A Peacemaking Conversation
Seeking Shalom/Salaam
The ongoing conflict in Israel/Palestine is anything but simple to fix. Too great an amount of blood, sweat, and tears have already been shed in the Holy Land over competing claims of ownership made in fear, distrust, and clouded concepts of “justice.” In response, an endless amount of time, words, and ink have been spent trying to mend such a deep rift. To this point, most of these efforts have sadly been proven fruitless. However, as followers of Christ who recognize both our duty and our capacity for peacemaking, we seek to offer meaningful and effective channels through which peace might be realized.
One of the most glaringly pertinent steps towards a meaningful peace seems to be the commitment to engage in cooperative conflict resolution as put forth in Just Peacemaking by Glen Stassen.[1] These ten principles seem paramount for any parties serious about dialogue and peacemaking:
Furthermore, applying the principles put forth in Getting Together with the Just Peacemaking steps would do much to create the space needed for conflict resolution. The goals of unconditional constructiveness, rationality, understanding, reliability, persuasion instead of coercion, and acceptance, are fundamentally important aspects of reaching congruence.
Working within this framework, we see the acknowledgement of responsibility on both sides and the willingness to seek repentance as an especially pressing concern. Both the Israelis and Palestinians often consider themselves to be the clear “victims” in this struggle. Both sides seem eager to point the finger at the other to place blame for the ongoing conflict and inability to compromise. However, neither seems willing to acknowledge responsibility and seek repentance and forgiveness for the wrongs committed in the past. To be sure, neither Israel nor Palestine stands spotless, and both parties have long lists of wrongs to acknowledge and account for. Taking steps in this direction would probably go a long way in starting to reestablish some degree of trust—something that needs to be restored to at least a functional level. As Roger Fisher and Scott Brown state in Getting Together, “Trust is often seen as the single most important element of a good working relationship.”[2]
The establishment of trust and reliability between Israel and Palestine is critical, but the United States and other international powers need to also engage in this discussion. Perhaps even themselves initiate reconciliation efforts like reliability, timeliness, and acceptance. And as Christians, especially those of us in the US, we too must recognize our role and responsibility in the peace process and seek to bring both awareness and healing in our own spheres of influence. This can often be as simple as telling stories that give voice to the voiceless, giving attention to both sides of the conflict, and engaging in discourse that seeks mutual understanding rather than further polarization. To begin, we should know the history of Israel and Palestine. And, since we live in a democracy, we should consider encouraging and charging our representatives to do the same.
Often, the most complicating factor in efforts for peace and reconciliation is the deep and opposing theological foundations that both sides are operating out of—especially the included ties to this certain geographic location. Insofar as reconciliation and compromise can be framed as positive goals, rather than signs of weakness or apostasy, we believe that the above steps could produce meaningful progress towards a peaceful solution. Additional efforts should involve international bodies and seek to establish legitimacy and security for both the Israel and Palestinian peoples.
One of the most glaringly pertinent steps towards a meaningful peace seems to be the commitment to engage in cooperative conflict resolution as put forth in Just Peacemaking by Glen Stassen.[1] These ten principles seem paramount for any parties serious about dialogue and peacemaking:
- Wanting to understand the perspectives and needs of adversaries even if they may disagree.
- Listening carefully for content and meaning before offering solutions.
- Distinguishing between judgments about behavior from judgments about people or cultures.
- Acknowledging their own involvement in creating the conflict but are working to facilitate personal and social transformation.
- Being honest and transparent in all ways, with goals clearly marked for negotiation.
- Supporting and helping to facilitate a partnership approach to problem solving, with shared power rather than power over the other.
- If force becomes necessary, using it to create a space so that violence and injustice can be avoided in exchange for healing, negotiating, and being in partnership.
- Taking risks to find common ground and to create safe spaces.
- Seeking long-term solutions with prevention strategies to help heal and resolve conflict.
- Believing both peace and justice to be equal; the pursuit of peace without justice is wrong. Likewise, justice without peace is as wrong.
Furthermore, applying the principles put forth in Getting Together with the Just Peacemaking steps would do much to create the space needed for conflict resolution. The goals of unconditional constructiveness, rationality, understanding, reliability, persuasion instead of coercion, and acceptance, are fundamentally important aspects of reaching congruence.
Working within this framework, we see the acknowledgement of responsibility on both sides and the willingness to seek repentance as an especially pressing concern. Both the Israelis and Palestinians often consider themselves to be the clear “victims” in this struggle. Both sides seem eager to point the finger at the other to place blame for the ongoing conflict and inability to compromise. However, neither seems willing to acknowledge responsibility and seek repentance and forgiveness for the wrongs committed in the past. To be sure, neither Israel nor Palestine stands spotless, and both parties have long lists of wrongs to acknowledge and account for. Taking steps in this direction would probably go a long way in starting to reestablish some degree of trust—something that needs to be restored to at least a functional level. As Roger Fisher and Scott Brown state in Getting Together, “Trust is often seen as the single most important element of a good working relationship.”[2]
The establishment of trust and reliability between Israel and Palestine is critical, but the United States and other international powers need to also engage in this discussion. Perhaps even themselves initiate reconciliation efforts like reliability, timeliness, and acceptance. And as Christians, especially those of us in the US, we too must recognize our role and responsibility in the peace process and seek to bring both awareness and healing in our own spheres of influence. This can often be as simple as telling stories that give voice to the voiceless, giving attention to both sides of the conflict, and engaging in discourse that seeks mutual understanding rather than further polarization. To begin, we should know the history of Israel and Palestine. And, since we live in a democracy, we should consider encouraging and charging our representatives to do the same.
Often, the most complicating factor in efforts for peace and reconciliation is the deep and opposing theological foundations that both sides are operating out of—especially the included ties to this certain geographic location. Insofar as reconciliation and compromise can be framed as positive goals, rather than signs of weakness or apostasy, we believe that the above steps could produce meaningful progress towards a peaceful solution. Additional efforts should involve international bodies and seek to establish legitimacy and security for both the Israel and Palestinian peoples.