no url here…Noa Bursie is an African-American convert to Judaism
The False Premise
Peace. The word itself is a two-edged sword, conveying a powerful spirit of tranquility while simultaneously evoking a strange, inescapable anxiety. It is the quintessential dichotomy of humanity to so passionately crave the very thing we so effectively repel by bowing to the baser elements of our nature. So much painstaking effort, so many resources, studies conducted, books written, futile negotiations – over decades, centuries – and lasting peace between men continues to elude us. The near daily headlines about one more failed attempt by U.S. Secretary of State, John Kerry to bring Israelis and Palestinians “back” to negotiations would be outright hilarious were they not so tragically predictable and transparent.
The dilemma that fuels frustration over getting the parties to the negotiating table is driven by the assumption that peace is a thing to be desired by all. One would think the prospect of having in place those essentials that make life worth living – health, family, community, sustenance, love – are universal aspirations. This is, sadly, an illusion. Peace eludes humanity because there are people who do not want to live in peace. There is no conundrum in determining why our species has endured millennia of genocide and oppression unabated. Warring ideologies and clashing civilizations are the norm, not an aberration. But why, we must ask. Rather than talking in circles and chasing rationales around mountains of excuses and justifications, better to state the case without equivocation. Peace is possible only through mutual agreement or, if agreement fails, enforced maintenance.
