A courageous vision

Establishing a permanent peace in the Middle East has proven to be a difficult and complicated undertaking. Today much of Israeli and Palestinian interaction occurs within the context of confrontation and is preceived through the lens of political conflicts.

Beyond the difficult and sensitive modalities of peace making, the lingering effects of half a century, filled with animosities, fear, and mutual distruct have added a meaningful obstacle to the peace process.

The conflict has embaded itself within the social structure of both people and had hindered any true cooperation, trust, tolerance, and accepting the other cannot be taken for granted just tried to be settled.

Educational efforts in both sides would begin to bring near and to humanize the other party through communication and understanding. Education has a meaningful and formative impact on Palestinian and Israeli identity and perception of the other. Since the beginning of the Arab- Israeli conflict, education has been a tool for promoting differenct idelogies.

As a resiult, the curriculum on both sides evokes cognitive and emotional reactions that reinforce adversarial attitudes.

Consequantly, the " knowledge" and perception of the other is often limited to selected a negative images, harmful stereotpyes and at best, a dementrial distroted understanding of the other's cultre and religion.

The ultimate success of peace will be depending on the capability of both ethnic groups to live and work together, not just side by side, but in close cooperation of amicable interaction and in mutual respect. Any attempt to establish a permanent peace in the middle east will have to address education as an influential factor, and this requires sensitive and flexible educational planning on both sides.