. Michael K. Madison II. Peace in Palestine ..........through World Heritage Promoting Peace via Global Conventions - 1 - Peace in Palestine via the World Heritage Convention Promoting Peace via Global Conventions The Global Problem "Throughout history, religious differences have divided men and women from their neighbors and have served as justification for some of humankind's bloodiest conflicts. In the modern world, it has become clear that people of all religions must bridge these differences and work together, to ensure our survival and realize the vision of peace that all faiths share." -- H.R.H. Prince El-Hassan bin Talal, Jordan Moderator, WCRP Governing Board Tolerance, Economic Growth and Fear Global peace and harmony is not possible without religious tolerance. Unfortunately, there is no instant microwavable solution. We can’t just add water and/or milk to the current situation and hope that the world will ameliorate itself overnight. No. The world needs help. The problem is not the outliers; it is larger groups of people that need to change. Outliers will always be present. The world needs religious-minded policymakers to take giant steps that lead to peace, but in a mutually beneficial way. Indeed, peace for peace’s sake is not always enough incentive to all parties involved. Therefore, if the conflict cannot be resolved by tolerance, then let it be resolved by greed as we find a way to help the countries involved to achieve a better economic position. If the conflict cannot be resolved by boosting the corresponding economies, then let it be resolved by fear as we convince the nations involved that one false move means it will be - 2 - their country against the rest of the world and not just their “enemy of the day”. Whatever the case may be, just let the conflict be resolved – and without bloodshed. War on Cultural and Natural Heritage The world is composed of a variety of cultures that could learn a great deal from one another; nonetheless, the fact remains that without some form of global intervention most disagreements will not be resolved. Although this is the basis for the United Nations (UN), the organization at times seems very impotent, and often ignored. The UN must emerge as a true global force that takes serious measures against iniquitous and inharmonious actions. When global violations occur the UN must enforce strict global laws or risk appearing powerless. Whether it is humankind versus itself or humankind versus nature, the world is constantly in a state of war and under the threat of new wars. And the casualties of such conflict comprise more than the individual lives of men and women engaged in battle; it includes surrounding buildings and sites of historical, archaeological, religious and aesthetic value. It includes elements of both natural and cultural heritage. For this reason, there is a constant need to protect the heritage of the world; and from this need sprang forth an answer – the World Heritage Committee. “With 730 cultural and natural sites already protected worldwide, the World Heritage Committee is working to make sure that future generations can inherit the treasures of the past. And yet, most sites face a variety of threats, particularly in today's environment. The preservation of this common heritage concerns us all.”1 This paper serves to nominate all Israeli and Palestinian holy sites to become a part of the World Heritage Convention. Their induction would curb the - 3 - surrounding violence, preserve the holy sites for future generations, and boost the economies of both regions. World Heritage Sites According to the World Heritage Convention, "cultural heritage" is a monument, group of buildings or site of historical, aesthetic, archaeological, scientific, ethnological or anthropological value. "Natural heritage" designates outstanding physical, biological, and geological features; habitats of threatened plants or animal species and areas of value on scientific or aesthetic grounds or from the point of view of conservation.2 A few notable examples of sites that are on the World Heritage List are: The Great Wall, Taj Mahal, Vatican City, Statue of Liberty, and Yosemite National Park. Recently the old city of Jerusalem and its Walls was proposed to be added to the list by Jordan. Palestine and Israel Indeed, modern day “Palestine” (West Bank and Gaza Strip) and Israel most certainly satisfies the “cultural heritage” definition. They are regions rich in cultural history and heritage that reaches back thousands of years. From ancient biblical times to present day, Palestine has been and is a religious center to Muslims, Jews and Christians alike; as there are a number of sites that have significant value to Muslims, Jews and Christians – both individually and collectively. For example, the Dome of the Rock is sacred to the Muslims, the Western Wall of the Temple Mount is sacred to Jews and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre is sacred to Christians; yet all three sites are within the Old City of Jerusalem. For this reason many refer to Jerusalem as the “holiest city in the world”. 