By Robert S. Siegel
Yesterday I wrote about an approach to a renewed La Convivencia, the golden era of Jewish, Muslim, and Christian cooperation that occurred in Spain from 711 AD to 1492. I said that President Obama has the unique combination of position and talents to create an image of a future that appeals to both sides of the issue, and I explained why he is the man for the job.
Today, I want to address some of the challenges that all parties will need to undertake as next steps toward developing the dream that is La Convivencia II.
Peace between Israel and the Palestinians has never before been possible for the fundamental reason that the Palestinian people have been manipulated into believing that they don’t want peace.
I point this out not to rehash history but to bring out one of the key challenges of the second stage of my proposed approach.
The Palestinians have to recognize that Arab leaders used them as pawns to divert attention from their own despotism. The Palestinians have to break their culture’s dependency on the myths they were taught about ‘Evil’ Israel, the tormentor. Hamas, Hezbollah, Iran, and Syria will continue fighting against the truth. Only the desire for the rewards of peace will enable the Palestinians to see the truth.
For their part, the Israelis need to reward every positive move by the Palestinians with an act of trust, such as easing restrictions, and yes, a reduction and an eventual reversal in settlements. Further, the Israelis need to work to minimize use of population wide restrictions to prevent terrorism (this will be a security challenge for Israel). In broader terms, the Israelis need to reduce the anger the average Palestinian holds toward Israel showing through actions that they, the Israelis are not the true enemy (see Herzl, Theodor). If the Israelis can reduce the Palistinian’s anger just a little…they stand the chance of driving a wedge between the Palestinian people and the terrorists that control the West Bank, Gaza, and Lebanon. For Israel, this wedge means security. For the Palestinians, this wedge means nothing less than life itself.
Most of you that have read this far recognize the enormous challenges that history and the resulting emotions create in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. I have over simplified the Palestinian-Israeli conflict dramatically in this essay.
Or have I?
Is this conflict really any more complex than creating a Desire within the Palestinian people for peace now, and a reason for the Israeli people to Trust that the Palestinian Desire is genuine?
I know that creating the desire and the trust will be incredibly difficult to accomplish. However, the task becomes much more workable when you break it down into just those two issues: Desire on one side, Trust on the other. Now, the opportunity to use La Convivencia II as a vision begins to look less like a dream and just a tiny bit more like a heading, a direction, leading to a possible reality.
Most so called experts and pundits have written either of the impossibility of achieving peace or of the need to apply pressure to one or both sides. Applying pressure been tried. And tried. And tried.
Instead, what if President Obama presented a vision of La Convivencia II to the American Muslims, and enlisted American Muslims as a bridge to the Palestinian people to help build the desire for peace? What if the one group outside of the Middle East with influence in the West Bank and Gaza, the American Muslims, could be convinced to encourage Palestinians to take the first baby steps?
Past American presidents have tried to pressure the Palestinians and the Israelis. We now have a visionary President with exceptional oratorical skills and Muslim lineage. This President believes in Change and he campaigned on Hope. What if this President Changed approaches and offered Hope to both sides in this seemingly impossible issue?
La Convivencia II?
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