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past, but occasionally voiced today
by extremists.
Both sides want peace - but on
their own terms.
The Palestinian Arabs live with
an uncertain future. For that reason,
most local Arabs questioned did not
want lo give their names, and a
number didn't want to answer any
questions al all. The following inler–
view is typical of the Palestinian
view. The man interviewed is lhe
headmaster of a school.
0 :
Do you
think
tbere wiU be peace
between tbe Israelis and tbe Arabs?
A:
Under the presenl condilions,
1
don't see that there will be a lasting
peace, because the two sides have
differenl ways. Lasting peace will
come when everyone is ready to
give to olhers, for the two sides lo
approach each other.
0 :
What sbould be done for the
Palestinians?
A:
In my opinion, a lasling settle–
ment for the Palestinians is to give
them the West Bank, the Gaza Strip
and Jerusalem, under their own
government. Not for Jordan or
Egypt - jusl for lhe Paleslinians.
Also, lo help lhem lo make their
governmenl recognized worldwide,
stable and efficient.
Q :
What sbould be done with tbe
Israelis? Wbere sbould tbey live?
A:
First of all, the Israelis must give
up, nol all the lands, but most of lhe
lands captured in 1967 - at least. l f
the Arabs will give the lsraelis the
right lo live here with their own
land and government, there will be
cooperalion between the Arabs and
lhe lsraelis in many forms.
Q :
Would you agree to a period of
U.N. administration of a Palestinian
sta te as a transition?
A:
Yes, for a little while.
0 :
This might include the inter–
nationalization of Jerusalem. WouJd
you favor tbat?
A:
Yes. It's better for everyone lo
have his part of the city.
The only important variation be–
tween the above inlerview and lhe
position taken by a minority of Pal–
estinians questioned is that the lat–
ter would press for Israel lo return
36
to lhe 1948 lines. An even smaller
minority would like lo see Israel to–
lally destroyed as a política! entity,
but mosl holding this view live out–
side of Palestine.
If Shmuel Gazil, an Orthodox
soldier who fought with the Israeli
tank corps in the Golan during the
last war could believe that school–
master, there might be a cbance for
peace. However, he has a totally dif–
ferent story.
0 :
Do you t bink t here will be
peace?
A:
I want peace, but tbe Arabs
don't want it. I've seen what they
did to my friends.
0 :
Is it Arab leaders or the people
who don' t want peace?
A:
I know what lhe soldiers
did.
When
1
carne lo the Golan Sunday
after Yom Kippur, 1 found my
friends cut with knives [at this point,
he gestured, indicating mutilation of
the body]. It's not the leaders. lt's
the soldiers who want lo kili us.
0 :
Do you think Israel should give
up any territories in a peace agree–
ment?
A :
If
the Arab wants a little - he
wants all. If one of tbem says:
"If
Israel gives back, 1 make peace.
Tbey don't mean it. The Arabs want
Israel. I tell you one tbing. Anyone
wbo wants to make peace by giving
something - fine. Everyone wants
peace, but give me one Arab, one in
all the world, who wants peace [by
giving something]. 1 live in Jerusa–
lem. l've worked with Arabs in Old
Jerusalem. 1 know.
0 :
What kind of work?
A:
1 am a teacher. 1 teacb their
teachers Hebrew. So, 1 asked them
what they wanted. 1 said, "I won't
kili
you. Tell me the truth. What do
you wanl?" They replied, "I don't
want you here, that's all." They said
that they all want peace, but with–
out me.
0 :
Not
in
Israel at all?
A:
Tbey want all of Israel. They
don't want that I be here. Ifl'd be in
Germany ... ah, it's good.
Battle-hardeoed soldiers aren't
the only ones who are pessirnistic
about the chances for a "real
peace." Peggy Schlossberg doesn' t
think peace can come from the ne–
goliations. She foresees an almost
endless struggle of unfortunale sad–
ness.
0 :
What effect
will
this past war
have on Israel's future strength?
A:
We musl have a larger standing
army. Life isn't going to be the same
anymore. lt's going to be terribly
expensive and terribly hard.
I
would
like to feel lhat something good will
come of it, but I'm rather cynical
and skeptical. ls anybody hopeful?
0: What do you thlnk would be nec–
essary for peace to come?
A:
Oh ...
1
don't know. Do you
think they really want to have peace
with us?
1
lhink we would like lo
have peace with them.
I
don't really
think they want to have peace with
us. That's the point.
Q:
Do you mean the leaders or the
people?
A:
Well look, let's face it. The
people lhemselves would tomorrow
get together and be friends, obvi–
ously - any people. lt's always lhe
leaders ... I wish that everybody
could have peace, but bow can lhey?
The majority of Israelis are will–
ing lo give back al least sorne of the
territories in a peace agreement. In–
deed, the heavy losses incurred dur–
ing the recent war, together wilh lhe
mounting international pressure,
have forced a growing number of
Israelis to reevaluate the old guar–
antees of huge buffer zones manned
by Israel Defense Forces.
These Israelis are contemplating
tbe likelihood that Israel will be
forced to witbdraw from most of the
territories. Therefore, in order to re–
place the security given by holding
these militarily stralegic arcas, they
are looking for guarantees more
palatable to the international com–
munity, and yet, just as sure. Even
so, this new diplomatic strategy is
still based on an innate distrust of
Arab inlenlions.
Wanted: Friendliness
Musa el-Basty, a Palestinian high
school graduate accepted to a New
Jersey college, agrees with Peggy on
PLAIN TRUTH February 1974