Inter-group violence is the physical or psychological harm that
results from one group acting against another, or when groups act
against each other. Individual acts that harm others can be
considered inter-group violence if the perpetrators are acting as
group members. This definition is accepted by many social
scientists and activists. It encompasses various forms of violence,
including those carried out by states, ethnic groups or
organizations, which may not only injure, torture, destroy, expel
or perform ethnic cleansing and genocide, but also exploit,
discriminate, deprive, harass, pressure or control other
groups.
Violence has been used by human beings from the start of their
evolution, (perhaps even more than by other species), as a means to
achieve their goals and, sometimes, even as a goal in itself. There
is not one nation in this world that has not used violence to
achieve its goals. History is filled with episodes of violence -
from wars, rebellions, conquests, and slaughters to forced
conversions, pogroms and ethnic cleansing. Moreover, most of this
violence is revered by the nations carrying it out, and
participants in these acts are often viewed admirably. The most
revered heroes of each nation are usually leaders in acts of
violence.
In most cases, nations justify their violence as a determinative
phase on the way to achieving their goals. Almost no nation views
its own violence as negative, but rather, is able to justify it as
a necessary means to an end. In only a few cases have nations
re-evaluated their violence and begun to perceive it negatively.
But among these cases, some re-evaluated their violence under
pressure from the victors. Even when the violence is eventually
viewed negatively, it is usually then denied or pushed into
oblivion.
Looking at the history of humankind, we find that almost no group
has voluntarily given up land, resources, power or status to
another group, even when the demand of the other side was
justified. Therefore, the demanding side has resorted to violence
to achieve what it sees as a justified goal, as in the case of the
Israelis and the Palestinians. Each side has resorted to violence
to achieve its own goals. Over the years, each side has used
violence, has praised its own violence and has delegitimized the
violence of the other. Thus, we, the Israeli Jews, are proud of the
violent activities of the underground organizations (the Hagana,
Etzel and Lechi) in the pre-state period. We revere the wars and
other military operations performed by the Israeli army after the
establishment of the State of Israel. We delegitimize all the
violent activities carried out by the Palestinians and repress
memories of violence by our side considered excessive or atrocious.
In turn, the Palestinians have revered their violent resistance to
Jewish immigration and settlement, the Arab rebellion, guerrilla
activities and terror attacks. They also delegitimize Israeli
violence and ignore the immorality of their own acts. In general,
each side sees its own violence as a reaction to the violence of
the other, or as essential to achieving existential goals and,
therefore, justified and glorified.
We live in times in which new ideas are developing which suggest
that non-violent protest is a preferable way to achieve goals.
Moral criteria for justified cases of violence have appeared, and
an International Court for Human Rights has been established. The
continuing violence between the Israeli Jews and the Palestinians
is tragic and unnecessary. Both sides inflict losses, pain and
suffering on the other. At present, the Palestinians engage in
terror attacks using suicide bombers, targeting public places,
indiscriminately killing civilians and causing fear among the whole
Israeli population. They shoot at vehicles on roads used by
settlers and carry out guerrilla activities against military
targets - all of which we label as terror attacks.
On the other hand, we, the Israeli Jews, continuously confiscate
and settle on Palestinian land and prevent economic development. We
arrest and torture Palestinian suspects denying them civil rights.
We press Palestinians to collaborate, destroy their olive trees and
fruit orchards. We carry out collective punishments, impose curfews
and closures and put up checkpoints and roadblocks. We assassinate
Palestinians suspected of terrorist activity and destroy their
homes. We bomb the buildings used by the Palestinian security
forces, kill civilians during the fighting and make incursions into
the Palestinian territories, gradually re-occupying the West
Bank.
Each side is convinced its violence is justified and that the other
side is brutal, untrustworthy and violent. It generally does not
occur to either side to think about the other - to realize that
losses of human life are terrible, irreplaceable and therefore
unforgettable. That land is sacred to all nations and throughout
history people have always been ready to sacrifice their lives to
defend it. Security is a basic need people cannot live without,
collective punishments are immoral and illegal, and no one has the
authority to violate fundamental human and civil rights. Egocentric
and socio-centric views are responsible for much of the evil that
both side perpetuate, and for the rationalizations each uses to
justify it.
Where does this lead? Does either side think its own brand of
violence will solve the problems? Does either side think violence
will make it possible to impose a solution on the other side?
Violence breeds violence. Nations do not yield easily and can
continue their struggles for generations and even centuries. It is
unfortunate that neither side seems to understand this. Both the
Israeli Jews and the Palestinians are here to stay and the only
approach that can benefit both sides is to find a non-violent way
of pursuing their goals, including peace making. The present
collapse of trust, that has led to mutual delegitmization and
underlies the return to violence, is the primary reason for the
Israeli and Palestinian public's support of violence. This
situation is not irreversible. People created it and they can
change it. It is extremely sad that neither side's leaders
understand this.
It is the time for those who have remained above the fray of this
bloody cycle to take concrete steps to stop the violence and embark
again on the road of peace. There are still many Israeli Jews and
Palestinians who understand the consequences of violence and object
to it. They have to voice their opinion loudly and bravely to
overcome the madness that spreads only death, fear and hatred.