Can Social Sciences Help the Middle East Peace?

The Israeli-Palestinian conflict lasts more than a half of century now. Wars succeeded resolutions; terrors and massacres were repeated, endlessly. The perplexing situation today seems without any outlet. At least, this was the first impression which has been dominating during eight years of Bush Administration.

Now, since Obama took office, a new era started in the United States of America, the first ally and support of Israel and because of that, the only power that is supposed to be able to exercise a real pressure on the Hebrew State. But everybody knows the limits of this pressure. The Jewish lobbies’ influence in the US as well as the historical relationships between these two countries impose a boundary to this pressure. But is the main dilemma really? Or, should we be looking for a more essential issue?

I, strongly, believe that this question comprises another dimension that had been gravely neglected during all the time Israel and Palestinian were carrying their peace negotiations out.  

The hypothesis I will advance would be relevant only if there is a genuine wish of peace and security among the Israelis; otherwise, my hypothesis would simply be stillborn.

My theory is that if Israel wants really a successful peace process, it should transform the Palestinian material existence.  No peace will be attainable as long as this basic and necessary condition is not assured; a large upgrading in the Palestinian life’s conditions would be an absolute necessary to ground any peace process.

The transformation of Palestine territory from a non-life zone to a livable domain is an unavoidable priority to establish the underpinning elements of the peace process’ achievement.

It’s unimaginable that more than 5 millions Palestinians in West Bank and in Gaza Strip live with the greatest tenuousness that is conceivable for a nation. The Gaza Strip, where live one and a half million Palestinian, stands for where the population density is already one the highest in the world. The rate of the residents with income below the poverty level in 2007 stands at 21,9%;  the situation became worsen since the Israeli blockage had been imposed over there in 2008. The recent Israeli military attacks would have caused some  billions dollars damages to the infrastructures and inhabitations in Gaza. Statistics show that a Palestinian family earns, at a normal rate, less than 65% percent of average income of a Jewish family. The income levels of the Palestinian family did not improve over the three decades of the last century.

Who can ignore these facts and then hope obtaining  peace?

Nowadays no social sciences’ specialist doubts on casual relationships between poverty and violence, between frustration and rage, between desperation and suicidal conduct…

Nobody, living in yawning material deficiency, with no future, no hope, non territory and no country would remain peaceful and calm. No human being will do that, why the Palestinian should do so?

Then, now, once we have been released from the Bush administration, which was truthfully far from a reflection on this sense, it is a great time for the Obama’s administration to spur the Israeli politicians to think about this obvious aspect of the problem.

When prosperity and improvement of material conditions are grounded among the Palestinians, when the social life can be based on a normal running of society in West Bank and Gaza Strip, they will surely change their look on how two nations can coexist and live together. This is in the interest of Israeli people to push their government to exit from this unproductive principle that oppression and shortage will eventually make the Palestinian people abdicate. If this could work it would have worked.

Then in this renewal time, the Americans, the Israelis and the Palestinian and all those who labor for peace in Middle-East should try to re-adjust their view. The analysis of the current deadlock should set more initiatives up than the usual political arrangements and diplomatic bargains. This time, a fair examination of the economic and social situation of the Palestinians is needed. A fundamental change of the existential conditions of the Palestinian territories will give them hope to get peace and creates an unprecedented opportunity for this region to flourish with the lasting regional pace and harmony.  

Peace needs its conditions before being born