Tonight's Response

My initial response after reading the conversation between Daniel Barenboim and Edward Said was of sheer amazement. Here are two amazing minds with vastly different intellectual backgrounds who seem to be the closest of friends. They also represent two opposing nations and yet, they are able to put aside their differences and were able to sustain a powerful friendship.

What also amazed me was how the arts drew them together. The writing told of how Edward was a person who was able to see the importance of understanding many facets of life from the arts to philosophy to literature. Daniel is a man who has a passion for music and also seems to understand how the arts are able to draw us together. Someone in our discussion time on Tuesday said how music is a language that everyone speaks and I think this friendship is an example of that. I also admire Daniel's passion in that belief. When he decided to play the piece from Triston and Isolade in spite of Israel's taboo, that shows his passion for how music is something that anyone can appreciate.

That passion for the arts as a means to draw people together is inspirational for me. As an avid participant in theatre and a former musician, I can really relate to this subject. To me, the opportunity to work alongside someone with the common goal of turning a piece of music into a masterpiece, is a special opportunity as a human being. I perceive that the arts are seen as just a means of entertainment any more to most people. That explains why it is not seen as a vital part of our education and culture anymore. These two men's friendship and the Western-Eastern Divan orchestra are examples of how the arts can bring people together. To me, this story shows more progress towards the Israelis and Palestinians achieving peace more than anything else in history.

To my family and those who have impacted me

There have been many things that have defined who I am and how I got to where I am at today. I have been blessed with so many things from travel, to my health, to my education that has directed me throughout my life. To write all of these things, would take up far to much of my and your time so I will narrow it down to a very special few and those few are my family.

I cannot narrow down what exactly family is so I will simply show you who they are and how they have impacted me. I am so blessed.

These are my closest friends from Iowa. They are the greatest group of guys a person could ask for. I look forward to seeing them every time I go home or visit them where they are at. I see our friendship, though started at the end of high school, as being a friendship of a lifetime. They also are men in case the epic mountain climbing picture didn't give that away.

This is my boy Jimmy D. What a guy. He is my best friend at Ohio State, my fraternity brother, partner in crime, and my professional developer. I have been lucky to have him as my roommate these past two years and everything that has come with that. I will miss him when he goes to Duke next year. Go Bucks.

This stud is my grandpa Schoffelman. My middle name is shared with him and that alone is a big enough honor for me. This man is my hero. My role model. My best friend. His humility and devotion to character is something I strive to show in my life. I am honored to be his grandson.

Here is my dad and I during a skiing trip last spring break. He exemplifies hard work and devotion in every possible way to me. If I could be half of the man he is, I would consider that an accomplishment.

This beautiful woman is my mom Jill. She has shown me love and grace throughout my entire life and she has a special place in my heart. I always look forward to our coffee dates and her long drawn out stories as to how life is going for her.

This is my brother Alex. He will probably kill me if he finds out that I posted a picture of him wearing an OSU shirt on a public blog. Oh well. He is my exact opposite but yet I admire him for his amazing work ethic and desire to help the world with his amazing interest in agriculture.

This is my step dad Bruce. He is a fighter to say the least. He and I have had many special moments and I look back on them with extreme fondness. His fighting spirit is going on display in one of the most extreme ways I can imagine right now with his fight against cancer. Yet, throughout all of this, he still cares for and looks after my mom in a truly loving way.

This is my amazing girlfriend Liesl. I don't know where to start with her so I will say just a few words. She encourages, challenges, and inspires me everyday. She has the most beautiful personality and appearance I could ever dream of. I have been so blessed to have her in my life these past two years and I cherish every moment I have with her. She is a keeper.

All of these people only scratch the surface of those who have impacted me. I have many men who poured into my life from my pastors to my hunting buddies. I can say without a shade of doubt that I would not be who I am today without every person who has been in my life. I hope I can be as encouraging and impactful as these people have been to me to someone else someday.

Some more reflections...

The readings for Tuesday really brought me back to previous studies I have done in other classes. Ever since I first went to class at The Ohio State University, I became amazed at how classes from all different backgrounds can be applied in all sorts of academic settings. I truly feel like I am a better student if indeed a better person because of this style of education.

But back to the topic at hand, I have been reminded of an archaeology class I took two years ago here at Ohio State. The topic of that class was archaeology of the Near East and many of the places we have referenced so far in this class were also brought up then. An interesting topic we talked about was the colonial power's approach to archaeology. I find it to be very similar to that of the colonial photography during that time which was very biblically focused. There is a widespread belief among secular and religious scholars that believe the archaeology of that period tarnished if not destroyed the veracity of the science. I am amazed at how a similar thought has come about with the photography during that period.

