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Greenberg's View
Editorial
Are Talks Hope-Filled?
e're skeptical of U.S.-medi-
ated proximity talks between
Palestinian and Israeli lead-
ers; neither of the embattled governments
trusts the other. But who's to say indirect
negotiations won't spark a glimmer of
hope in the elusive search for Palestinian
and Jewish states living side by side in
peace.
Such hope would be encouraging given
that negotiating has been caught in a
political briar patch from the instant the
ill fated — and misdirected — 1993 Oslo
Accords were signed.
Unquestionably, President Barack
Obama sees Israeli-Palestinian peace in
America's best interest. Secretary of State
Hillary Rodham Clinton has intoned that
lack of peace threatens Israel, curbs the
legitimate aspirations of the Palestinian
people and destabilizes the region and
beyond.
The U.S. implication that both "peace
partners" must enter talks with equal foot-
ing is troubling. Consider a recent message
of the Palestinian Authority, the official
government of the West Bank: A cleric
warned Palestinian parents on P.A. TV,
the West Bank's official television station,
they shouldn't instill fear in their kids by
frightening them with such evils as mon-
sters, thieves, demons and Jews. That's no
gateway to productive negotiating.
It doesn't help that Israeli Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, unabash-
edly hawkish, and P.A. President
Mahmoud Abbas, a political chameleon,
dislike each other.
It will take a miracle for the Obama
administration's special envoy for Middle
East peace, George Mitchell, to succeed
with American bridging proposals.
Mitchell vows that Obama won't hesitate
to apply significant diplomacy on which-
ever side it felt was stalling progress. The
administration envisions the proximity
talks opening a four-month window to
direct negotiations come September.
Time will tell if this strategy works.
The Jewish Telegraphic Agency reports
that come fall, Obama will reconsider
his options: If talks are progressing,
Washington will try persuading the
Israelis to extend their building freeze
in West Bank settlements and the
Palestinians to buy into direct negotia-
tions. If talks are foundering, Washington
may opt for an American peace plan that
calls for a Quartet-monitored international
peace conference to convince the parties
to move forward.
The popular belief is that the Palestinians
entered the proximity talks in hopes of
maintaining U.S. pressure on Israel; Israel is
confident a continued show of peacemak-
ing will keep that pressure in check.
HOW THE
"ONE STATE
SOLUTION"
PLAYS OUT
It makes sense that Netanyahu is striv-
ing to convince Americans of his good
faith. By putting all core issues — like
borders, Jerusalem, refugees, security and
water — on the table during the proxim-
ity phase, he is showing a willingness to
change his course in the pursuit of peace.
Before compromising on permanent
borders, Netanyahu rightly wants clar-
ity on issues that will drive the talks:
Palestinian demilitarization, Israeli rights
in Palestinian air space, the functioning
of border crossing points, deployment of
Israeli forces along the Palestinians' border
with Jordan to prevent arms smuggling.
Netanyahu could well give up more
West Bank land to Palestinian political
and security control in a goodwill gesture
intended to affirm Israel's willingness to
further pull back from the West Bank.
Abbas, meanwhile, is on record seeking
to coax an Obama-imposed solution, with
international support, that would lead to
a sovereign Palestinian state. Abbas also
could tap Washington for an endorsement
if he elects to seek a U.N. binding resolu-
tion recognizing Palestinian statehood and
delineated borders.
If President Obama chooses to create a
blueprint of parameters for a final peace
deal that likely would win U.N. approval,
and possibly force Israel's negotiating
hand, we trust that his desire for solving
the Israeli-Palestinian conflict doesn't
undermine the Jewish state as our only
unequivocal Middle East ally. E
What To Do About Jewish Teens
New York/JTA
0
bservers of Jewish educa-
tion for teens are increasingly
concerned about a disparity
between the participation of boys and
girls. Lamenting the absence of boys in
youth programs, Jewish educators and
philanthropists have turned their atten-
tion more and more to enticing boys to
become involved.
I wonder, however, whether the con-
cern over boys masks a deeper issue that
is more difficult to confront: Jewish teen
participation rates are abysmal in gen-
eral, regardless of gender.
Rather than lament the misguided
notion that we have disenfranchised boys
in the Jewish community, let's focus on
how to empower all Jewish teens.
Admittedly, most rational people fear
teens. We fear their hormones and mood
swings. We fear their experimentation
42
May 20 • 2010
with substances and sexual-
Change The Baseline
ity. We fear their penchant
In contrast, options for Jewish
for argument. We don't know
high school students haven't
how to approach them or
changed much since the 1950s,
curry favor with them. Most
and despite impressive initia-
professionals steer clear.
tives in Jewish camping and in
This seems to be true
particular Jewish communities,
for many funders as well.
day school tuition and syna-
Everyone is interested in pri-
gogue-based programs remain
mary Jewish education, with
prohibitively expensive.
Adam G aynor
its crown jewel of bar/bat
Nor do researchers take much
Spec i a I
mitzvah, and recently, major
interest in Jewish teens. The
Comme ntary
initiatives such as the reinvig-
study that everyone cites on
oration of Hillel, the explosive
teen participation rates, "Being
growth of Chabad and the founding of
a Jewish Teenager in America: Trying
Birthright Israel and Repair the World,
to Make It," already is 10 years old. I am
which have targeted 18- to 26-year-olds.
hard-pressed to identify any rigorous,
Clearly, to be a young adult is hip. They large-scale studies that have been con-
get to dig ditches in Guatemala for spring ducted since.
break, fly to Israel for free and choose
So what do we know about teens?
a myriad of free activities at campus
Anyone who has taken Psychology 101
Jewish centers and Moishe Houses.
is aware that a defining aspect of teen
development is a process of identity
"I wonder, however,
whether the concern
over boys masks a
deeper issue that
is more difficult to
confront: Jewish teen
participation rates
are abysmal."
exploration, individuation and inde-
pendence from parents, much of which
occurs through the medium of a tightly
knit peer group.
Jewish Teens on page 43