The Israel-Palestine conflict has been marked by unimaginable violence in Gaza and the West Bank since the Hamas attacks of October 7, 2023. However, people's understanding of these events varies greatly, shaped by their individual narratives and experiences. A new book, "The Future Is Peace," by Aziz Abu Sarah, a Palestinian, and Maoz Inon, an Israeli, seeks to break the cycle of violence by offering a unique perspective on the conflict. The authors, both of whom have lost family members to violence, aim to promote resolution over conflict.
The book is an example of "resolution media," a term used to describe works that highlight the universal suffering of war and promote peace. This concept is in contrast to "conflict media," which reproduces the divisions of the conflict it describes, perpetuating it to the point where the media itself becomes a weapon in an information war. The authors' backgrounds are not just a detail; their personal losses have driven their desire to promote peace and understanding.
The Norwegian sociologist Johan Galtung developed a distinction between "war journalism" and "peace journalism" in the 1970s. This distinction can be broadened into "conflict media" and "resolution media" in today's information ecosystem. Conflict media focuses on violence, dividing the world into "us" and "them," and dehumanizing adversaries. Resolution media, on the other hand, asks what caused the conflict, allows multiple parties to speak, and humanizes all parties.
"The Future Is Peace" offers a striking example of resolution media in action. The book is a record of the authors' eight-day journey across the land that binds and divides their people. They built their travel company on a "dual narrative" approach, where an Israeli and a Palestinian guide interpret the same site side by side. This approach differs from most tours, which offer a single narrator with a single interpretation.
The authors' focus is on the causes of the violence rather than the violence itself. Inon refuses to blame Palestinians alone for his parents' deaths, instead highlighting the accountability of the Israeli government and Hamas. They also focus on peace efforts over combat, describing peacebuilders like themselves as people "not invited to sit at negotiation tables." The book is an example of citizen diplomacy in print.
The authors humanize all parties, highlighting the suffering of children, women, and other vulnerable people. They retell the Greek myth of Perseus and Medusa, subverting the traditional narrative to show the cycle of trauma and vengeance. The book offers a fresh perspective on the conflict, one that promotes understanding and peace.
The book's message is timely, as the conflict continues to escalate. The authors' efforts to promote peace and understanding are crucial in today's world. Their work is an example of the power of resolution media to bring people together and promote a more nuanced understanding of complex conflicts.
Key points
- The book "The Future Is Peace" offers a unique perspective on the Israel-Palestine conflict, highlighting universal suffering and promoting peace.
- The authors' "dual narrative" approach to tourism and storytelling offers a fresh perspective on the conflict.
- The book is an example of "resolution media," a term used to describe works that promote peace and understanding.
