The debate over the future of Israel has existed basically since Israel was conceived — not the modern Israel, but the biblical one. Conflicts have existed over this strip of land, which is only slightly smaller than New Jersey, for hundreds, even thousands of years. From the time it was known as Canaan to the Crusades, to the Six-Day War and beyond, blood has been shed over and over again for control of the area we now know as Israel. There is so much religious significance, so much history for so many peoples that it would be surprising if conflicts didn't exist. The combatants have changed, but the song remains the same. Since 1948, the Israelis and Palestinians have taken up arms, clashing over and over again. They have strong motivations: as Jon Stewart so eloquently put it, "God promised the land to the Israelis, but, funny thing, he also promised it to the Palestinians." With the recent military actions in Gaza, the situation has been brought to the forefront of the international stage once again. Israel was attacked and took retaliatory action — they certainly had a right to.
Israeli citizens were being killed. Hamas had clearly committed an act of war, but then Palestinian citizens started to get killed as well. Aid was cut off to the Gaza Strip, and water and electricity failed. Both sides suffered collateral damage; both sides broke cease-fires. And while Hamas hid amongst civilians, Israel got caught in an international Catch-22, where it needed to take steps to protect its citizens but was condemned for doing so. Both sides had fault.
It is Israel, however, that needs to step up when it comes to the Palestinian people and their fate. Hamas may be the democratically elected representatives of the Palestinian territories, but we know they hate Israel, and Israel knows that as well. Hamas can provoke Israel all it wants and then hide amid civilians to cover themselves. They probably don't have the Palestinian people's best interests in mind, and the people need to realize that.
Whichever way you spin it, Israel has all the power to change this situation. They have military power and international support. They can attack all they want — they can shell Gaza and the West Bank until there is nothing left but smoking ruins — but that's not going to fly anymore. Israel must take the first steps to resolve this crisis. They need to hold out a hand, put themselves out there, and show they're committed to trying new things and to starting to find a way to peace. They have to stop Israeli citizens from going into the West Bank and the Gaza Strip to build their own homes. They need to show the Palestinian people that they truly have their best interests at heart and that Hamas is just using them. Incentives need to be offered for people to reject Hamas. There has been too much retaliation, too much back and forth. The way that both sides handle the issue needs to change.
Until something changes, until one side takes a risk, nothing will ever change. The Israelis and Palestinians have been caught in the same cycle for as long as they've been fighting. One side is the aggressor, the other retaliates, and whatever fragile peace existed is shattered. The Israelis are in the position of power and can take that first step. They need to put forth a sincere effort. They need to get serious about considering a two-state solution, not just for the Palestinians' sake, but for its own as well. If Israel doesn't change the way it handles the situation, the Palestinians may well change
their philosophy.
Can you imagine what would happen if the Palestinian people rethought their approach? Let's say instead of another intifadeh, the Palestinians decided to take a page out of history: nonviolent resistance. What would happen if a group of Palestinians decided to hold a sit-in at an Israeli checkpoint instead of throwing rocks? How would Israel respond? How could they respond? If they use anything that resembles force they could be met with overwhelming international disapproval. People will think of the American Civil Rights Movement and Gandhi's campaign against the British: peaceful protesters being attacked by the authorities. Whatever international bias against Israel exists because of its ongoing struggle against Hamas will only get worse. Pressure to resolve the situation will mount, and Israel will probably be forced to lose more than it would be comfortable with, more than they would currently give up to solve this problem.
Two things are certain: the Palestinians will never be happy without Jerusalem, and Israel will never give up anything when it comes to Jerusalem. Until one of those changes, the Middle East peace process will essentially be at an impasse. But that doesn't mean the situation can't get better. If Israel offers a hand and starts taking steps to replace Hamas as the Palestinians' perceived benefactor, things can change drastically. As soon as the Palestinians understand that Hamas doesn't have their best interests at heart, they'll start to turn against them. Israel needs to change its policy before the Palestinians change theirs. Unless given an incentive, those who believe in violence against Israel will never change their minds.
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Matt Wittman is a freshman who has not yet declared a major.
