Editor’s note: Kris Clancy is a regular contributor to the opinion section who has spent the summer in Tel Aviv, Israel. Part of the following column recalls a debate he attended in Israel between a current and a former member of the Knesset, Israel’s parliamentary body.
Recently, The Daily Cougar has been giving a one-sided view of what life is like in the Middle East, especially concerning life in Israel and the disputed territories.
During my time here in Israel, I listened to a political panel with Avshalom Vilan, a Knesset Member from the Meretz party, a left-wing party here in Israel. Mr. Vilan is also co-founder of the organization Peace Now and works to make peace with Palestinians.
Yechiel Leiter, a former Knesset member affiliated with the Likud party, was our right-wing panelist. Mr. Leiter is currently a Senior Policy Analyst at the Jerusalem Center of Public Affairs and lives in a settlement in the West Bank.
During this panel discussion, we had the rare privilege to have Gil Hoffman of the Jerusalem Post mediate both speakers.The point of recalling this discussion is to show that within Israel, the debate rages about peace, Arab’s rights and final borders.
Like in America, the political spectrum and ideas about what to do vary drastically. Each person has the freedom to decide his or her own position. Among reasonable people, the shades of gray outnumber black and white.
What are the prospects for peace?
Avshalom Vilan: It is in the main national interest of Israel to reach an agreement with the Palestinians. In eight to ten years, Palestinians will outnumber the amount of Jews. To keep Israel a Jewish, democratic state, any agreement with the Palestinians must be based upon a separation of two main societies in two states.
The recent Hamas takeover of Gaza may start the process with Abu Mazen (Mahmoud Abbas) in the West Bank for peace.
We can no longer make unilateral moves. Such moves create a vacuum and upset any chance for peace. The future border should be more or less along the 1967 border with Israel, annexing two to three percent of land while giving the Palestinian state a two to three percent tradeoff.
Jerusalem must stay united and become a capital of both the states.
Yechiel Leiter: I want a situation where no kids have to go into the army. Israel has tried to create peace for 15 years by two paradigms. It did not matter objectively what Palestinian leadership is; we make them what we want.
This is the first paradigm. Terrorism soared due to this need to make peace at all costs. (Ehud) Barak offered everything, (the) Palestinian leader (Yasser) Arafat said no. Terrorism soared. There is a new paradigm now: leave unilaterally and convince ourselves that the end result will be peace. Instead, after disengagement from Gaza, we got Hamas. Hamas won elections, staged a coup d’etat in Gaza and now launch daily attacks on the city of Sderot.
Between 2001-2005, including after the disengagement from Gaza, 716 rockets fell on Sderot. In 2006, 868 rockets fell on Sderot. Six tons of ammunition and arms flowed into Gaza after disengagement. Only one year later, the amount increased to 21 tons. We should not have pulled out of Gaza and uprooted 8,000 Jews who now have no jobs and no homes. Divorce and suicide rates are double the national average in the evacuated community. Disengagement should not create a five hundred percent increase in terrorism.
How do you propose using Jerusalem as a dual capital?
Vilan: There must be a full, comprehensive agreement for such an idea to be possible because I feel that (the Palestinians’) real interests will not be able to continue to push for the Temple Mount.
Leiter: We cannot have a dual capital. Under any situation, an immediate pullout strengthens Islamic radicalism.
There is not a fence in Judea (Israel) and Samaria (West Bank). I live there. I see what happens daily. The border between the West Bank and Israel is very porous; anyone can cross it.
The Israel Defense Forces are going into the West Bank daily to arrest terrorists, interrogate them and stop bombings. This is what is stopping terrorism, not the security barrier. Pullout and immediate disengagement will only strengthen Islamic radicalism, especially in Jerusalem.
What are your thoughts on the Second Lebanon War, especially concerning the Winograd Report?
Vilan: The name of the game became psychological. I feel Israel did not totally lose. I was surprised because we destroyed many Hezbollah positions. I don’t see Hezbollah attacking in a few years.
Leiter: There is always some "saving grace." We must decisively and definitively win wars. We did not win this war.
The Arab world saw it is possible to keep Israel at bay for five weeks and put one-third of the population in bomb shelters. We have a situation where Israel is being led by a mediocre leadership and something drastic must happen to fix it. I hope the final report finds the Prime Minister [Ehud Olmert] totally responsible and there are new elections.
What are your propositions for water solutions if there is a pullout from the West Bank?
Vilan: We desalinate water from the Mediterranean, and in a few years we will not get water from the Kinneret [Sea of Galilee] or from the West Bank and the Jordan River.
Leiter: The Golan Heights are responsible for 30-50% of Israeli water. Desalination plants are only responsible for eight percent of supplies. (The) cost of desalination plants would bankrupt the country. The last third of Israeli water supply comes from Judea and Samaria. Al-Qaeda is now active in Gaza, and to give up the West Bank would allow them to poison our water supply.
These two politicians come from two very different perspectives of how to run Israel, from peace with the Palestinians, to conflict over water rights.
For anyone who thinks that Israel has a one-track mind, please realize that such thinking could not be further from the truth. Such open debate about all aspects of life here are more common than even within the U.S.
Only when those of us who support one side or the other take the time and patience to create open discussion within our own societies can we help the two sides reach peace here.
Clancy, a political science senior, can be reached via [email protected]
