Can We Really Coexist?

True or false: Jewish Israelis can live in total peace with Palestinians and other non-Jews in the Middle East. A few days ago, my I Speak Israel peers and I agreed with that statement. Now, I'm not so sure that I still do.

During the Coexistence Seminar in Deir al-Asad on Thursday, we had the pleasure of talking to a group of Arab Israeli teens about their views on the peace process and the state of Israel. I was surprised to learn that they were not anti-Israel or anti-Two State Solution, but simply pro-peace. They believed that Jews and Arabs could coexist in Israel, and my friends and I followed suit in that belief.

What I really failed to realize on that day was that the ideas of optimistic young adults don't necessarily reflect the realities of their society. Over the course of the past two days, I've learned this lesson on my own.

On Monday night, a search team found the dead bodies of Eyal, Gilad and Naftali, the three boys who were kidnapped in the West Bank on June 12 and had been missing ever since. My ISI friends and I were shocked and deeply upset. We had all expected, almost knew, that the boys would be discovered healthy and safe. It didn't make sense to us that the kidnappers would kill them so soon. Did Hamas, or whoever was responsible for the kidnapping, commit an act of pure hatred and bloodlust? If so, it is clear that they are unwilling to coexist with Jewish Israelis, and even go as far as to harm them. Honestly, I don't even want to live in the same society as a group that carries out and celebrates the abduction and murder of children.

Today, our group visited the Temple Mount, a Muslim holy site containing the Dome of the Rock and the al-Aqsa mosque, which stand where the Holy Temple once stood. Since the Muslims are currently celebrating Ramadan, an important month-long holiday that involves eating at sunrise and sunset and fasting during the day, the tension in the air was more noticeable than ever. After moving through several rounds of soldier-supervised security, we entered the Temple Mount. There were several non-Jewish tourist groups there, most of whom were allowed to approach the Dome itself while wearing short clothing. One Lutheran group, for instance, walked right up to the Dome of the Rock uninterrupted by security. Our group, however, was confronted by the Jordanian security guards who supervise the Mount. They made most of us buy scarves that covered our knees and elbows, because we were dressed immodestly. We were also not allowed to approach the Dome or the mosque, and had to stay near the periphery of the Mount. I can understand and agree with this, because the security guards were agitated and the Temple Mount deserves our utmost respect in any event. Why, however, were the other groups given privileges that we didn't have? Was it anti-Semitism, or simply a lack of trust? Either way, I do not believe that complete coexistence is possible between Jews and Muslims while biases like this persist.

Our last stop on today's tour was the separation barrier between the Israeli and Palestinian territories in the eastern part of the country. The barrier, which is a concrete wall in belligerent areas and a fence in less threatening ones, is meant to deter terrorist attacks and suicide bombers. The committee that drew the line intended for it to be the future border between the Jewish and Palestinian states. Since the barrier was erected, terrorist attacks on Israeli cities have declined dramatically, an obvious sign of success. However, it disturbs me that the Israeli government had to build a barrier at all. Is it really impossible for two groups, regardless of how much they hate one another, to live side by side without deploying bombs and security forces? If physical separation is a necessary condition for keeping order, something is very wrong with the Israeli-Palestinian relationship, and both sides are at fault.

Coexistence is impossible if there is no peaceful interaction.

I fully support the idea of coexistence. The day when Jewish Israelis can live happily with their neighbors without weapons, borders and security at every turn will be a glorious one. The issue is, it seems that not everyone is so idealistic, nor should they be. Negotiations and land partitions will not be enough to fix a society that faces terrorism, discrimination and war on a daily basis. In the end, understanding, acceptance and cooperation will be the tools that allow people to break down walls and borders.

In order to establish coexistence that can thrive in the long term, both Jewish Israelis and their adversaries need a change of mindset. Is the Middle East ready to make this change? Right now, while hatred and adversity are still so commonplace, I honestly don't think so.

- Kim Robins