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Pena: Lessons in peace during visit to Israel

Richard Pena, Local Contributor

Sitting in Israel's Independence Hall in Tel Aviv, listening to the spine-tingling description of how David Ben-Gurion and a few brave Israeli leaders declared the State of Israel on May 14, 1948, knowing an Arab invasion would be result, I finally "got it."

The presenter reminded us that wars normally end, but that has not been the case for Israel. We were told that since Israel's birth, its neighbors have vowed to eliminate the Jewish state and "drive its people into the sea."

The presenter looked at the audience and with great passion said, "Ladies and gentlemen, to the people of Israel this is not a game!" She had served in the Israeli army, and her daughter was to begin her army service in a few weeks' time.

And thus began my first-hand education about the Middle East conflict. I felt fortunate to be the delegation leader of the first Legal Delegation to Israel for People to People Citizen Ambassador Programs.

There were 44 lawyers and guests participating in this trip, many from Texas and some from Austin. For eight days we were immersed in learning about the legal system, the culture and the people of Israel. In speaking with everyday Israelis, I would always ask what they wanted, personally and for their country. To the person the answer was "Peace."

The delegation went with open eyes, open minds and open hearts. We did not go to make judgments about who was right or wrong but rather to find common truths.

Israelis will tell you up front that they are not perfect. Some of them will say the treatment of the population of the West Bank is a huge mistake, that Israel as the occupier has a responsibility to provide for the people there. Some will blame the neighboring Arab countries for closing their borders to the 4.5 million refugees and the Palestinian leaders for not trying to find positive solutions.

But the reality is there is real hardship and a protracted humanitarian and human dignity crisis counterbalanced by the need for Israel to protect its citizens from suicide bombers and rocket attacks.

I asked our guide, Amos Garbatski, who was a co-founder of a peace group in Israel, why the United States should care about what happens to Israel. He responded, "America cannot allow itself the luxury of being disinterested. The Middle East is crucial for both oil and world stability. We are a tiny democracy, but we see America as a true partner."

As I was boarding El Al Israel Airlines to return home, I thought about understanding opposing viewpoints as a way of resolving conflicts and reaching mutual goals.

I better understood why President Dwight Eisenhower founded the People To People movement. Eisenhower fought wars but deeply believed in peace and felt we could bring it about through understanding. If only we would always approach those with whom we differ with open eyes, open minds and open hearts.

Pena, an Austin lawyer, is president of the American Bar Foundation and past president of the State Bar of Texas and the Travis County Bar Association.

For more information about the citizen ambassador program, go to www.peopletopeople.com.

Among the places the delegation visited was the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem.

The delegation also visited the city of Haifa, a major seaport located on Israel's Mediterranean Sea coastline.

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