The Diplomat in Spain

Paula Izquierdo

Writer

Jerusalem, a small Israeli territory, is the place where the origin of these three different monotheist religions converges: the Christian, the Jewish and the Muslim. However, and even though more than 2,000 years ago this small space concentrated quite different cultures and beliefs, customs and commemorations, this primitive fact has not helped the different cultures to live together in peace.

Last 27 July 2014, was the day when a hundred years ago the First World War started. Nowadays, it is amazing how it seems impossible to coexist with different ways of understanding life, seeing and accepting those who are different or whose religion and prayers are different from our neighbours’.

Israel’s Prime Minister, Netanyahu, continues the attacks, according to his televised statements to the entire country in different occasions: “there is not a war more justified than this one”. Afterwards, he confirmed that his army was ready for an operation even longer than the others.

The truth is that Palestine and, specifically the Gaza strip, is slowing fading in front of us. Therefore, I consider essential all the efforts made by the international diplomacy to restore the peace and the right to life, not only for the Palestine people but also for the Jewish. During this time, since the war started, last 8 July, as a response to the murder of three young Israelis, at least 400 Palestinian children have died.

Systematically, the truces accepted by both sides have been broken throughout a month. Israel keeps blaming the Islamic terrorist group Hamas and it is not willing to let them keep launching missiles in their territory.

In view of this slaughter due, first of all, to the lack of equivalence between the third most powerful Army of the world and the improved and archaic Palestinian means of combat, the only thing one might wonder is how to reach a permanent truce. To answer such a difficult question, I can only think that it is time for the international diplomacy to get on with it and make possible a dialogue that puts an end to this tragedy, never solved since the end of the Second World War.

This idea has only been implemented and with excellent success by the Argentinian Daniel Barenboim, thanks to the coexistence and the effort of young people with different beliefs coming from different places united by just one factor, the art of music, which made them truly care about solidarity.

It is true that the UN have asked for the ceasefire in several occasions, but this wish can only succeed if both factions, cultures, civilizations are able to engage in a dialogue and reach a twinning agreement to achieve a peaceful coexistence. The Pope Francisco also asked for the conflict between both factions to be stopped. However, international pressure has failed again.

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Will education, and knowing those who are different, be the only formula allowing peaceful coexistence?

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More than thirty days of offensive and counter-offensive have passed. It can seem that this is an irreconcilable situation –to the extent that Netanyahu affirms he will not allow the peace to come until he ends with Gaza’s tunnels- to stop the possibility of the traffic of weapons and, simultaneously, put an end to Hamas. However, such a bleeding has made Palestinians, who already count more than 2,000 casualties of soldiers and civilians, to be closer and closer, ideologically speaking, to the terrorist group. Israel, in addition to the three teenagers murdered at the beginning of the conflict, a reason considered to be what triggered this new conflict, counts more than 60 death soldiers.

This situation only predicts a tragedy that will be prolonged sine die, unless diplomats can sit both religious and cultural leaders, facing each other, and make them see sense, which means, that for once words and not weapons are enough.

We know that education is the art of coexistence. It is essential for a faction to understand and be able to live with the other faction.

Who can believe a massacre happening at the beginning of the 21^st century?

Is it possible this tragedy cannot be stopped, after so many conflicts experienced in the last century, without going further? Will education, and knowing those who are different, be the only formula that allows accepting this as it is and, that way, being able to live in peace? Is it impossible that both Palestinians and Jewish learn to understand each other? Is it impossible for schools to promote, through the history of religion, the understanding of those who are different? Of those who live for their dignity and the ability to exist in a territory with no weapons, with no terror, with no fear to the unknown.

I think we do not have to give up or be subjugated by the diplomatic failures happening until now. We have to keep “fighting” to reach the peace of Humanity. Are not we all human beings?