The Israel Palestine Project

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The Narrative

 

 V.  Developments

 

“It isn’t what we know that is the problem, it’s what we know that we are so sure is true” – Mark Twain

 

Rabbi Michael Lerner agrees.  Lerner is the leader of one of the largest Jewish organization in the United States (Tikkun).  He has devoted his life to social transformation.  He says in his book  Healing Israel/Palestine - a Path to Peace and Reconciliation, “As long as each side clings to its own story, and is unable to acknowledge what is plausible in the story of the other side, peace will remain a distant hope.” 

 

Berriault and key leaders in this area of communication and history realize that such attempts are “flying in the face” of media, consensus reality and stories held by the two sides.  Outcomes of the opposing national historical narratives are suspicion, cynicism, resignation and military conflict. 

 

Exposing the Two Opposite and Mutually Contradictory National Narratives

 

Within the last ten years there has been considerable work that has exposed the two narratives.  This in itself is a momentous step, so that people can actually see that there is a narrative other than their own.  Children in school who are fortunate enough to see the two narratives are amazed that another narrative exists. We assert that this exposure of the two narratives is the work that is necessary to set the stage for the acceptance of a common historical narrative.

 

For many weeks, Ha’aretz (the New York Times of Israel), published the two narratives in installments. Additionally, an educational organization “PRIME” is publishing booklets for the schools in Israel that show the two narratives side by side with a space in between for comments and reactions from students.  They published their first booklet covering a certain historical period, and they are working on subsequent booklets. 

 

While all of the above are important developments, as long as there are two narratives, it leaves the prerogative for choosing one narrative over the other and for people living in the stress of this 120 year old conflict, as well as other concerned people, the natural human tendency is to support one against the other, thus perpetuating the conflict.

 

Additional Historical Work

 

In addition to the ongoing dual narrative work mentioned above, there is a group of Israeli and Palestinian academics (PALISAD) who have met monthly for several years, presenting papers, illuminating critical historical events in Israel and Palestine. These papers serve as a credible demystification of the conflict.  Because of Berriault’s work with TIPP, he was requested to join them in supporting their efforts.

 

Some Israeli historians have been rectifying the written history in Israel.  Examples of these historians are Shlomo Ben-Ami, Benny Morris, Avi Shlaim and Ilan Pappe.  They are sometimes referred to as the “new historians”.  With the exception of Ben-Ami, these historians and their work have been marginalized by the Israeli academic community.  Nonetheless, their work is thoroughly documented from reliable sources and is unimpeachable.  The marginalization of this academic work is in itself an indication of the enormous grip which the Israeli narrative has on establishment thinking and national discourse.

 

Turning Point: A Common Historical Narrative.

 

Up until now, there has not been a successful attempt to write and have accepted a common historical narrative.   This is the unique and bold contribution of TIPP.  This narrative blends the two separate narratives in such a way that each side is represented, ending the perpetual source of the conflict. 

 

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