Despite the efforts by US officials to corral Israeli and Palestinian leaders into a legacy-making peace process, things here are looking worse rather than better. Gaza is being destroyed, and groups I’ve never even heard of are launching attacks in Israeli West Jerusalem.
The reality, though, is that the situation here has a kind of inevitability. Until something positive happens on the ground, I’m not convinced that any political final status can be discussed, let alone achieved. Yet it’s hard to make positive change when people live their lives apart, when the trust has been so completely destroyed that it’s hard to know how to bring them together. And as much as I believe in people living side by side, all hippie-like and harmonious, part of me feels like they need to be separate for awhile. Not separate like they are now…not separated by walls and exclusive road networks and discriminatory policies…but separated the way couples choose when they can’t seem to make it work in tandem. I’ve heard the two-state solution described as a “friendly divorce”, and, in a way, that makes the most sense.
Maybe the two sides need time to pursue their own development, to be left at least somewhat alone in their pursuits, if there is ever to be a dimension of productive partnership.
As an American, the idea of proposing some “separate but equal” variant really makes me cringe.
But with every civilian killed, every house demolished and every city closed, togetherness becomes a more distant dream. And so does development. Millions of Euros and years of good work can become so much worthless rubble in a matter of seconds, and the facts on the ground become that much more depressing. Not to mention that much more dangerous.
So what to do? The very value and challenge of this blog is in trying to answer that question. Bonus points if I can say anything about peace and development in the Middle East that doesn’t sound trite. If I were in the US right now, this is what I would want to say to anyone running for President:
1. 1) Lose the language of security and peace. Both of them are pretty meaningless right now.
2) 2) Stop playing with hearts and minds. We have to have the humility to realize that no one trusts the US anymore, and their reasons make absolute sense.
3) 3) Realize that most people just want to live their lives. If you still want to talk about peace, that insight has to be the guiding principle.
4) 4) Forget about being right. Just try to make things better. We’ve had enough ideology here, and there’s no more room in the inn.
Ultimately, development capacity will determine the extent of peace and security. It will determine workable final borders, equitable sharing of natural resources and issues of human security.* It also might be the most crucial litmus test for any notion of a just peace.
Since, however, our government spending on military aid here far outweighs its humanitarian funding, I wouldn’t count on any US administration to make development a priority. In the meantime, try to create your own connections. Work with people behind the wall to create new business strategies and to access new markets. The very internet that brought you here is likely to be their strongest asset. One cool model is www.importpeace.org. Appreciate it, learn from it, then go out and make your own.
*For an economic analysis of various final status scenarios, check out the AIX Group’s latest publication Economic Dimensions of a Two-State Agreement between Israel and Palestine.Stephanie Rhodes is an American living in Jerusalem and coordinating Palestinian media development projects. She is a former member of Episcopal Church Committee on the Status of Women.
