Taylor Jade

Comm. 1080

21 January 2019

Journal One—Perception: The Conflict in Jerusalem

Perception:

“Perception is the organization, identification, and interpretation of sensory information

in order to represent and understand the environment.” We process sensory input and combine

our individual experiences to make sense of our world. Our brains are designed to do this

subconsciously, but these judgements can get us into conscious trouble.

Parties/Conflict Participants:

In-groups: all Zionists, as well as numbers of people who identify as Jewish (mostly Israelis)

o Identity & Goals: They crave their homeland, where they hope to never again face

annihilation. They want acceptance as a country, where they can live as Zionists—with

“Jewish” describing their religion and their nationality. They want the country to be a

sanctuary for all who are born Jewish. And they want Jerusalem as their religious capital.

Outgroups: all people of Palestine; refugees and their posterity, those living in Gaza under the

Hamas, and those in the West Bank under Israeli troops (Palestinians)
 o Identity & Goals: They want their own country, as they had before. They want Jerusalem

as their capital, for their own religious freedom. And they want reparation through land

and/or money, for the Catastrophe the Israelis put upon them.

Issues:

1. How can Israel and Palestine come to peace?

 How should the land be divided? (And should it?)

 Who should control Jerusalem?

 What should be done about the 7 million refugees?

 Who will control Gaza?

 Who will control the West Bank?

 What will happen to Israelis in the Palestinians’ territory, and vice versa?

 What should be given in reparation to Palestine? (Or should they?)

 How much money?

 How much land?

 What about for emotional reparation, to both sides?

 Should Britain have to pay for their initial involvement?

 How would a division work?

 Two different governments—is there a possible common ground?

 Two major religions—couldn’t the cross be picked up all over again?

2. Should other nations be involved at all?

How Perceptions Influence the Conflict:

Interpersonal Scripts:

o Israelis- Persecuted all throughout history, were given the land right after the Holocaust,

believe they need to find their rightful home before they are eradicated, were “there first”

with claims back a couple thousand years, and believe fiercely in their religion and its

roots.

o Palestinians- Lived there and then were forced out of their existing homes in 1948

(700,000 people, now living as over 7 million refugees), believe that Israelis are more

guilty than they claim (Israel meant to start the Six-Day-War, they originally came to

specifically force the Arabs out), believe that reparations are owed after Nakba (the day

their families were forced out of their homeland; “Catastrophe”), and also fiercely defend

their religion and its roots.

Stereotypes:

o Israelis are often victimized. They support Democracy, and so God must want them there.

The poor Jews have been harassed for so long. They’re stingy with their money. They’re

more stable and intelligent.

o Palestinians are often depicted as only fundamentalist Muslims. They don’t believe in

democracy or certain rights that other countries and cultures have embraced. They’ll be

supportive of Russia and communist ideals, over Capitalism. They’re violent and angry

and terrorists.
Attributions (Works Cited):

o Beauchamp, Zack, (May 14, 2018) Everything you need to know about Israel-palestine.

Vox.

o McGauran, Debbie, (Jan.11, 2016) Jumping to Conclusions: 6 Ways Perception Affects

Our Lives. Activebeat.

Conclusion:

I chose this particular conflict because it seems to be heating up in our current political

climate, and I wanted to know more about how it was started.

I believe there are multiple solutions to be had, and that neither side truly wants to sue for

peace. If they did, they would give up some of their figurative ground to meet in the middle. I

don’t imagine Palestine wants to give anything, as they believe everything to have been

rightfully theirs in the first place. And Israel doesn’t have much to give, without this entire cause

being a huge waste.

My perceptions have changed. I never understood why America stood so uprightly

behind Israel, no matter the cost. I believed it to be the “right thing to do,” based on the

environment I was raised in. But after researching it myself, I wonder why we are involved at all.

Why do we give 3 billion dollars every year to support a war, rather than a solution? Is this

continued support by the American people really founded on the antiquated vision of

Communism being “evil”? How many people hear it and support it blindly, because of their

environment, like I did?

 I also have to wonder about the use of absolutes. Are there no people of Israel or

Palestine who just want it to be over, and don’t care about who “wins”? Are there any who don’t

belong to one religion or the other, one nationality or the other? While it can’t be a peaceful

place to live, humans in horrifying situations often don’t have the luxury of picking sides. Is this

really just a game of power, disguised by “morality”? In games of war, will anyone win?

I researched this conflict and analyzed it from my outsider’s standpoint. While that means

I can’t fully understand the situation from their differing inside perspectives, I can be aware of

what messages I’m digesting from the outsiders around me. By being aware, I can be less biased,

and be better prepared to solve problems.