A step toward peace

It’s an amazing step toward peace between Arabs and Jews in Israel. For the first time in the history of the state of Israel, an Arab Islamist political party has joined with Jewish parties that span the political spectrum, including ultranationalists, to form a proposed ruling coalition. It’s tenuous; the coalition could fail before it really gets to govern. It may even fail before this letter is published in The Spokesman-Review. Nevertheless, it is significant.

Those who write letters on the Arab-Israel conflict generally favor one side and often vilify, or lay all the blame, on the opposing side. Such letters feed the propaganda machines and add to the polarization. Have the writers tried to envision what peace would look like and how they can help achieve that highly desired end?

Peace will be achieved when the parties who are directly involved decide to talk together and work together for peace. The new coalition in Israel is a first step, beginning with those Arabs who represent some 21% of the citizens of Israel. We can’t expect miracles, but we can hope for continual progress.

Howard Glass

Spokane