As Scud missiles fell on Israel, we Israeli Jewish and Israeli Arab citizens were afraid. We also were united in silent prayer that casualties would be relatively low. Our prayers were answered.
Even Jewish-Arab relations within Israel are not a casualty of the gulf war. Indeed, Jewish-Arab unity increased in the past month. A vast majority of Israeli Arabs condemned Saddam`s attack of Israel and offered a safe haven to Israeli Jews, whose homes came under direct attack. Other Israeli Arabs donated blood and their services.
It was not a miracle that created these positive responses. Nor was it a coincidence that every major Israeli Arab community that offered a haven to Jews also hosted our community peace work interns. These beneficial bonds were nurtured by Interns for Peace and our 142 graduates, many of whom have demonstrated their commitment to improving Jewish-Arab relations by staffing and creating more than 50 organizations exclusively dedicated to Jewish-Arab harmony.
In a post-war era, international conferences, UN resolutions, high-level diplomacy and even treaties cannot be expected to create instant peace in the Middle East or a ”new world order.” The message of the differing Palestinian responses to the Scud attacks teaches us that we need to reorder priorities and to see peace as a process. First, trust-building on a community-to-community level needs to be deepened and expanded. Such common action between Israel`s Jewish and Arab citizens will then comprise the essential foundation stones for a lasting peace between the State of Israel, the Palestinian people and the Arab world.
