Love and forgiveness in the Palestine-Israel conflict is often overshadowed by religious zealotry and an unwillingness to listen to people on the other side. But the situation is not hopeless, says Reverend Dr. Naim Ateek, a Palestinian Christian on a personal mission to share the spirit of justice and peace...

 
Love and forgiveness in the Palestine-Israel conflict are often overshadowed by religious zealotry and an unwillingness to listen to people on the other side. But the situation is not hopeless, says Reverend Dr. Naim Ateek, a Palestinian Christian on a personal mission to share the spirit of justice and peace. On Thursday, Ateek brought his message to Concordia as part of the ongoing series on peace and conflict resolution, and opened a two-day symposium on forgiveness and reconciliation.

For Ateek, forgiveness is the ultimate goal in a chain of events that must begin with the return of Palestinian lands. Israel must honor UN resolutions and "end the oppression" as a first step, he says, because to pursue peace without justice is an impossible task. The only way to have security without justice is via brutal force "which has not worked."

But he emphasized the importance of focusing on what we can hope to achieve. Though justice for Palestinians and security for all sides are worthy goals, he says we must focus on the objective of reconciliation, and the higher objective of forgiveness itself.

Inspired by South-Africa's post-apartheid Truth and Reconciliation Commission, Ateek would eventually like to see one established for post-occupation Palestine. In doing so, perhaps Desmond Tutu's experience of having looked into the "abyss of human evil" and nevertheless come away "exhilarated" by the goodness of his fellow human beings can be achieved again.

The task at hand

Ateek says we must begin by really listening to one another. He points to the futility of many discussions that center more on assigning blame for past atrocities than on pursuing genuine dialogue. Jews bring up massacres by Palestinians who bring up atrocities by Jews. Such conversations only serve to perpetuate resentment, he says.

Unfortunately, Israeli settlers and the American religious Right Øinterest groups with powerful influence in the conflictØ seldom listen. Settlers are obsessed with their belief in their divine right to the land, and right-wing American zealots seem set on fulfilling their self-assigned role in an ominous future.

Conversely, Palestinians have hardly grown up in an environment that promotes trust in their oppressors, as most Palestinians alive today were born under the occupation. Israeli Soldiers and the deeply despised settlers are the only Jews they've ever known. They have had no real contact with the numerous Jews within and outside of Israel who are dedicated to building real peace.

Nevertheless, Ateek hopes that enough mainstream people can be influenced to join a movement that will influence the circles of political power and Palestinian opinion. He has managed to be heard by some small groups of people at home, and received sympathetic responses from many people outside Israel, including some members of the Canadian parliament, and the National Assembly of Quebec. "You do what you can do," he said. "You're planting seeds, and sometimes they grow into action."

Who are the real victims?

According to Ateek, progress is hindered by the subjective narratives that exist on both sides of the political context. Many Jews see themselves as historical victims who need a safe haven after centuries of persecution, a Holocaust still in living memory, and a resurgence of anti-Semitism.

On the other hand, many Palestinians see themselves as victims who were violently evicted from their ancestral home, who continue to witness confiscation of their land, the construction of settlements, of roads, and of the security fence. Their beliefs are enforced by what they see as excuses that suicide bombings must stop before a settlement can be achieved, since there were no suicide bombers before 1996 and the occupation began in 1967. And they feel further betrayed by the United States, which prevents UN resolutions from protecting them and supports Israeli violations of international law, while it poses as a peace-broker.

Drawing inspiration

Ateek believes that all sides can be inspired to forgive. He draws his own inspiration from his Christian faith in a God who loves all people, and his belief that justice will come from love. He has continued to teach forgiveness, even to his parishioners since the first Intifada in 1987, when they said they could never forgive "the Jews" for the beating, torture, and killing of family members and neighbors.

He also draws inspiration from memories of his devout Christian father who was evicted from his land with his 10-member family when Ateek was four years old. They were told they could return in two weeks, but when his father tried to reclaim his possessions, he was told he had to sell it, and for a fraction of it's true cost. Preferring to give his land away as a matter of principle, Ateek's father forgave, and lived the rest of his life without a grudge.

Ateek feels such attitudes are necessary because "no [side] has a greater claim to the land. Neither side is going to disappear. We must accept one another, and embrace all people in the land as legitimate citizens." In this way we can share in the land, "and make it holy."