Top 5 Pre-Trip Lessons, plus "McFalafel"

Top Five Things I’ve Learned About the Conflict from Pre-Trip Research

1) The conflict is NOT "so complicated that it will never be solved."

Most people (like yours truly) have always believed that the politics in the Middle East are so complex that there can never be a solution to the Israel/Palestine conflict. Not true. The situation is very complicated and the history is very complicated, but the political solutions seem to be fairly straight-forward. Neither side is disputing that Israeli settlements in the West Bank are illegal under international law, and are a primary impediment to any peace process. Neither side is disputing that the security fence / separation wall being built by Israel within the West Bank is illegal under international law, since it is not being placed on the original border between Israel and Palestine, but instead snakes through the territory enclosing water sources and Palestinians' lands. Neither side is disputing that killing civilians through military strikes or terrorist bombings is illegal under international law, as well as disrupting the peace process. Neither side is disputing that the state of Israel is here to stay, and will not be "driven into the sea" as some Arab leaders have claimed over the years.

Why then is the situation seen as too complex to solve? Good question. There are indeed some difficult matters to solve, such as the "Right of Return" for Arab refugees. Over 750,000 Arabs were displaced from their homes in Israel during the 1967 war. If they are allowed to return (as required by international law) then Jews will no longer be a majority in Israel. They would then have to choose between being a "democracy" or a "Jewish State." But I think there might also be other reasons we have come to see it as unsolvably complex. Maybe because peace is taking so long, “complexity” is a good excuse to throw in the proverbial towel and stop working for it. Maybe because those who are profiting from the conflict don’t want us to see the simple steps to peace. Maybe because it’s easier to say the solution is “complex” instead of “difficult,” because then people might start expecting real movement toward a just solution.

2) There are some who profit from the continuing conflict.

a. Hate groups – those who have built their reputation around having a common enemy. It’s amazing how you can galvanize support and allegiance for your organization if you have an enemy you can all hate together. What would Bill O’Reilly and the whole talk radio industry do if conservatives and liberals stopped being angry at one another? Both sides of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict have their share of hate groups. Anwar Sadat of Egypt was killed by a Muslim radical because he negotiated with Israel at Camp David. Yitzhak Rabin of Israel was assassinated by a Jewish student for his work toward peace with the Arabs. The very existence and power of many of these groups / religious factions depends upon the conflict.

b. Arms dealers – Lots and lots and lots of money to be made in the killin business. The $2,760,000,000 given to Israel by the U.S. each year is over 60% military. That makes for quite a shopping spree. And be sure that surrounding Arab countries are buying in bulk as well.

c. Media organizations – I know some reporters, and they have no interest at all in continuing any armed conflict. On the organizational level, however, when profit becomes most important, the headlines are typically focused on the violence. Conflict sells. If it bleeds, it leads. The result is that the public who relies on large media outlets never sees the important work of peacemakers. They see only the bombings, the retaliations, the attacks. Instead of an in-depth analysis, we get a shouting match. It’s more entertaining that way, and therefore more profitable. Just ask Jerry Springer.

d. Politicians – Arab politicians have been accused of using the conflict to build support and distract citizens from poor domestic policies. Israeli politicians have been accused of using similar tactics to support settlements, confiscate Palestinian land, and grab more power in the name of security. U.S. politicians know there is a powerful and wealthy pro-Israeli lobby in Washington, and taking steps toward a just peace would have big consequences for them back home (this includes both Democrats and Republicans).

e. Shaaban Abdel-Rehim. He's an Egyptian pop star whose 2002 hit song, "I Hate Israel" sold more copies than any other song in the country's history. He was signed up to introduce McDonald's new line of "McFalafel" when a complaint by the American Jewish Committee made the "restaurant" chain reconsider, and they dropped his contract. Friends, none of this is a joke! (On further reflection, I feel it's more accurate to say, "All these facts are correct - this really happened." It may indeed be a joke.) The world only narrowly missed seeing this Shaaban character bopping around during Saturday morning cartoons with Grimace and the Hamburglar in Ronald McDonald's latest 60-second brainwash. Honestly, I don't know what scares me more about this newsbite: the vision of that commercial or "McFalafel."

3) The path to peace REQUIRES us to avoid simply “choosing up sides.”

As soon as we select who we think are the “good guys” and who are the “bad guys,” we are forced to defend our choice at all costs. We have to ignore obvious errors and atrocities by the “good guys.” This also allows us to simply point out the errors of the “other” side to justify our allegiance. “If I can show that they are wrong, then we must be right.” This mindset blocks any critical look at history; it all becomes a sales pitch for our team. We sell out our critical thinking and become just another "party-liner" who never has to take the time and effort to really listen.

4) Information is vital to this conflict.

All parties to the struggle have come to recognize the importance of public opinion - we live in an age where the power of the media is at least as powerful as the gun, and everyone knows it. It seems there are people within each party who scrutinize every single scrap of information that comes out. If the info seems damaging to their cause, they will work quickly and efficiently - discrediting, counter-attacking, embarrassing, distracting, name-calling, whatever works. Yes, I'm still talking about Israel/Palestine here. (AND U.S. politics - motto: Deny everything! They might just believe it this time.)

However, I believe that every movement has within it a certain percentage of people who are more dedicated to the truth and the welfare of others than to "winning" their cause. When enough of these people start asking questions, or converse with the opposition, or get into power, or hold their leaders accountable, or are released from political prisons, or wear bullet-proof vests, then we can make some real progress. That's when we see peace and democracy in action.

5) The majority of people “on the street” want peace.

The majority of Israeli citizens seem to have no interest in maintaining the settlements and occupied territories if it means more bloodshed – they want safety for their children. The word from Palestinians is overwhelmingly “For heaven’s sake, why must our lives be constantly plagued by checkpoints, searches, unequal treatment under the law, road closures, curfews, embarrassment, loss of water rights, attacks from settlers, and confiscation of our land?” People there are much like people here, in that they want a chance to support their families, live in safety, have a home and a future. Of course, I have yet to experience this in person. We'll see how all this holds up to a first-hand view.