EXISTENTIAL ISRAEL

The issues between Israel and the Palestinian Arabs as well as the Israeli Arabs are existential. However the various parties have different existentials. The most obvious difference might be those of the Palestinians and Israelis, or is it? Israelis including Israeli Jews, some number of Israeli Arabs (probably most), and probably most or all of the 5% of Israelis who are neither Arabs or Jews share allegiance to the State of Israel as it is. Then there are the Palestinian Arabs and perhaps a minority of Israeli Arabs who say they want to live in an independent State of Palestine (or is that really what they want?).

Now lets look more closely at the Israelis. Lets start with the Israeli Jews. Most religious Orthodox Jews see Israel as a state for Jews who share the Jewish religion. There are also non-religious Jews on the radical right of the political spectrum who include in their existential people who share their culture and history (but which culture and which history? Ashkenazic? Mizrachi? Ethiopian?). And what about those Israeli Arabs who are integrated into Israel and its culture?

Lets look at the Palestinians. Hamas in Gaza says they want to conquer all of the land of Israel/Palestine and do not recognize an Israel in which Jews are the majority. For them existential is no Jews or at most a subjective Jewish minority. Fatah on the West Bank says they want an independent Arab Palestine in the West Bank and Gaza, but a minority there now say their existential could be one binational state for Arabs and Jews (with an Arab majority?).

So, my opinion is that finding a common existential for most of the inhabitants of the Land of Israel/Palestine would go a long way to bringing peace to that land and making it an example for all of the Middle East. This common existential is possible and already exists for many Jewish and Arab Israelis (I don’t know the numbers or percentages). This common existential should be nurtured not only in the State of Israel but might eventually extend to the West Bank and eventually perhaps to Gaza. A first step can be found in Hand in Hand which has been creating schools where Jewish and Arab Israeli children study together. What better way can there be to create a common existential than by starting with children? There are details to be worked out, but the result can be a stronger and more peaceful Israel/Palestine or whatever you call the place and one that finally realizes the dream of Theodore Herzl of a land where Jews can live in peace and feel at home and the Arabs can have the same.