There were nods and audible expressions of appreciation from those gathered, and as the day progressed, great ideas were exchanged about arriving at solutions to the intercultural and social problems that plague the State of Israel.
The Healing
The Arab Druze possess the capacity to bridge the gap of misunderstanding that exists between Arabs and Jews, to help to assuage the fear that's been exacerbated over the years, paralyzing both sides. With no eye on a workable long-term plan, this fight or flight mode carried by both sides of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict guarantees a perpetual state of war. There may be periods of calm, even cease-fires or hudnas, but without material progress being made with our children from the bottom-up towards building a culture of peace between the two national identities, the calm will always flare-up into cycles of violence and revenge.
And shockingly, even Jewish Israelis face an untenable, unjust legal system with corruption running rampant and no real legal foundation from which to build upon – this house built on legal sand with no Constitution ultimately serves to encourage chicanery on the part of her citizens towards everyone.
In the United States we revere our sacred founding documents giving rights and equality to all—many fought and died to get it that way. I'm reminded of how in Judaism you kiss the Torah and Tanakh; the God given sacred books of life and social law. Israel needs a modern legal Torah; a legal foundation, deserving of respect and reverence for the sanctity, equality and balance of its precepts and doctrine; a foundation with the capacity to be built upon. Problem is, today, deep down nobody really respects an unfair and inequitable make-it-up-as-you-go justice system that's currently in place in Israel – nobody, even Israeli Jews, as evidenced by the proliferate corruption, kickbacks, paybacks, IOUs, behind closed door dealings, 'prey upon the weak' mentality that's palpable to the observant.
We want to get to the heart of the matter. Brit Olam supports the establishment of an Israeli National Constitution based on the principles of freedom, equality and democracy for all. This will be the foundation to build an equitable future upon.
A house with a foundation built on rock, not sand.
This has been a long report, but there is much to share. Tonight we will attend a meeting of Arab and Jewish groups intent upon a new declaration of independence between Arabs and Jews. The meeting will be held in the space where independence was declared in Israel in 1948. Ironically, that location is on Rothschild Street.
I look forward to hearing your ideas regarding peace and/or personal examples of resolving conflict or anything else you'd like to share.
In your service,
Byron DeLear
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