I also reflected back on my experience in Northern Israel in 2009 with the article on the historical problems of the Jewish Arabs. When I was in that region, I was among Lebanese Christians who were residing in the state of Israel. They were doing this because they sided with Israel in the various conflicts between Lebanon and the IDF and so they could no longer return to Lebanon. The only problem that they then faced was their residency in Israel. Due to their previous national and religious affiliation, they could not gain citizenship in Israel. This left them in limbo citizenship wise and left them in extreme poverty.

Having said all of this, I am still amazed at the role religion plays in that region of the world. It is so easy to say that we should all come together and respect each other's beliefs while still realizing we do not have to compromise our own ideologies. Time has shown this never to be the case whether it be through war with the Lebanese Christians or through the arts with the problems of colonial photography. Even the sciences of anthropology were skewed to disrespect or bias religion. This is a sad truth that has led to so many conflicts but at the same time awareness of this will only cause the betterment of everyone who chooses to do so.

Reliving Research

These last few chapters brought me back to my original thoughts in regards to the Israel/Palestine issue. These thoughts are centered around the confusion of how the groups got into this mess and who actually is to blame. These are thoughts that started before I ever visited the Middle East and were very important to how I viewed that region when I went there. So many historical events have left marks on the nation of Israel even to this day and I remember the fascination that I had when I saw them with my very own eyes.

The first event I remember studying was the Arab revolt of 1918. When I first went to Jerusalem, I was working on a large high school project in regards to that event and the role of T.E. Lawrence during it. I remember walking through the old city and reflecting on how T.E. would have been thinking in that situation. I had begun to admire his approach to the Middle East and the people therein. While he himself was very respected by the Arabs, only a short glance at a history book shows how the British are very much at the center of the conflict at hand. Whether it was the Sykes-Picot treaty or the Balfour declaration, not everyone in the British military was as keen on the Middle East as T.E. Lawrence was.

The next event I remember very clearly was the drive form Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. This stretch of road is known as the Bab-El-Wad and it was a region of intense conflict during 1948. When driving along this, there is wreckage from the past wars strewn along the roadside from blown up cars to burned out military vehicles. I was amazed how they remained there till today yet they still seemed so fitting. I say that because no matter where I was at in the Middle East, the importance of all of the conflicts to today's events is of the utmost importance.

Time and time again those very events from the past play important roles into the dialogue between the Palestinians and Israelis today. These last chapters brought me back to everything I was learning and researching prior to my time in Israel. Now that I am back and am reflecting on that history, I am amazed at how much I have learned. Time has blessed me with many new opportunities to understand the conflict surrounding Jerusalem and I look forward to looking back on this post someday and realizing how much more I have learned.

Patterns

After going through today's readings, I am amazed at the pattern that is coming up again and again throughout history. I see that in the continual shuffling of power in Jerusalem, the actions taken by its leaders, and the religious tendencies that come up from the groups involved. Whether it is a Christian, Jewish, or Roman leader, almost without fail, they failed to represent the minority groups. Without fail, the minority groups became disgruntled and rose up against their oppressors.

That has caused me to reflect on the discussions had throughout our class. When the topic of Jerusalem has come up, the idea that the Israelis are oppressing the Palestinians is brought up. I am becoming less and less surprised with that perception as I am looking at the history of that region. I can think of very few if any times where the governor of that region has equally represented all of the faiths. Sure there have been a few here and there but I struggle to find a group that has done just that.

With that in mind, the thoughts I have are along the lines of how can we fix a problem that has been reoccurring throughout history for thousands of years? Every major monotheistic faith has had the opportunity to rule in that region and at one point in time or another, they have all been the perpetrators of this conflict. You cannot simply blame this on religion, borders, resources or history. This conflict has to do with people simply not being willing to respect one another.

That respect is the key in my mind. There has always seemed to have been the mentality of it is "us versus them" and that is the powder in the keg that is ready to explode. This requirement is universal for all parties involved in the conflict. Every one is to blame for this situation. When I look back on the utopia that is my last post, that is only possible when the actors in the Israel/Palestine conflict learn to come together and work through their differences for the common good. This conflict is far too old and far too unsustainable to continue with this status quo. I look forward to the day where people not only in Israel but all around the globe learn to do just that.

A One State Solution?

Disclaimer:

Consider me an optimist with this post, but also please take it for a grain of salt. With the amount of issues related to the conflict and solution to the Israel/Palestine problem, I don't see many ways around these issue other than the two sides coming together and learning to live alongside the other as equals.

