Last Friday, I was beginning to write a post about the Israeli Army’s raid on an Islamic Jihad hideout in Jenin which led to the death of 9 Palestinians including at least 2 civilians. Because of other commitments, I wasn’t able to finish it before I heard the news of the killing of 7 jews outside a synagogue in Jerusalem by a Palestinian. I had a feeling of hopelessness at the seemingly never-ending cycle of violence.
However, we must not give up. We must continue to ask how can we help bring about peace between Palestine & Israel?
For me the biggest problem that we need to address to that for too many Palestinians, there is currently no hope for a better future. There is high unemployment, problems importing & exporting goods, the agriculture is threatened by settlers & the Israeli security forces. The lack of hope leads to despair & to seeing violence as the only way to affect change in their condition.
Today, I heard a Belfast born Jew, who grew up through the worst of the troubles in Northern Ireland say that it was the growing prosperity of the Catholic community that helped end the violence. The people who in the past would volunteer for the IRA & other terrorist groups felt there was a better way to get on in life. A job, a business a stake in the future helped turn them away from violence.
Maybe the way forward for Palestine is to call on our Government, other western Governments and the Israeli Government to invest in Palestine to help relaunch its economy. Such investment could set up new businesses, expand the existing ones. It could help build the new homes desperately needed, revitalise the education system in Palestine
This could be accompanied by inducements to Israel not only to allow it to happen but to be part of it with the aim of strengthening a Palestine, alongside Israel. Ther should be clear warnings to Israel that disruption of such investments in the name of security would not be allowed. Also, it could be a condition of such investments that the corruption endemic in the Palestinian Authority needs to be dealt with.
Some of this is already happening through the efforts of ALLMEP (Alliance for Middle East Peace) but it needs more, much more. It also won’t be a quick process as there are many barriers (physical & political) that need to be cleared. But we need to find a way forward, simply repeating the error of the past will not end the violence.
When Palestinians, especially young Palestinians can see a better way forward than through violence, when there is hope that they can improve their lives, when they have something to live for, then the killings, the cycle of death, can be ended.
When Israelis see a peaceful, prosperous Palestine alongside them, that their children no longer have to risk their lives each day to prolong the Occupation, that they have nothing to fear from their neighbour, then the need to kill & be killed in the name of “security” can be ended.