A Common Peace

Irrespective of a group’s composition or authority, injustice will inevitably spring from any government that has as a tenant the dominance of one group over another. Whereas any human endeavor within a nation, between neighboring states or among nations built upon the tenant of inclusion will engender peace.

For this reason, the current peace talks between the Israelis and the Palestinians are doomed to fail. This is so because each, to some extent, has as a tenant of its existence, within and without their own governments and territories, the dominance of one group of people over another. This is also the fate of our lofty aspirations for the Kosovars because they have as their goal complete racial and religious homogenation. Granted, the atrocities committed against them cry out for such a solution, as it does from the point of view of the Palestinians and the Israelis.

A people that keeps score of past grievances that must be avenged will find itself cannibalizing its children. Hence, once the Kosovars cleanse their territory of the Serbs and feast upon the blood of intolerance, they will discover or invent new enemies from within upon which to unleash their hatred. The positive and negative aspects of this principle were learned in our Civil War, in World War II and, most recently, in South Africa.

Consequently, if peace is to come to the Holy Land there must be a new approach. While an agreement may be struck that has both sides staring into the breach, the glaring eyes must be refocused, the clenched fists must be redirected and the angry faces must soften to a smile. Both having enriched the land with cold and common blood and both having the drive for dominance, neither nation will find a separate, lasting peace. The sisters of domination and assimilation must cede to the sister of inclusion. From this unlikely union, justice will inevitably spring and truly the Lion will lie down with the Lamb.

Loren M. Lambert
Descendant of an Oppressed but Forgiving People
December 2000 ©