My Approach to Peace:
National Level
Golan refugee Ahmed Sleiman with his family tree.
Genuine peace means honor and tolerance between people. It is not a paper treaty or a handshake between powerful political players. There is a drastic difference between establishing peace and sustaining peace. In order to sustain peace a comprehensive strategy must exist and be endorsed and practiced at a regional, national, community and individual level. The following is my approach to peace. I suggest that this holistic ideology be adopted by national Middle Eastern governments in domestic policy as well as in international negociations, particularly in lieu of the final round of negociations in the Arab-Israeli peace process.
I. Regional
A regional focus must be centered around mutual benefit and cooperation. One issue which transcends national boundaries is that of the environment; specifically the issue of desertification. Ecological cooperation is essential for the survival and flourishing of Middle Eastern life.
Already this process has begun, through the Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael -- Jewish National Fund (KKL -- JNF)'s Yatir Forest, in the the northwestern Negev desert. While this desert is already a focus of research and study for the Palestinain Authority, Egypt and Tunisia, this project still emphasizes the separation of national scientific knowledge and agendas. The next logical step is to focus on programs where environmental specialists from Israel and its neighbors work on joint projects in each consenting Middle Eastern nation. Thus they will share their ideas and time in each location -- and every nation in the region will benefit from the combination which results.
II. National
The idendities of the negociators and leaders (often one and the same) of the nations working for a shared peace are often presupposed over our own ideas of a nation's identity. This is reality in the soundbites which meadia uses to inform their viewers. In actual, lived reality, each nation has a diverse and complex identity. What is reflected in their leaders and negociators is often the view of each nation's strongest constituents. In order to create a lasting peace, negociators must be able to represent an entire nation which is unified in its goal for peace. Right now, this is more an ideal than the reality. Still, some organizations are on the right track. They need more regognition and support.
Oz VeShalom -- Netivot Shalom is one example of an Israeli group which is working to promote a unified national front desiring peace. It is "committed to promoting the ideas of tolerance, pluralism and justice." Its goal is to "effect a fundamental change in the national religious community and throughout Israeli society by endavoring to: 1) Enhance Jewish unity and pluralism among Israel's religious and secular publics. 2) Practice co-existence and support for equality for Israel's Arab minority. 3) Advocate political rights for Palestinians, including the establishment of a Palestinian state." This group has received international and community media coverage, and has a variety of educational and protest activities. While Oz VeShalom -- Netivot Shalom is merely one group, it is addressing the issue of division and conflict within Israeli society. This problem ultimately reflects the peace resolution which is partially drafted by Israel and must be approved and implemented (and therefore first accepted) within Israeli society. Each of Israel's Arab neighbors has a similar responsibility to work for domestic unity before they can implement the agreed mandates stemming from Arab -- Israeli peace negociations.