The Israeli- Arab Conflict, Or How Far You Would Go To Survive

I’ve read a very disturbing post on History Unfolding about the Israeli historian Morris that characterized the dangers that Iran poses to Israel with regard to its effort to develop nuclear abilities as such an existential  threat to justify even a nuclear preemptive strike if everything else fails.

As a big friend of Israel I was shocked and have to agree with David Kaiser that self preservation doesn’t give the moral right to everything and that that letting fear on the Israeli side lead to such extreme measures is far beyond these moral boundaries.

The whole discussion is totally hypothetical as there are other more conventional ways to cope with threats whether they are real ones oe imagined ones. The inspection of the Iran nuclear situation is done by the international community and there are many many ways for Israel to react including an conventional air force strike similar to the one that was done in Iraq. One should also remember that Morris is not included in the strategic decision making in Israel and is after all an historian.

The question is different and it is a question that many nations faces from time to time. What are the ways to stop the wheels of violence from turning and reverse a potentially dangerous situation so as to enable communication in spite of fear, distrust and even hatred.

In a way it is not very different from a child at school that being attacked or ridiculed time after time turns to violence and starts shooting at school. The thing that can be done is to work with the frustration and anger and let is be released and cleaned in healthier ways.

Emotional intelligence is something that we all need as individuals as well as as groups.