Bridging the divide: The Holy Land needs a Nelson Mandela

Any fool can make things bigger, more complex, and more violent. It takes a touch of genius—and a lot of courage—to move in the opposite direction.

Those are the words of Albert Einstein, arguably the greatest physicist to walk on this wretched planet.

His words carry a profound message that resonates deeply in the context of the ongoing crisis in Palestine, where over 10,000 lives have been lost and more continue to be at stake. The region is at a crossroads: the world needs courage to guide us to explore alternative paths.

Last time I wrote an article questioning the world’s obsession with the two-state solution.

Whenever a new cycle of violence erupts in Palestine, calls for a two-state solution are made afresh. This appears to be a politically correct thing to do. But the two-state solution is a mirage, an illusion of a path to peace that won’t be reached.

About 10 years ago, I moved from subscribing to a two-state solution to a one-state solution.

The transition was driven by a recognition of the greater realism of the one-state solution. But it is also not without its challenges: the solution needs visionary leaders who can bring Palestinian Jews and Arabs together.

That’s a task almost fit for a messiah.
The Palestinian conflict is very complex. Whatever you say, more remain unsaid. However careful you are, you will please some and offend others. It comes with the territory: you will be called a hater, an anti-Semite, or a Zionist. We must accept that risk to give peace a chance.

In 1992, two Jewish professors initiated the first formal contact between Israel and the PLO, deemed treasonous in Israel due to the PLO’s terrorist designation.

Palestinians also saw engagement with the ‘Zionist State’ as betraying their cause, posing a challenge to achieving peace within the confines of the rules.

These conflicting approaches led to continued loss of life and further settlement expansion.

But dialogue worked. Remarkably, both Rabin and Arafat demonstrated significant pragmatism: PLO recognised the state of Israel and Israel recognised PLO as the official representative of the Palestinian people.

The Oslo Accords came about because enemies decided to give peace a chance.

What happened 30 years ago provides us with a marvellous blueprint for resolving the conflict today. While Rabin and Arafat both died without realising peace, we can at least see what is needed to make peace. Palestine needs visionary leaders to make peace. Specifically, it needs a Nelson Mandela.

The South African case bears striking similarities to the Palestinian predicament. In both cases, you have people with competing claims to the land that they have lived in for centuries.

By the 1970s, South Africa had reached where Israel and Palestine are today – violence was the order of the day. The minority whites, while desperate for security, knew that majority rule would put them in danger.

Meanwhile, the majority black, while longing for justice, was too weak to acquire it.

The primary advocate for change, the ANC, was grappling with a leadership vacuum following the imprisonment of many of its leaders. Something special had to occur to bring freedom to the land.

While in prison, Mandela went through a personal transformation. 27 years spent mostly in confinement gave him ample time for introspection.

He recognised the need to transcend bitterness and hatred by seeking reconciliation and unity instead.

Mandela was acutely aware of the deep divisions and hostilities that existed in South Africa. He understood that the demise of apartheid required the cooperation of various racial and political groups.

This fuelled his belief in the power of dialogue and negotiations – leading to his famous ‘Rainbow Nation’ vision for South Africa. This is what paved the way for a united, inclusive, and equal South Africa.

While walking abroad, I have encountered multiple statues of Nelson Mandela.

While I couldn’t help but notice that the craftsmanship of the statue in Parliament Square in London paled in comparison to the other statues in the vicinity, the sight of this great man being honoured globally gives me great satisfaction: it stands as a testament to his visionary leadership.

It is easier to destroy than to build, and the world needs leaders such as Mandela to bring diverse groups together.

While some still harbour dissatisfaction with certain compromises that were made during the transition, it’s undeniable that what was accomplished in post-apartheid South Africa is a remarkable achievement that remains challenging to replicate.

The holy land needs a Nelson Mandela. It needs leaders who will care not only for their parochial interests but for those of others too. It needs leaders who will set aside ideology and extremism for pragmatism.

It needs leaders who believe in peace and dialogue. It needs leaders who will advocate for a nation where everyone can live and work together regardless of their racial background.

When that becomes a reality, all the difficult two-state issues: settlements, the status of Jerusalem, religious identities, etc., become non-issues.