Grasping complexity
Since I published my last post on the Israel-Palestine conflict, the situation has only gotten worse. And by that I mean, not only does the death toll of this unfolding tragedy keep increasing, but the moral issues posed by various stated positions have only gotten more evident, a worrying sign of the growing divide that will likely trigger more tensions — and innocent deaths.
I cannot help but see the signs that we, Western liberal democracies, are heading towards an increasingly questionable status quo that ignores the plight of too many of our fellow human beings. As we have done before, with varying degrees of failure. This is in many ways a trying time for our ideals, as we face one of the most intricate situations in modern history.
We must not fail that test, or else we risk losing some of our humanity in the process.
Acknowledging complexity
The starting point to reaching a humane position in the Israel-Palestine conundrum is acknowledging its complexity. We cannot go on following simplistic slogans given the sheer intricacy of the history, politics and culture involved. It would inevitably lead to flawed decisions, which would then likely end up in (more) violence.
There you have it: we have to accept once and for all that both “camps” in this conflict are both right and wrong:
Israel is right about wanting to prosper as a nation and to defend itself against terror attacks such as the one that took place on October 7th; Palestinians are right about wanting to have political and economic freedom as well as a place to definitively call their home;
The Israeli government, especially in its current incarnation, is wrong about effectively oppressing Palestinians over time and currently suffocating Gazans in an all-out war that inevitably also targets civilians; the Palestinian government, led by Hamas in Gaza, was and is wrong about conducting terror attacks such as October 7th as well as holding hostages captive in underground tunnels that may or may not be hidden under residential areas.
Nobody is entirely right or entirely wrong, everyone is both right and wrong. Choosing a side can therefore not be a simple binary situation, or else you are bound to espouse many wrongs with any given right.
Grasping complexity
This leads us to the next and crucial point in this process: we must be able to grasp that complexity if we ever want to move on. In other words, we need to be able to start making decisions on this issue without losing the subtlety required on this multi-facetted topic. We need to remember the various claims and grievances in order to decide on the best step forward.
In order to get there, I see no other reasonable path than a moderate one. The only way forward has to be something of a middle ground. One that ensures that both Israelis and Palestinians enjoy the freedoms and opportunities to both grow and prosper.
And I know what people will immediately say from both sides, because I keep reading them online: the other side will never agree to this, they are “monsters” if not worse, there is no way out of this…
I beg to differ: there is always a way out, no matter how long it takes to find it. More to the point, no durable change ever truly takes without a balanced solution at its core: take abortion rights, gay rights or civil rights — all based on foundational human rights principles. Progress entails considering more viewpoints, more arguments, more nuances.
This situation is no different: we simply cannot consider the rights of one group without also taking into account the other’s, and we can’t criticize the mistakes of one without also criticizing the other’s. We have to ensure that Israel and its citizens can safely live and grow, all the while protecting the rights and freedoms of Palestinians — and we have to condemn all extremist positions.
We have to take everything into account and find the best possible solution, no matter how complex. ‘Complex’ being the operative word.
No major social or political battle was ever won without a long, intricate and often violent process. The rights of African Americans took centuries to be recognized — and they are still being disputed. Same goes with all major social causes, in all parts of the world.
The Israel-Palestine conflict happens to be one of the most evident confrontations between two groups with clear cultural and religious differences, involving all sorts of geopolitical and economic interests to boot. This only means one thing: finding a long term solution will take a while. But that does not mean we should not try.
Opting for the easy way out, one that entails ignoring parts of the equation, will only foster false, short term successes — and worse long term outcomes. Doing so in the name of liberal democracy will undermine the very values our countries are based upon, leading to a greater effort to rebuild any sort of moral or intellectual consistency.
Let us be clear: a lot is at stake.