Times of Israel Blog:

In Search of Peace

The Jewish people long for peace. Yet,it has been elusive since Israel's independence in 1948, when the Arab nationsrejected the UN partition plan and went to war against the newly establishedJewish state. Still, the Jewish people longed for a peaceful resolution withits neighbours and then later with the Palestinian people. In 1979, Israel andEgypt signed a peace treaty which has endured to this day for the benefit ofboth peoples. This was followed by the Oslo Accords between Israel and thePalestinians in 1993 and then a peace treaty between Israel and Jordan in 1994.

These peace agreements and talk ofothers to come heralded a new era of hope and prosperity for all people in theregion. Israelis, supported by Jewish communities worldwide, have always beenoptimistic about establishing an enduring peace with the Palestinians and withIsrael's neighbours. Even while hope and optimism is a Jewish virtue, thecampaign delegitimizes Israel and the Jewish right to the land makes our searchfor peace challenging, but never impossible.

As we concluded Yom Hazikaron and liftedour heads to proudly celebrate the modern State of Israel's 69th anniversarywith flag raising events across the country and independence day parties, wedid so under a dark shadow. It could not have been coincidental that threedevelopments this week impacted the celebrations, but certainly failed todampen them.

The first was a UNESCO resolutionsponsored by an Arab group of nations including none other than Algeria, Egypt,Lebanon, Morocco, Oman, Qatar and Sudan. Aimed at Israel, even while admittingthe "importance of the Old City of Jerusalem and its Walls for the threemonotheistic religions," the resolution denies and nullifies legal,historical and political connection between the Jewish people and Israel withtheir holiest place.

Most disconcerting is the resolution'sassertion that Israel's "basic law" which states that"Jerusalem, complete and united, is the capital of Israel" is deemed"null and void." In other words, UNESCO claims that Israel and ineffect, the Jewish people, have no claim to their holiest of holy place. To addinsult to injury, the resolution throws in condemnation of Israel for itseffort to protect itself against terrorism from Gaza and surrounding areas. Isthis effort to delegitimize Israel and the Jewish faith productive for peace?

The second Palestinian inspired eventthis week on Israel's 69th anniversary was the release of The IslamicResistance Movement or Hamas's new "Document of General Principles andPolicies." While the secular media claimed this to be a warmer, if notfriendlier mandate from the internationally recognized terror organization, alight read of its principles profess otherwise. Hamas states, that the"resistance" shall continue "until the return is fulfilled anduntil a fully sovereign state is established with Jerusalem as itscapital." It further refers to Israel as a "racist, anti-human andcolonial Zionist project" even while claiming that it would now agree to aPalestinian state within the 1967 lines - but "without compromising itsrejection of the Zionist entity." Is this language and pledge to destroyIsrael conducive to peace making?

And finally, the third development thisweek was a meeting at the White House between President Donald Trump andPalestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas. President Trump promised to try andfacilitate a peace agreement but not impose one. He also implored on Abbas tostop paying blood money to Palestinian terrorists and their families who murderor injure Israelis. Speaking in Arabic at the press conference, for his part,Abbas called on Israel to "end the occupation" while failing to statethat he turned down peace offers from consecutive Israeli prime ministers,including Ehud Barak in 2000 and Ehud Olmert in 2008. Is he ready to make peacewith Israel? I hope so.

As Israel heads into its 70th year sinceits founding in 1948, it is stronger than ever. Israelis are resolute,patriotic and celebrate Zionism with great pride and achievement. The countryis strong economically, culturally, scientifically and militaristically - in aneffort to protect and defend when necessary. Still, we search for peace and ashared capacity to exist in friendship and harmony. Our spirit of hope cannotbe diminished by these challenges - in an era when hate must be illuminated byhope.