1 http://whc.unesco.org/nwhc/pages/sites/main.htm 2 http://whc.unesco.org/nwhc/pages/doc/dc_f1.htm - 4 - Although the largest population of Muslims are in Asia (Indonesia 170M, Pakistan 136M, Bangladesh 105 M, India 103M and between 1.2 and 2.M in the UK), Islam’s holiest places are all in the Middle East; Jerusalem, Mecca and Medina. Furthermore, there are nearly one billion Roman Catholics and another 500 million Protestant members in the world who consider Jerusalem to be a very important holy place for their Christian faith. This is the place where Jesus ate the last supper, was crucified, buried, and rose from the dead. Additionally, Jerusalem is indeed a holy place for the 12 million Jewish followers, most of which live in Israel or the US. In spite of the unanimous reverence attributed to Jerusalem, “the holiest city in the world,” it has also been the home of some of the most bloodiest and gruesome acts of violence, which continues to this day. The source of the Palestinian and Israeli conflict stems from the fact that both parties believe that Jerusalem has been their own true capital since ancient times3. In an effort to put an end to the daily violent confrontations, the United Nations drafted a proposal in November 1947 that would make Jerusalem an international city. Palestinian authorities, as well as many other Arab States, rejected this resolution, which left Jerusalem in a state of division even after the end of Israel’s War of Independence in 1948. It wasn’t until 1967 that Israel captured all of Jerusalem, including the West Bank, the Gaza Strip and Golan Heights, which were the primary points of controversy. In 1980, against the verdict of the United Nations, Jerusalem was unified by Israeli Knesset. Then in 1988, the Palestine Liberation Organization declared Jerusalem it’s capital. “In an editorial written by members of Yasser Arafat's Fateh party, Jerusalem is said to be ‘legally an integral part of the Palestinian land occupied in 1967 - 5 - and from which Israel must withdraw,’ citing UN Security Council resolutions 242, 338, and 252. The editorial calls on Palestinians to make control of Jerusalem a central aim of the Palestinian independence effort.” 4 Needless to say, neither side is going to give up, nor will they agree on a resolution that unifies Jerusalem while granting religious privileges all groups. Consequently, proposals outlining a complete solution will never work. Smaller gradual steps are necessary, and this is where the World Heritage Committee may be able to help put an end to some of the violence. Focusing on select sites, instead of total unification may prove to be more practical. The Gradual Plan Any plan involving peacekeeping is one that requires much thought. A nation that does not want peace will do nothing to keep peace. Therefore, before any plan can give way to peace, there must be mutual incentive. However, because religion is involved oftentimes secular incentives are not enough. There is no question that both the Palestinian and Israeli economies are in need of rebuilding due to their conflict. However, is this enough to persuade both sides to put an end to their religious quarrel? Are both parties willing to transcend generations of hatred and deep rooted religious intolerance, in the name of mammon? Although, war has affected both economies in a negative way, both Jewish and Muslim faiths proclaim that serving God and material wealth are nemeses. Nonetheless, the benefit of economic healing is indeed very enticing. In fact, “the opening sentence of the Paris Peace Protocol of 1994 between Israel and the PLO declares [that] ‘the two parties view the economic domain as one of the cornerstones in their mutual relations with a view to enhance their interest in the 3 http://www.yale.edu/accords/jerusalem.html - 6 - achievement of a just, lasting and comprehensive peace.’”5 Nevertheless, in order to give stability to the economic incentive both Palestinians and Israelis need to feel that it is indeed a lasting measure – and not a temporary means of recuperating from war, only to fight again when the healing is over. That being said, increasing tourism could help both sides, and inducting specific sites into the World Heritage List may curb the surrounding violence. However, deciding which sites should be inducted first could prove to be grueling, yet critical. One must understand the historic issues concerning each site, as well as previous points of controversy. For example, a major sore point for Arab Palestinians has been Jewish sites that are outside of Jerusalem inside of Palestinian Authorities’ control.