Smart activism needed in campus Israeli-Palestinian dialogue
Julia Reed
Issue date: 3/5/09 Section: Opinions
It is heartening to see such involvement and emotional intensity, particularly when our own government has been lackluster at best regarding Israeli-Palestinian peace-making. President Obama's efforts have been more sincere than his predecessors, but popular pressure is essential for making sure that this issue does not get buried under domestic priorities like economic recovery. Still, I urge my fellow students not to shoot from their heartstrings, but from their intellects.
This is not an issue that can be understood or solved by foaming at the mouth. The most successful peacemakers in the Middle East have always been the most educated. Jimmy Carter intensively studied his legendary briefing books before the first Camp David negotiations, after his Secretary of State had made numerous fact-finding visits to the region. He learned by heart every personality quirk and red-line of the actors and so was able to craft a successful peace conference. James Baker, the Secretary of State who presided over the Madrid Conference, was similarly thorough in his preparation, and his work set in motion a process that culminated in the peace agreement between the Jordanians and the Israelis. Bill Clinton's advisors preferred to wait, going on gut instinct rather than statesmanship, and their failed Camp David accords reflected that, as did George W. Bush's unproductive Annapolis Conference. History repeatedly tells us that the better prepared the ambassador, the more successful the negotiations.
If Smith students want success in their activism, if we want to be taken seriously, then we need to get off of our soap-boxes and open our minds. By understanding the intricacies of the issues that we battle for and not just their emotional exteriors, we can contribute to real and serious change. We are already intelligent women; surely it is not a great step for us to also become intelligent activists.
This is not an issue that can be understood or solved by foaming at the mouth. The most successful peacemakers in the Middle East have always been the most educated. Jimmy Carter intensively studied his legendary briefing books before the first Camp David negotiations, after his Secretary of State had made numerous fact-finding visits to the region. He learned by heart every personality quirk and red-line of the actors and so was able to craft a successful peace conference. James Baker, the Secretary of State who presided over the Madrid Conference, was similarly thorough in his preparation, and his work set in motion a process that culminated in the peace agreement between the Jordanians and the Israelis. Bill Clinton's advisors preferred to wait, going on gut instinct rather than statesmanship, and their failed Camp David accords reflected that, as did George W. Bush's unproductive Annapolis Conference. History repeatedly tells us that the better prepared the ambassador, the more successful the negotiations.
If Smith students want success in their activism, if we want to be taken seriously, then we need to get off of our soap-boxes and open our minds. By understanding the intricacies of the issues that we battle for and not just their emotional exteriors, we can contribute to real and serious change. We are already intelligent women; surely it is not a great step for us to also become intelligent activists.
Viewing Comments 1 - 3 of 3
Georges Makhtouf
posted 3/05/09 @ 5:25 PM EST
Peace in our time?
What an appropriate title for this conference! The same phrase exactly used by Neville Chamberlain to describe his Munich agreement of 1938 with Adolf Hitler, which forced Checoslovakia to give up its Sudeten mountain region and leave itself open to German attack. (Continued…)
K2K2
K2K2
posted 3/05/09 @ 8:45 PM EST
Thank you for noting the "simmering resentment" of many of the students in Weinstein Auditorium's audience, and your call for more knowledgeable reason (and I would add critical thinking) for anyone who engages in activism on this issue. (Continued…)
Rachel Besserman
posted 3/06/09 @ 2:41 PM EST
Thank you for this thoughtful piece . . . may we also connect as individual souls and people seeking peace, here on campus, so that we may reflect this peace we wish for. (Continued…)
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