F
rom Feb. 27 to Mar. 9, the Coalition of Hopkins Activists for Israel hosted the Israel Peace Week Initiative. The Israel Peace Week Initiative is a proactive, engaging campaign, which aims to educate campus populations about Israel's efforts and desires for peace, despite its lack of adequate peace partners in the region.
For much of the past century, Israel has struggled to even begin a peace process with its neighbors. From the moment it was recognized in 1948 to the present day, Israel has been forced into a constant state of war by its antagonistic neighbors.
Despite such challenges, Israel has thrived as a nation. Its current GDP per capita is $31,004 (higher than New Zealand, Spain and Italy), grew 4.3 percent in 2011 and ranks 17th in the Human Development Index. Israel is a Jewish democratic state that despite its Hebrew roots provides citizenship, full rights and protection under the law to Arabs, Christians, Druze, Bedouin and many other minorities. Its neighboring countries pale in comparison to Israel's success and fair government.
The steps Israel has taken to make peace show how committed it is, even sacrificing some of these economic successes to achieve this goal.
One major concession was made when Israel ceded the Sinai Peninsula to Egypt after having gained it during the Six-Day War. The Sinai Peninsula had Alma oil field, valued at $100 billion and was estimated to make Egypt energy-independent by 1990. This was surely Israel's greatest energy asset, but they gave it up for peace.
Additionally, in just one five-day period in 2011, Israel allowed 30,000 tons of aid material to enter the Gaza Strip after having withdrawn 8,000 Israelis from the land in 2005.
Israel also signed the 1994 Israel-Jordan Peace treaty in which Israel agreed to send 50,000,000 cubic meters of water each year to Jordan. It also ceded 75 percent of the water from the Yarmouk River to Jordan and allowed Jordan to have preference over Muslim holy places should a peace agreement be reached between Palestinians and Israelis.
In 2000, the Camp David Summit showed the farthest leaps yet, in which Israel agreed to give 97 percent of the West Bank and 100 percent of the Gaza Strip in exchange for peace. This was rejected by Yasser Arafat, President of the Palestinian National Authority.
President Shimon Peres's current Valley of Peace Initiative shows the continuing dedication Israel has to peace and economic cooperation. This initiative calls for the private sector development of a canal system worth $3 billion which would join the Red Sea to the Dead Sea. The initiative also includes the construction and operation of Qualifying Industrial Zones, industrial parks which would serve as centers of collaborative effort in the region.
These steps present a strong case that Israel actively seeks peace with its neighbors. It has taken enormous steps and made great concessions. After all, the Torah calls for Jews to love their neighbors as themselves and to refrain from holding grudges or seeking revenge. Is it truly fair to say that Israel isn't following these recommendations?
