Domination Syndrome Nr. 22
Thinking about the Israeli/Palestinian Problem
Roger Cohen writes that after the searing wounds of the last decade suffered by both sides, peace is not possible at this point in time, and the Obama initiative geared to move the parties towards peace is futile.
This quote from David Grossman about Israeli attitudes caught my eye
“We have dozens of atomic bombs, tanks and planes. We confront people possessing none of these arms. And yet, in our minds, we remain victims. This inability to perceive ourselves in relation to others is our principal weakness.”
Ouch. We spend a lot of time in our conflict management course here in Tartu talking about problems that arise from “domination strategies”. This is a whopper of an example. Both sides in the conflict see themselves as victims, and have been locked into domination strategies over an extended period. As a result, the history of the domination strategies has become as relevant as the original reasons for the conflict itself. I tend to agree with Roger that in light of this, an extended ”cooling off period” may be the best interim step possible.
But I do take issue with one thread of Roger’s argument. He notes with apparent regret that Obama’s strategy to re-kindle peace talks has “alienated Israel”. This comes close to endorsing a domination strategy by Israel with respect to the US and as such deserves a chuckle.
We might think of an analogy. Did Dr. King worry that making his “I have a dream” speech might alienate whites? I don’t think so. And I do not think that President Obama should worry about expressing a strategy and vision that peace would be better than the current status quo (even if peace cannot be achieved now).
Tags: conflict management