Israel's Fear of Commitment?

Israel’s objection to America’s proposed UN resolution supporting the efforts to strive towards concluding a peace agreement in 2008, and its subsequent quick withdrawal, provides an interesting window into Israel’s emotional angst regarding the peace process. This angst was further underlined today when Prime Minister’s Olmert played down the chances and expectations of achieving a peace deal in 2008.

Like many over-testosteroned youngsters, Israel has a fear of intimacy and therefore commitment, not to some college sweetheart but rather to the peace process itself. This fear of commitment tells us several interesting things about the nation's mindset at this crucial juncture in Middle East history.

The first thing it lays bare

is a certain ambivalence in Israeli society towards the Palestinians, both those that are its citizens and those who live outside of Israel. Since the first Zionist settlers arrived there has always been an uneasy and conflicted ambivalence towards the indigenous Arabs and Palestinians. 40 years of occupation and more than 100 years of conflict have only served to make that ambivalence more deeply rooted. That this ambivalence has always been present is reflected in a famous statement by Israel's first president, Chaim Weizman: "The world will judge the Jewish state by what it will do with its Arab population."

This ambivalence exerts an ever-present tension on the society since it is anchored in Israel’s very self-definition: a democratic Jewish state. Regardless of any arguments pro or con about the value of such a nation concept in the 21st century, the legitimacy of a democratic Jewish state is not in question. What is in question and legitimately so, is what is the reality on the ground? Is this alleged ambivalence apparent or not?

Any statistical measure will show that there is a huge divide between Palestinian Israelis and their communities and their Jewish Israeli fellow citizens: from infrastructure, economic investment, education, housing, employment, income to healthcare and health.

In addition, a landmark public opinion poll in 2006 showed that a large majority of Israeli Jews consider Palestinians a security threat, a large majority would refuse to live with a Palestinian Israeli in the same apartment building, a majority find Arab culture inferior and a significant minority is in favor of taking away voting rights from Arab citizens. Some studies even indicate a majority of Jewish Israelis would like to see Israel devoid of Palestinian residents.

Don’t forget, we are talking about almost 20% of a country’s citizens. Most of us, on all sides of the support-Israel divide, would not accept that reality in our own country and would be much opposed to seeing it in other countries that were full-fledged and developed members of the community of nations. So we must admit that this ambivalence exists and has been very strong in steering Israel’s development and her past and current politics. One can claim that equality must be worked towards but still argue that Israel, because of everything that has happened to the Jewish people, must be accepted legitimately by the world community as an inherently Jewish nation: religiously, culturally, philosophically and ethnically. No problem if one wants to argue in favor of this ambivalence. But to deny it exists and to ignore how strongly it influences Israeli society is simply being intellectually dishonest and morally self-righteous.

In addition to this ambivalence, Israel is also of course simply afraid of the peace process, another reason why she hesitates to commit. Israel views itself as a tenuous and fragile country. It also views itself of course as a very powerful country. But it is the memory of  our historic insecurity and our too frequent national disasters that has the louder voice when Israel is faced with stepping into an unknown future of peace. It is this existential fear of survival that makes it, perhaps understandably, impossible to trust anyone else, especially the Palestinians or Arabs in general. Politicians will never phrase it like that, they will say, “there is no partner for peace” but what they mean is we don’t trust you. And without trust, no one ain’t goin nowhere on the road to peace, hence another aspect of Israel’s fear of commitment.

But perhaps the greatest fear of all, that is never spoken about in polite company, is the fear of not being the boss anymore, of having to place ourselves in an equal position to the Palestinians and to their state, of losing a certain upper hand and therefore an emotionally comfortable position of superiority. Israel will have to be very forthcoming when it comes to those aspects of a peaceful relationship with Palestine that deal with regional issues: things such as shared water resources, joint regional economic development or infrastructure sharing.

Israel will be expected to treat the Palestinians as equals and more than that, Israel will have to accept the fact that she and Palestine are just two more equals among the nations. Of course for a while, with all the difficulties that these particular neighbors will have, they won’t be like many neighbors but that is where they should be wanting to work towards. To commit to peace you must have this basic mental and emotional departure point of readiness to eventually accept your new neighbor as your equal: with equal status, equal rights and of course equal responsibilities. Israel isn’t there by a long shot yet. I don’t know about the Palestinians.

So what seemed like an embarrassing diplomatic snafu for America and perhaps a sign of hesitation on Israel’s part actually shines a light on Israel’s underlying state of mind. You can’t help but ask yourself how well this bodes for the peace process itself. Especially if it remains this unspoken and invisible yet still very disruptive elephant in the china shop of peace.

Additional sources:

Advancing Coexistence and Equality Among Jews and Arabs in Israel
Wide Gaps Between Test Scores in Jewish, Arab Schools
2007 budget to perpetuate gaps between Jewish, Arab schools
Israel's Housing Apartheid
Justice for All? Jews and Arabs in the Israeli Criminal Justice System

Comments

[Nizo]

Yay, lennybruce is back to posting..

This sums it up beautifully:

" It is this existential fear of survival that makes it, perhaps understandably, impossible to trust anyone else, especially the Palestinians or Arabs in general."

Indeed, the Holocaust is merely 2-3 generations away.

[lennybruce]

Hi Nizo,

Thnks for your warm "welcome back" and of course for adding your thoughts. I hope everything goes well with you and your new job as well.

Be well!