By Jeremy Ben-Ami
WASHINGTON, D.C. — In the past two weeks, those of us who believe deeply in Israeli-Palestinian peace have experienced a maelstrom of emotions as the current negotiations launched last summer by Secretary of State John Kerry teetered on the brink of collapse.
So a break from the tension conveniently provided by this week’s Passover and Easter holidays has come just at the right time. It gives the parties on both sides a chance to step away from the unhelpful tit-for-tat cycle they have engaged in and to cool down. It also provides an opportunity to suspend the daily blame game and focus on some big, important messages that the season can teach us.
For Jews, Passover is a time to celebrate our liberation from slavery to freedom. We reenact the drama of leaving the house of bondage and setting out on the long journey, both physical and spiritual, to our own land.
Yet even at this moment of joy, we do not exult in the misfortunes of the Egyptians, our oppressors and enemies. When we recall the Ten Plagues, we spill a drop of wine in memory of each, diminishing our own pleasure. We acknowledge their suffering as fellow human beings.
There are lessons for us in this simple act. We cannot build our happiness on the despair of others.
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We need to find a way to make peace with the Palestinians, a peace based on justice which can only come through ending our occupation and agreeing to the establishment of a Palestinian state. This will not only free them to become masters and mistresses of their own destiny but it will also free us from the burden of ruling over them. It will secure Israel’s future as a democracy and a Jewish homeland, thus bringing closer the promise begun with the Exodus from Egypt.
Likewise Easter, which will be celebrated next week in Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Nazareth and elsewhere in the Holy Land, reminds us that Christianity was built on ideals of forgiveness, reconciliation and selflessness. It celebrates the story of human redemption through sacrifice. Passover and Easter are also stories of great leaders whose examples have inspired the world for thousands of years. Great leaders take great risks but reap great rewards. Small-minded leaders take few risks and are soon forgotten by history for all except their failures.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Mahmoud Abbas both want peace. The question has always been whether they have the courage and the political will to do what it takes to reach it. Now we–and they–have a time out from the stresses of the past few weeks and a chance to refocus on the big picture and the meaningful decisions to be made.
Already it seems clear that neither leader wants the negotiations to fail. The question remains, do they want them to succeed?
There will be a political price to pay for success, no doubt, but the benefits are immense. An end to the conflict could launch both nations on a path toward prosperity and economic success that neither has dreamed of. And for the region, indeed the whole world, resolving this conflict would send a powerful message. If Israelis and Palestinians can settle their differences peacefully, there should be no conflict on earth that resists a peaceful solution.
Now, in this brief time out, we can allow ourselves to think such lofty thoughts. Soon enough, we will be back in the world of details. But these negotiations should not be about whether Israel releases 26 prisoners or builds 700 more housing units. They should not be about which international treaties the Palestinians join. They should be about the core issues–borders, Jerusalem, refugees, settlements, security, mutual recognition. The good news is, we know what the solution will be more or less–we’ve known it for almost 20 years.
We at J Street stand ready to support those leaders brave and wise enough to make this blueprint a reality. History has given us another opportunity. In the past two weeks, the leaders of both sides have contemplated the price of failure. Now, they should switch their thoughts to the rewards of success.
Warm wishes for a peaceful holiday.
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Ben-Ami is president of J Street, which supplied his column. … San Diego Jewish World seeks sponsorships to be placed, as this notice is, just below articles that appear on our site. To inquire, call editor Donald H. Harrison at (619) 265-0808 or contact him via donald.harrison@sdjewishworld.com