Red Lines

I recently read an article by Professor Shaul Gabbay who has intimately analyzed the interactions between Palestinian and Israeli scientific collaboration (this is not off-topic... read on to understand how we can profoundly learn from the struggle in the Middle East). Scientific collaboration and academic projects have existed between the anti/pro-Israel groups for over 20 years. It is most amazing to understand how these relationships can exist when two groups of people are in such torment with one another.

Today, these Palestinian and Israeli scientists meet in neighboring countries and "safe zones" to engage in cooperative scientific and academic projects. Though partners on both sides engage in political discussions, they elect not to discuss the challenges on the ground, primarily the bus bombings and Israeli security operations. Neither side agrees on their interpretations, nor do they agree on the motivations behind them.

A Palestinian chemistry professor at a West Bank University put it, "We focus on science, and science has no borders. Each society has good and bad people... We know what the red lines are; we know that we disagree on them... so we do not go to these places."

THESE RED LINES ARE A COINED TERM FOR AREAS WHICH PALESTINIANS AND ISAEALIS KNOW THEY WILL NEVER AGREE. I BELIEVE THE ESSENCE TO UNDERSTANDING OUR OWN PERSONAL STRUGGLES IS FIRST UNDERSTANDING OUR OWN RED LINES.