Last week, the Penn Israel Coalition and Penn for Palestine participated in an event hosted by the Philomathean Society called “Israel and Palestine: The Search for Solutions.” Although the discussion was both civil and cordial, the event offered a glimpse into why we are still searching for a resolution to this highly complex social, cultural and political issue.
In order to move forward, innovative and bold solutions are needed from both sides. We do not need the status quo. Israel will be the first to admit that. Anyone that was in the room last Tuesday night heard the three pro-Israel speakers argue that the status quo is not working. The status quo is not sustainable. The status quo is not going to achieve a lasting peace in the region.
What makes finding a solution so difficult is that Palestinian leaders are unwilling to forge a true peace agreement through compromise. Using the same old talking points and blaming Israel for the region’s problems is not going to make peace in the region. It is hard to move the conversation forward when Israel is being asked to make 100 percent of the concessions or when a plan calls for Israel to cease to exist as a Jewish state.
False accusations, hateful and inflammatory language and uninformed opinions that pare down the entire Israeli-Palestinian conflict to a single issue or cause do not help. These methods from the current playbook of many Palestinians, one that has been used for decades, show why having good faith negotiations is still an elusive goal.
The pro-Israel speakers at the event understood the need to present bold and innovative solutions in order to reach a realistic peace agreement. Each offered pragmatic and practical solutions to solve the current situation in the West Bank settlements, the Gaza strip and Jerusalem.
In each case, the pro-Israel panel discussed ways in which a two-state solution can work for both Israel and a future Palestinian state. In the West Bank, we proposed a plan to incorporate majority-Jewish settlements into Israel, while giving an equal amount of land to the Palestinians in a land-swap agreement. In Gaza, we proposed a rigorous economic development plan to stimulate the Gazan economy, relax restrictions on imports into the region and promote investment and job training. In Jerusalem, we proposed a division of the city, making East Jerusalem the capital of a future Palestinian state.
However, none of this can be accomplished without a concerted effort on the part of Palestinian leaders and the Palestinian people. We understand that Palestinian leaders are doing what they think is best for their people. We want them to be equal partners at the negotiating table. But while Israel has consistently made efforts at having substantive negotiations, Palestinian leaders have refused to concede and meet Israel halfway. This standstill helps neither side.
We also need the international community to get on board if there is any hope of achieving peace. We need the world to condemn Hamas’ terrorist attacks on Israeli civilians and their human rights abuses in the Palestinian territories. And we need the United States and European Union to be advocates for an effective two-state solution that will protect the interests of Israel and a future Palestinian state.
I want to thank the Philomathean Society for organizing the event last week, and I commend Penn for Palestine for participating. It is important to know where the two sides stand and why the current impasse is so hard to navigate. It is helpful to continue the civil dialogue among those concerned about the conflict in the region, especially among Penn students.
In hoping for a peace agreement that guarantees the right of Israel to exist as a free, democratic and Jewish state, we need more events like last Tuesday night. We need innovative and different solutions from both sides. We need concessions from both sides. We do not need the status quo.
Evan Philipson is a College senior and the president of the Penn Israel Coalition. His email address is evanp@sas.upenn.edu.