That being said, I am going to take the suggestion of Noura and think outside the box with this. My solution is simple and it is a one state solution. The government would be similar to that of the Lebanese "Gentleman's Agreement" which would create a system where an Israeli Jew would be the Prime Minister while a Palestinian would become the President. This can change over time as whoever recieves the majority vote will be Prime Minister and the person who wins the second most will be President (this system is similar to that of the United States prior to the Civil War).The legislature would be made up of Israeli and Palestinian parties and the Prime Minister would be put in charge of forming a coalition government similar to its current ability. The President's job in that situation would be to approve of the coalition and to work with the Prime Minister in all executive duties. Each group (Palestinian and Israeli) would have its own Judiciary and a system of appeals up to the point where the Supreme court would have to be split evenly between the two sides. The deciding vote would then come from the President or Prime Minister depending on the appeal.

The reason I chose a one state solution is because to me, the two state solution is becoming more and more impossible with every passing day. The two main issues that are the reasoning behind this are water and the settlements. I will address the later first. In my mind, the settlements have become far to integrated into the West Bank for a new border for a second state to come to pass. The settlements also bring a strong economy as well as something else very important to the long term development of the West Bank and that is agriculture. That would provide for a much more stable West Bank in the long run.

What is required for agriculture though, is water. That is the first and most important issue in my mind to this conflict. All advanced nations require massive amounts of freshwater in order to survive. Currently, the main source of freshwater is from the Jordan river as well as the largest underground aquifer is underneath the West Bank. Under a two state solution, both of those go more directly to the Palestinians and I do not see the Israelis letting that happen. Iraq has been described as the last Middle Eastern war to be fought over oil and the rest will be fought over water. By giving up the rights to the freshwater, I only see a war being the result of that.

This map shows the water location and the issues surrounding it.

By forming a one state solution as described above, both of these key issues can be solved. This would take massive consolations of key issues such as security and justice by both groups. In order for this to happen, the Israelis must be willing to concede some of their national identity as a Jewish state and to allow for equal participation by the Palestinians. The Palestinians must also give up on their hopes for their own state and as well as be willing to put up with what is sure to be years of accommodation into this new system of governance.

Both sides would have to halt aggression immediately and the current powers at hand must begin to solve internal issues related to the conflict. The Palestinian Authority and Hamas must begin to negotiate and determine who has legitimate authority over the Palestinians. The ruling parties of Israel must come together and begin to negotiate not only amongst themselves but also with the Palestinians. The past problems related to injustice must come to a conclusion which will probably have to happen by an international court.

Once again, this solution may seem very optimistic and probably will never happen. But once again, in my mind a two state solution has become nearly impossible. Let us all hope that under whatever circumstance the solution comes, that the two groups will one day learn to coexist and to treat each other as humans with dignity and respect.

Imagio Dei

Imagio Dei is a Latin phrase that carries meaning to many people. Translated, it means image of God, but that carries with it so many meanings. According to the readings, that concept caused many ancient Jews to reflect on the presence of God. Where does God reside? Is it only in the temple? Or can the image of God be seen elsewhere throughout the world? To the Christians, that phrase could mean the image of God in the believers heart. All of these play into how believers of the two religions view their lives as well as their holy places.

If the image of God was found in the temple, it is no wonder why the Jews originally cared so deeply for the temple. The crisis came about with where God was during their diaspora whether it is with the Babylonians or the Romans in A.D. 70. Did God go with them when the temple was destroyed or did He leave them on their own when it was destroyed? For those who believed that God went with them when the temple fell, the concept of carrying God with them gave them much hope and encouragement that the hardships they were facing would be short lived.

That concept has carried great meaning with me. To believe that in under no circumstance God will still reside with me is a powerful beacon of hope. Throughout the times when all else has seemed to fade away whether it is my health with my brain tumor, or when my family is collapsing with my parents divorce, God still resided with me. One of my favorite quotes is: "If I had not felt certain that every additional trial was ordered by infinite love and mercy, I could not have survived my accumulated sufferings." by Adoniram Judson. I can say with confidence that the concept of God residing with me rather than in a temple is the source of that love and mercy.

At the same time, I can understand why the ancient Jews felt so strongly about the image of God being found in the temple. From the very beginnings of that establishment under Solomon, God had resided in the temple among the Ark of the Covenant. Their desire to restore that under Cyrus, the Greeks, and then after its fall with the Romans, shows how important that understanding is to them. I am amazed by their passion to restore the temple and to keep Jerusalem as a holy place, set apart for the worshiping of Yahweh. A passion that is continued to this day.