There have been many atttempts made. There have been negotiations, but ultimately there has been stalemate. The subject that I am referring to is the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Many claim that the key to securing global peace is through resolving this conflict. But the question is, why has Peace alluded us so far and more so, can there ever be lasting peace?
In dealing with the subject matter, it is important to first of all mention that there have been peace deals struck in the region. In 1979 Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin and Egyptian President Anwar Sadat signed the "Egypt-Israel Peace Treaty".Furthermore, in 1994, Israel and Jordan signed a peace treaty ending "46 years of war".
However, despite the Oslo Accords that was signed between Israel and the Palestinian Liberation Organisation in 1993, there has never been a meaningful and long lasting peace deal between Israel and the Palestinians. The question is, why? There are a few reasons.
Why peace has alluded us
The first reason is geography. Since the country'screation in 1948,the Jewish statehas been surrounded by a plethora of Arab nations who have continually opposed their existence. As a result the priority of Israelis different to others in that their primary aim is simply to survive. This has been tested throughout the country's history, a period littered with war. The war of independence in 1948, the six day war in 1967 and the Yom Kippur in 1973 illustrates this.
As a result, that mentality to survive and deal harshly with those who threaten that existence is party why their approach to the Palestinians is how it is. There are mental scars still.
The views of the right
Secondof all there is the religious factor in Israel. It has been said that the best way for the conflict to end is by the creation of a two-state solution.
However, a large majority of Israel's religious contingent are simply opposed to this. This was illustrated by the fact that 99.5% of those living in settlements (arguably the most religious Israelis) in the Palestinian territories oppose such a deal. Such opposition was also demonstrated by the killing of Yitzhak Rabin in 1995 who was assassinated by a religious extremist, Yigal Amir, as a result of Rabin's desire to secure peace with the Palestinians.
The third reason, I believe, is the view of the Palestinians themselves. It can be claimed that a large proportion of the Palestinian people do not want to settle for peace. Although there are many who do, there are a lsinginifcant anumber of right wing individuals (like Israelis) who oppose negotiations and believe that the land where Israel is located is ultimately the land of Palestine.
Majorinfluences
Furthermore, a bigger problem isthat,those that do oppose peace have a major influence within their own governments. With regards to Israel, in Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition are parties such as Yisrael Beiteinu and United Torah Judaism; both right wing religious parties with a strong influence on decision making.
With regards to the Palestinians, a similar theme has occurred, most notably by the emergence of the militant group, Hamas. They have been in power in the Gaza strip since 2006, and have been continuously outspoken in their opposition to Israel.
Now we know why peace has so far alluded us, the question is, can there ever be lasting peace between the two sides? For that to occur, certain things need to happen. In the short term Israel must remove the settlements and act with more foresight in repelling the threats against them. And for Hamas, the tunnel building and rocket launching has to stop. But in the long term, peace can only come from understanding and accepting one another. Violence simply leads to more violence.
Both sides must come together and accept that fighting is not the answer. There has to be a collective effort to build trust and to work together. If they do not, the problems will continue to exist.
