Two Narratives; A History Part 1

Before I can really  begin to explain what I have been doing with my research project with Holy Land Trust, I feel it would behoove me to provide an overview of the problems and conflict here as I understand them.

First off, I don't think that it is constructive to play the blame game and point fingers at one party or another, all this will do is continue the cycle of mistrust and abuse that has circulated since before the second world war.

It is my goal to try and understand the view on both sides, understand that they are coming from a relevant, self-interested standpoint, and work from there to resolve outstanding issues on both sides.  These two narratives are incredibly different and require patience to identify with as they are not necessarily borne from cultures that we readily identify with.

The Israeli narrative begins in 1948 with the official creation of Israel after British forces pull out of Palestine due to lack of funding and the decline of imperialism.  Jewish people from all over Europe, after suffering through the Holocaust have been promised by the British a sovereign nation for their own in the Promised Land of Palestine.  The official wording of this promise includes mention of the native Arab peoples (Palestinians) and assures their ability to coexist in this same land.  The resulting exodus of Jews from Europe is massive. Driven by the Zionist movement, Jews in great numbers leave their homes to travel to the promised land and take up residence.

Jewish militant groups created in the aftermath of WWII such as the Stern Gang, bolster the feeling that Jewish people must be strong in order to prevent another incredible tragedy against their people.  "Never again" is the call to arms for Jewish people to defend their rights and freedoms against the perceived threat of another Holocaust.  The perpetuation of a victimized mindset and the the acceptance of violent defense for the newly formed Jewish homeland motivates much of the Israeli political landscape for decades to come.

Without a healing of this mindset, and with the incredible amount of foreign aid and military hardware coming into the country, (an overwhelming majority of which comes from the US and you, the taxpayer) Israel swiftly becomes very efficient at defending itself.  This helps to reinforce the realist international relations theory that a country must be stronger than its counterparts in order to survive and benefit.  Self-interest is understood as the sole motivator of state action.  Communal gain and the expectation that working together will bring benefit to both parties is not even considered under this realist condition.

From this perspective, it is clear to see that the Israelis have been put in a position of power while retaining this realist view of the globe and have been yet to be proven wrong.  They have the political and religious clout within US Congress (the Israel lobby) to such an extent that even the US doesn't dare attach stipulations to the massive amount of aid we pour into this country every year (in excess of  $7 million daily) even when the use of our aid goes against stated US foreign policy.

What would you do with a blank check from the US, a history of abuse and a recently acquired homeland promised by God (Yahweh)?  Would you defend your people, fight for your land tooth and nail and teach the same to your children?

"Peace cannot be kept by force. It can only be achieved by understanding."
"We can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them."
~Einstein

Palestinian perspective coming soon,
 Peace & Love from Bethlehem,

~Ezra R.