone Israeli and Palestinian cooperation. There's a summer camp that my friend told me about that takes school children from both sides (and I think from the US as well?) and they all spend the summer swimming and making crafts and getting along, and I know it sounds all rainbow-y and utopian, but if that camp can be successful, who's to say that an adult version wouldn't work out? I mean, sure, camping and crafting doesn't sound very adult, but I think it sounds like a great time. Realistically though, I like the idea of having groups and maybe charities that would promote Palestinians and Israelis interacting outside the sphere of politics.

There's so many ideas that have been put forward though, and I feel like this topic can be debated endlessly and you can find the flaws or the benefits to any one of them. It's so difficult to say what could work and what won't.. I'm really looking forward to seeing what everyone says in class tomorrow.