Let's talk

Editorial

With the roiling "situation" in the Middle East as backdrop, the paucity of understanding and preponderance of ignorance among American Arabs and American Jews is ever more apparent.

The current impasse in negotiations between Israel and the aspiring Palestinian state, exacerbated by nearly five months of daily violence, has flushed out fundamental differences that threaten even peaceful coexistence, much less the prospect of real peace.

Muslims and Jews have inhabited the same land - and shared history - for 1,500 years. There are astounding philosophical and theological similarities between the two peoples, not the least of which is descent from Abraham, through Abraham's two sons, Isaac, the Jewish patriarch, and Ishmael, one of Islam's forefathers.

Yet dangerous stereotypes abound on both sides, fed by lack of knowledge and limited opportunities to meet and get to know one another. The seriousness of the fissure in the Middle East gives ever more reason to attempt to bridge the gap on other fronts, including those at home.

Forums and dialogue, based on areas of common interest and concern, would provide needed context and helpful insights to grasp the meaning of events as they evolve in the Middle East. They would also go far to fostering a climate of understanding and mutual respect between American Jews and Arab Muslims and Christians.

Such coalitions do exist in other major metropolitan areas, and it's time to initiate a similar effort here. Our Jewish intergroup organizations would be the logical partners to reach out to the Arab community and propose such a project. It would require careful planning and preparation, first identifying appropriate partners, then articulating a common agenda and shared expectations and setting ground rules. Paramount would be creating an atmosphere in which participants feel they are respected and their voices heard.

Only time and experience can create the requisite trust that will truly make the endeavor valuable for both communities. The time to start talking is now.

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