Brit Tzedek v'Shalom
Jewish Alliance for Justice and Peace
Bloomington, Indiana
Now is the time: Former member of the Israeli Knesset sees chance for peace in the Middle EastBy By Jon Reiter
Indiana Herald-Times
Monday, November 8, 2004
Naomi Chazan, former member of the Israeli Knesset, talks about a free and independent Palestinian state existing beside Israel as a way to peace in the Middle East Sunday evening at the Congregation Beth Shalom in Bloomington. Staff photo by Monty Howell.Arab-Israeli relationships in regards to the troubled West Bank and Gaza Strip areas in the Middle East are tattered, Naomi Chazan conceded last night to a crowd of about 125 at the Congregation Beth Shalom on Bloomington's east side.
"Awful things have been done against Israel. Israel has done things it's not proud of. Now is the time to end the conflict," said Chazan, a former member of the Knesset legislative body in Israel.
Chazan's talk, which was sponsored by the Bloomington chapter and National Organization of Brit Tzedek v'Shalom/ The Jewish Alliance for Justice and Peace, also struck a hopeful note.
Chazan noted that change is coming rapidly because of three distinct issues: the failing health of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat; the re-election of President George W. Bush and his push for the "Road Map" to peace and a separate and democratic Palestinian state; and Israeli President Ariel Sharon's recent policy for disengagement in the Gaza Strip.
"I do not recall a period in the last four years that has offered a promise of movement like the changes that are taking place at the moment," said Chazan, who now serves as a professor of political science and African studies at Hebrew University in Jerusalem. "When I say the grounds are shifting, almost by definition it means it's fraught with danger, but it offers great possibilities."
Chazan, who served in the Knesset from 1992 to 2003, admitted she is no real fan of Sharon, who is seen as being hawkish by many Jews worldwide. But the fact he is at least seeking a plan to disengage from the violence in the region is a signal a solution could be forthcoming.
"It could perpetuate the conflict," Chazan said. "Mr. Sharon is a minority in his own government. Once again, the ground is shifting … there are many dangers … and many opportunities."
Arafat's condition is currently unknown but believed to be grave. Chazan also said a power struggle among Palestinians over who will replace the 75-year-old leader could "create a period of chaos" in the region. But she said she believed more moderate forces within the settlers could emerge, and a less extreme leader could in the end benefit Israel.
"What is the hope? It is very much that there will be a more moderate Palestine with a period for democratization," Chazan said. "It is possible there now may be room to negotiate."
Bush's "Road Map" somewhat fell by the wayside as the United States fought wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Chazan accused Bush of flip-flopping on the map itself in some critical areas.
But she praised the plan as standing firm on a two-state solution and for bringing the United States together with countries it has not enjoyed particularly close relationships with in recent years.
The European Union, the United Nations, Russia and the moderate Arab nations of Jordan and Egypt also are working on the plan.
"These are precisely the constellations that can work," Chazan said, "although I think it's a flawed document."
In taking questions following her presentation, one attendee asked her what worries her at night when she thinks about the state of the world.
"I worry about a lot of things. Are you a therapist?" she quipped as the crowd laughed. But then she turned serious.
"I worry that friends and neighbors will get so sick of the conflict, they will turn off. I'm frightened that if we do not do something to resolve the conflict, 100 years of Zionists will be let down by the next generation."
Chazan argued that religious fundamentalism is clouding the thoughts of many in power, and a world of extremism will not be a peaceful one, she said.
At the root of terrorism is a type of extreme fundamentalism, she argued. She asked if any reasonable person would think it proper for someone to enter a shop to kill one terrorist if it meant killing 20 innocents — including women and children.
"Fundamentalism is very, very scary," she said, noting she believes Muslims, Jews and Christians are all guilty of it to some degree. "There are people who suggest they have all the answers to all of the questions … it is an extraordinary threat to basic human values of decency and plurality — and moral values."