“The suicide bomber is the most sophisticated weapon in the world and the most simple” said Professor Shaul M. Gabbay, Institute for the Study of Israel and the Middle East executive director.

On Oct. 7, at the Tivoli, Room 320, Gabbay spoke to a crowd of about 40 people about life and the possibility of peace between Israel and Palestine. Gabbay is a professor at the University of Denver’s Graduate School of International Studies.

Gabbay grew up in Tel Aviv and served in the Israeli Army and has a unique perspective of the situation between the two rival peoples. Gabbay spoke of life in Israel, living with terrorism.

“It is a very different culture you see only if you go there. You see the people and see how sad and tragic it is there,” he said. “I wish one day we will be able to speak about peace. Unfortunately, after all the days growing up in Israel, I don’t see the possibility of peace in the near future, and we haven’t seen any peace in many years.”

Gabbay said there has to be peace for Israel and Palestine because between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean about 10 million people reside in an area of land about a tenth the size of Colorado. The question for Gabbay is not if peace is going to happen but when.

“We have to be able to look at our children and say we have always tried for peace,” he said. “It is important that we do not lose hope to improve the situation.”

According to Gabbay it is interesting to see the cooperation that exists between Israeli and Palestinian people when in an informal setting. In many ways it gives a lot of hope to the prospect of peace.

As the cultures do not have any borders there is a mixture of Arab and Israeli language and art. Today, the cool thing among Israelis is to swear in Arabic. The most popular young singer in Israel uses Hebrew words with popular Arabic music. The most popular restaurants are co-owned. There is no real border between Israel and Palestine except the Gaza Strip, which is surrounded by a fence.

Cooperation is also possible in industry, Gabbay said. He used the example of car thefts to demonstrate the possibility. Israel is like the United States with a successful economy and beautiful cars, but the Palestinians are a poor society. The current economy in Palestine has declined, and Palestinian unemployment has risen 80 percent.

Car theft is a big business. Because there is no border, the transfer of goods is quite easy. Palestinians are so poor they come across the border to steal cars. They strip the cars, dismantle the parts and sell the parts back to Israel dealers. It is cheaper for Israelis to buy these parts than go to the dealer. Israeli customers are happy because the price is cheaper.
Everyone profits from this venture. The insurance companies replace the cars but raise the premiums. The government makes money because they charge a 200 percent tax on any imported car. So the owners profit getting a new car with the insurance money, the government profits, the dealerships profit and the thieves profit.

“It is a good business cooperation,” Gabbay said. He adds that there are no issues on a personal level between the two.

Gabbay said 85 percent of the people of Israel believe there should be a Palestinian state. The Clinton administration almost accomplished this. In July 2000 during negotiations at Camp David there was the possibility of a Palestinian state that would have a seaport and be financially backed.

“We believed we were going to solve the problem. It was even indicated in the stock market,” Gabbay said. “What happened was that Palestinian went back home and began an intifada. There was a deep and sad realization that there would be no cooperation.”

Gabbay explained part of the problem stemmed from Arafat. If Palestine had a president willing to take its people to a different place things might have been different. As long as Palestine lacks the leadership to partner for peace the situation will remain the same. If the situation is not viable or accepted it should go back to the negotiation table but the Palestinian society today is not unified. In 1993, there was an establishment in the Palestinian authority to strive for peace. Issues were resolved in negotiation.

Today however, there is no one to lead the people into a peaceful settlement. So then comes the idea of occupation and a way to keep the enemy in check. When there is no one to deal with peace on the other side, all Israelis can do is defend themselves, Gabbay said.

“If you have an organization who doesn’t care who they kill including children and even other Arabs, and they have no agenda there is no chance for peace,” Gabbay said. “When a peace delegation is present for negations, there is an increase in terrorist activities.

“Peace, human rights, and all the elements of society that are incredibly important become secondary. What begins to matter is safety for you and your family, and this only comes with controlling the situation.

“Traveling on the bus is a risk. It is safer to drive on less traveled routes. When traveling behind a bus the fear is that the bus may explode at any time.

“In Israel you have the news every hour. If you didn’t have it on you always ask what has happened. Always something has happened.

“When a person is willing not to come back from a mission it is impossible to stop it,” Gabbay said. “This is a missile that thinks, analyzes and makes a decision without any outside communication,” he said. “How can you fight that?”