The Israeli Lust for Peace: Illusion, Tragedy and Prospect

There is a widely indulged pretence that our political views and policies are derived from reason and study. The opposite is often more true. In international politics, as in all else, baser emotions lie at the root of much of what is dressed up as reasoned thoughtful argument. Lust, fear, pride, hatred are all powerful driving forces. These emotions are not necessarily bad substitutes for reason. They sometimes serve as a shorthand for getting at a deeper truth. But, not always. Sometimes emotions short-circuit thought and lead to wishful thinking and blindness to empirical reality. It is lust – the lust for peace – that in the view of this author has led to the misbegotten Israeli (and American) policy attempts at peace with the Arabs in general, and with the Palestinians in particular. The Israeli wish for peace is neither foolish nor evil. The sin of lust is not a mistaken object of desire, but rather a desire too strongly held, a desire that has metastasized into a passion, a passion so strong and misdirected that it perniciously undermines the very well-being it is intended to foster. As is often the case with sexual lust, so too with Israel’s peace lust, the object of desire is hopelessly out of reach. And as with sexual lust, so too with peace lust, accepting that the object of desire is unattainable makes life a good deal easier, and happier. And, perhaps most importantly, just as with sexual lust, so too with peace lust, the lust itself is, more often than not, a barrier to its own satisfaction – who gets the girl, the self-assured and aloof suitor or the desperate and needy one? Let us look at Israel’s peace lust more closely. The thesis of this article is that those, in both Israel and the West, who most forcefully press for a negotiated peace between Israel and the Palestinians are fundamentally misguided and self-deceptive. They are driven by an admirable, thoroughly decent if unrealistic desire leading to policies that have brought, and will continue to bring, turmoil rather than peace. Israel must accept that peace with the Arabs is not likely to be achieved in the foreseeable future. It must