Most Palestinians wouldn't think that what I am willing to give up in exchange for peace with them is enough, and most Israelis aren't willing to give the Palestinians as much as I am. I was reminded of that sobering reality when I read the latest results of the Tami Steinmetz Center for Peace Research's latest Peace Index, a monthly survey of Israeli opinion regarding the peace process.
While most Israelis generally favor peace talks and don't think either side can continue on like this much longer, there is a huge gap between Israelis and Palestinians regarding the two most important issues, the ones that will make or break a future peace treaty.
54% of Israelis (59% of Jews) are opposed to giving the Arab neighborhoods of East Jerusalem to the Palestinians to be their capital. I'd do this in a heartbeat. Even ultra-right winger Avigdor Lieberman has no problem with this. Maybe some respondents took this to mean giving up all of East Jerusalem, including the Western Wall, which might explain the resistance.
On the question of refugees 76% of all Israelis (87% among Jews) aren't willing to allow even one refugee into Israel. 7% are willing to let up to 100,000 refugees return, and 11% are willing to let them all return. Most of the support for a full right of return comes from Israeli Arabs, since only 3% of Jews support it. Here I'm in agreement with the vast majority of Israelis.
Here's a question I'd like the next surveys to include: would you agree to accept responsibility for the Naqbah and the refugee problem, at least partial responsibility, and to compensate the refugees in exchange for peace? I'd agree to that if the Palestinians gave up on the right of return, but I don't know if most Israelis would.
You can read the report here in pdf or Word (doc) format.
Farewell to Steve Silberman
1 day ago
"Here's a question I'd like the next surveys to include: would you agree to accept responsibility for the Naqbah and the refugee problem, at least partial responsibility, and to compensate the refugees in exchange for peace? I'd agree to that if the Palestinians gave up on the right of return, but I don't know if most Israelis would."
ReplyDeleteApologies for peace, huh? (wink)
Seriously, it's probably best to keep the mutual apologies for when (ever) a lasting, workable has been firmly established. Compensation is another matter, that is in my view the only solution to a non-return situation.
Well, the recognition of responsibility would come together with all the rest of the more physical stuff, not before or instead of any of it.
ReplyDeleteIt wouldn't be an apology, either. Accepting responsibility is not the same as apologizing.
Funnily enough I was just looking for this online today, to link to in my follow-up to you. I didn't know the latest one had just been released.
ReplyDeleteYou wonder whether "Maybe some respondents took this to mean giving up all of East Jerusalem, including the Western Wall, which might explain the resistance." It would be interesting to know if this could be determined. I haven't yet had a chance to skim through the report as yet; have you thought of writing to the Centre or is there some other feedback mechanism?
I haven't thought of writing them. Their e-mail address appears on the center's homepage if you want to contact them.
ReplyDelete"Accepting responsibility is not the same as apologizing."
ReplyDeleteNo, it isn't but isn't it difficult to accept responsibility without issuing some kind of apology? Doesn't "we accept responsibility but we're not going to apologise" sound rather cold? A bit like saying, "we accept responsibility and we meant everything we did, so there..."?
"we accept responsibility and we meant everything we did, so there..."
ReplyDeleteHere's the thing - saying we're sorry for the Naqba is kind of like saying we're sorry we won our war of independence. We may be sorry the Palestinians suffered because of it but aren't really sorry that it happened.
Anyhoos, we're a long way away from the point of mutual apologies. At the current rate of progress, we might never get there...
ReplyDeleteGlad to see though that someone is at least contemplating the prospect of a settlement.