Why did I ask Ehud Barak, "What is peace?" I asked Mr. Barak what is peace because I believe it is the one question that is not being asked. Instead of focusing on a broader vision of what a peaceful settlement might be, what it would look like, Israel, Palestine and the rest of the world are trapped in a quagmire of immediate political concerns. I did not expect Mr. Barak to answer my question. Nor would I expect Mr. Arafat to provide us with some vision of what it would mean to live at peace with Israel. The problem is that neither Mr. Barak nor Mr. Arafat nor Mr. Sharon has stopped to consider what peace is and what peace would mean. Israel, Palestine, the United States and the international community are caught in political concerns that conceal the obvious path to security for Israel and Palestine. We must realize that Sept. 11 was only the beginning. We can no longer afford to split our world into east and west. We can no longer afford not to ask what is peace.
What is peace? What would peace mean? Peace means the existence of two independent states, both internally competent; both able to enforce the rule of law; both established on firm institutions; both mutually dependent, economically, culturally and politically. Peace does not mean the building of security walls between Israel and Palestine. Peace does not mean the incursion of tanks to take out "infrastructure." Peace does not mean transforming young boys into bombs. Peace does mean taking down walls. Peace does mean building up infrastructure as quickly as possible. Peace does mean an immediate, forceful and effective call for the end of all forms of terrorism by both sides. Peace does mean an end to the blind, "victimized" mentality of both sides in the conflict. Neither side is purely victim or perpetrator.
I am afraid. I am very afraid. I am afraid of what a future without peace would mean. I am afraid every action Ariel Sharon takes will be identified with America. I am afraid of the way Mr. Barak equated America's war against al-Qaida and Israel's war against the Palestinians. I am afraid that Mr. Arafat and Hamas will provoke and praise more terrorist bombings to strengthen their political positions. I never voted for Mr. Sharon. The American people never voted for Mr. Sharon. Nor did the American people vote for Mr. Arafat. So why are we allowing Mr. Sharon, Mr. Barak and Mr. Arafat to dictate American policy? America is in the process of facilitating the establishment of a viable and secure state in Afghanistan. Sharon is in the process of demolishing all hope of a viable state in Palestine. Mr. Arafat is not Mr. Bin Laden. Mr. Sharon is not President George W. Bush. If we are to have any hope of rooting out the immediate threat of terrorism, we must recognize this fact. We can not allow Mr. Sharon or Mr. Arafat to drag America and the rest of the world into an era of fear, brutality and chaos.
The best weapon against terrorism is not military incursions; the best weapon against terrorism is peace and stability. We must do all that we can, sacrificing political and personal concerns, in the interest of this peace. How forcefully can I put it? Have you seen the rare survivor of smallpox, permanently disfigured? Have you seen a victim of genocide? Have you seen death camps? Have you seen anybody so consumed by hate that he destroys himself and all of those around him? Before Sept. 11, many of us had not yet seen this on a personal level. We are beginning to see it, however. It is coming here. There is no more in-between. There is no more room for vacillation for old and tired ideological disputes. The only alternative to peace is utter horror. We are not immune. We must act now. We must not only ask the question, "What is peace?" We must create that peace. We must do it now.
