LAST WEEK, Mohammed Kenbib, Professor of History at Mohammed V University in Rabat, Morocco, came to the University to speak about Morocco's history of Jews and Muslims living together peacefully. Throughout his presentation, Kenbib spoke of how Jews and Muslims in Morocco have gotten along for centuries, and the role that each community has played in the other's society. Kenbib provided an optimistic outlook in an area that is often shrouded in pessimism.
Presentations like those of Kenbib are especially important today, as the Israeli-Palestinian conflict (often seen as the center of poor Jewish-Muslim relations) is today facing an unprecedented opportunity for peace. Following the death of the corrupt and terrorist-sympathizing former Palestinian leader Yassir Arafat, democracy has come to the Palestinian people, and so to has hope for peace. Yet, even as this hope for peace gets stronger, pessimism clouds the voices of analysts who argue that peace in the Middle East is simply not possible. They argue that Jews and Muslims just cannot co-exist peacefully.
A deeper look into history, however, helps prove wrong the theories of these analysts. In fact, there is a long history of Jews and Muslims living together peacefully, with Jews often playing important roles in education and economics in Muslim countries throughout the Middle Ages, right up until World War II. Yet, the pessimism of many Middle East analysts seems to be holding sway, and this has a real negative effect on the peace process.
Despite the massive drop in violence since the election of Mahmoud Abbas as president of the Palestinian Authority in early January and the subsequent cease-fire declared by the Palestinian Authority and most Palestinian terror groups, television is still inundated with various Middle East "experts" speaking of the terrorism and violence. Despite there being no high-profile suicide bombings in Israel in months, Western countries are still treating that area of the Holy Land as a high-risk area, not providing the Palestinian Authority with the kind of aid it needs. As long as the Palestinians continue to receive too little aid, their economy will continue to be weak, and a weakened economy makes Palestinian citizens much more likely to resort to extreme actions such as terrorism. A sudden return to wide-scale terrorism today could have a devastating impact on the peace process for decades to come.
Pessimism over the Middle East peace process stems from a practical look at those with the power to make the difference. Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has one of the most hawkish histories of any Israeli politician. Sharon was a mastermind of Israeli settlements in occupied territories, the architect of Israel's 1982 invasion of Lebanon and was elected prime minister on a hard-line anti-Palestinian platform. Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas rose to power alongside Arafat. Abbas too was involved in past Palestinian terror activities. Even while condemning the Intifada, in order to get elected Abbas ran to the right and took a strong anti-Israel stand in Palestinian elections.
Pessimism also stems from looking at just the past 60 years. From the Arab rejection of Israel's right to exist in 1948 through the failure of the 1993 Oslo Peace Accords with the start of the second Palestinian Intifada in 2000, the past 60 years has, in fact, implied that peace is quite difficult. However, a closer look can help put Jewish-Muslim issues in a wider context by expanding the scope of history. A good study of history shows that Jewish-Muslim problems are, in fact, a contemporary issue, and there is a centuries-long history of strong Jewish-Muslim relations.
However, even outside of the long-term historical perspective, looking at just the past 60 years shows both parts of this pessimism inaccurate. It was not too long ago that the nation of Egypt was Israel's greatest and most powerful enemy. Peace between Israel and Egypt seemed impossible. However, even with an Israeli Prime Minister in Menachem Begin who led one of the mostconservative, hard-line parties in Israel and an Egyptian President in Anwar Sadat who had launched in 1973 one of the most brutal attacks on Israel in the country's history, the Israelis and Egyptians were able to agree to a peace treaty in 1978. This peace treaty has lasted, and relations between Israel and Egypt remain strong.
The fact is, peace in the Middle East is very possible. The facts of history as spoken to by well-studied historians such as Kenbib show that Jews and Muslims do, in fact, have a history of living together. However, pessimism continues to dominate discussion of the Middle East, and helps hinder progress in the peace process. It's time for all the outside naysayers to back off and just give peace a chance.
Sam Leven's column usually appears Tuesdays in The Cavalier Daily. He can be reached at sleven@cavalierdaily.com.
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