The Poison of Revenge
Last week, I read a refreshing article in the Jerusalem Post written by Palestinian-American comedian Ray Hanania. It is one of the few times that I’ve heard a truly moderate Palestinian voice – a sincere voice and not what we are typically force-fed to accept as “moderate.” Yet, at the same time, the article was quite grim. He talks about the major stumbling block for peace between Israelis and Palestinians. No, it’s not the settlements, it’s not the occupation, and it’s not necessarily terrorism itself (even though these are all real problems). It’s simpler than that. It’s the poison of the desire for revenge.
And that’s because the true opposite of peace is not war, it is revenge. It is the desire to not move forward, to not think positively about what the future could bring. Revenge focuses on the past, and by doing so predetermines the future. Revenge is the opposite of sympathy, and without understanding the suffering of the other side and appreciating their dreams and desires, one cannot really be at peace with oneself, let alone with the other. Without leaving behind absurd simplifications of the conflict, and without shedding the lies we live by, genuine peace cannot take place. (For a great list of these lies read Bradley Burston’s “The lie of victory”)
True, desires for revenge exist in both societies, but in Israel’s case it is way less common. For example, a peace camp like the Israeli one of the 1990s has never developed in Palestinian society. Moreover, despite all the violence, the majority of Israelis continue to believe in the establishment of a Palestinian state and wish to move on with their lives. There are radical voices who do not believe in compromise, but thankfully they are a minority.
That is not the case with the Palestinians. The majority of their leaders and advocates fail to condemn terrorism in any meaningful way. Also, there is rarely an acknowledgement that they, too, share responsibility for the conflict and their own suffering. My initial reaction would be to attribute that to the lack of democracy and freedom in the Palestinian territories, since I could sympathize with the explanation that moderate Palestinians are afraid to speak out for fear of persecution. This would be quite tragic, however, because it would mean that the radicals are the majority (people can only be afraid when they feel outnumbered).
But something doesn’t add up...
