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Working for Peace and
Understanding (Reprinted from shalam.org) Back home, we focus more on the lack of peace and the end result, as opposed to the process itself. We, Arabs and Jews, must realize that over the past 6 decades we have created sophisticated mechanisms that teach us ignorance, fear, and hatred, thus creating many generations who feel comfortable dehumanizing the other side. Peace will never prevail so long as we look at each other through the monocles of hatred and fear. Now, with things seeming so hopeless, where do we go from here? A good place, as we mentioned before, is discovering our similarities and agreeing that the most precious value that we all share is our common humanity. Recognizing our similarities helps perceive one another in a level that is beyond the political rhetoric of the conflict. While keeping in mind the political realities of mutual violence and suffering, lack of freedom, and lack of security, by focusing on our similarities we enable better communications and constructively work for our future. At the same time we must remember that we do not aim at becoming one, rather we want to better appreciate our different narratives. Therein lies the next obstacle, for acknowledging our similarities is not enough. The actual test comes when we realize our differences. The point of making peace is not only to stick together when it is nice and similar, rather, to maintain the bond through hard times. The real challenge for peace comes when violence occurs, when a bomb explodes, when occupation continues. It is important to learn that our similarities exceed our differences, but it is more so essential to find a way to workout our differences in a nonviolent way. The Israeli people need their security, and the Palestinian people must get there freedom. Israel must be recognized as a legitimate entity, and alongside it an independent Palestine must be established. These fundamental principles are recognized by the majority of both the Israeli and the Palestinian people. Yet, our leaders focus the debate over the final details of peace on our differences rather then on our similarities. Moses, who is considered a prophet by Jews and Muslims alike, saw the Promised Land from Mt. Nevo but never crossed the river. We, Palestinians and Israelis can see today the Promised Land of peace, but our leaders and personal fears and prejudgments prevent us from crossing the river. For more then 50 years we have been living on the premise that this conflict is temporary, that the suffering we endure daily will end once our enemy is defeated. We were promised that while we pay the price today, our children would enjoy the land. Based on this promise we have continued to brutalize each other. This false promise was made to our grandparents, and today we are still on that mountain, waiting to cross the river. It is about time we realize that neither people is going to disappear. Arafat is not going anywhere, Sharon is not going anywhere, and with every day that passes people keep on dying. The tragedies that befall both of us are undeniable similarities. Within our similarities lay the ability to overcome our differences. We are both afraid, and we are both tiered, but if we don't realize the painful necessary compromises we both need to make, we will remain stuck on the mountain with no one but God or Allah to cry for.
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