c. 1996 Religion News Service
(Andrew M. Greeley is a Roman Catholic priest, best-selling novelist and a sociologist at the University of Chicago National Opinion Research Center. Check out his home page at http://www.agreeley.com or contact him via e-mail at agreel(at)aol.com.)
(UNDATED) Woe to those who frustrate a peace process. They will suffer more violence rather than less.
British Prime Minister John Major had a glorious opportunity to finally bring peace to Ireland earlier this year when the outlawed Irish Republican Army called a cease-fire in the violence that has torn the British Isles apart for decades. But Major added a new condition for negotiations that he had not raised before the cease-fire: the IRA must turn in its arms. Then to Major’s surprise _ though not to the surprise of anyone who knows Irish history _ the IRA resumed military action. For reasons of pride and arrogance, the opportunity of the century had been blown.
In Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s approval of the recent opening of an archaeological tunnel in East Jerusalem sparked outrage among Muslims, who claimed their holy places would be violated. The action fanned smoldering animosities among Palestinians and Israelis into open flames.
Netanyahu does not understand the Palestinians any more than Major understands the Irish. When he ran for election earlier this year, Netanyahu’s demagogic arguments played on Israelis’ fears of terrorism. His rhetoric since then has implied that Palestinians would meekly accept the new hard line of the Israeli government. Thus a man elected on a promise to end terrorism has instead created a situation that has led to the worst violence in years.
In each case, ignorance and arrogance have fractured a delicate peace process and made a difficult situation far worse than it was. The British can never defeat the IRA in open battle. The Israelis can never defeat the Palestinians in military conflict. Peace is the only way out in both situations. But miscalculations by foolish demagogues have destroyed chances for peace that may not come along again for decades.
No one should embark on a peace process with the hedge that it can end anytime one chooses to end it. Nor should those who come to power in the midst of a peace process feel that they can change the rules mid-course. Dangerous is the fury of those who have longed for peace and then are denied it.
The outlook for Israel and Ireland is the same: more force _ savage force _ intended to permanently defeat the enemy within. But such force generates only more violence. There will be more killing rather than less. Blame will be laid at the feet of factional leaders like Yassir Arafat and Gerry Adams. Little attention will be paid to those who lurk behind Adams and Arafat, who are far more dangerous.
Those whom the gods would destroy, they first make mad. Looking at these two tragic situations, it seems to me that Netanyahu and Major have gone mad.
JL END GREELEY
