Yesterday, President Obama met Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, in which Netanyahu emphasized the Iranian threat to Israel’s security above all. Security has always been Israel’s number one concern, understandably, given the history of atrocities Jews have faced. For Palestinians, the key issue is justice–righting, or at least acknowledging the wrongs done to them in the creation of Israel in their midst, beginning with a United Nations partition plan that placed over half of the land in Jewish hands, even though Arabs comprised two-thirds of the population. What is lacking in the security-justice equation is the obvious–peace. Netanyahu said in the meeting, “Everybody in Israel, as in the United States, wants peace.” Sure, majorities on both sides want peace, and yet, it continues to be elusive.
Yesterday too, I re-watched the documentary Encounter Point with my students of my History of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict class. It is an incredibly powerful film, portraying a group of Israelis and Palestinians, who have lost loved ones due to the conflict, and yet are championing reconciliation, non-violence, and true peace. If those very individuals who have lost the most to this conflict can put their fears and tragedies behind them and work together, why can’t the leadership? These are the true unsung heroes, whose efforts deserve American attention, support, and bolstering.
From the Encounter Point website, “If you lost your loved ones to violence…If you spent ten years in prison…If conflict drove you from your home…Would you seek revenge? Or would you struggle for peace?”
Encounter Point
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