posted 07-23-2002 11:05               

Having just arrived on sabbatical in Israel when the September 2000 Intifada erupted, David Peter Stroh and his wife Marilyn Paul were caught up in conversations and media reports that focused on two questions: “Why now?” and “Who is to blame?” Stroh’s growing frustration with these reactive questions led him to produce a systemic analysis of why the crisis seems to persist despite people’s extensive efforts to resolve it. An article based on this work appeared in the June/July 2002 issue of “The Systems Thinker” Newsletter. In it, David illuminates the thinking of Palestinians, Israelis, and their allies--and the consequences of their thoughts and actions on the results they’re achieving--in ways that may help all parties see and achieve sustainable new solutions.

In the following interview, David shares some thinking about the ongoing conflict and people’s reaction to his work on this topic.

“When I compared the event-oriented debates happening on all sides with a more powerful set of systemic questions, I became motivated to answer those questions,” says Stroh. “The Israelis wonder why they keep investing so much in security, yet they never feel secure. The Palestinians feel they sacrifice so much for respect and sovereignty, yet they seem to get neither. Peace brokers ask why they can’t implement what seems like a sensible solution. Over time, as I began to get some insights, I got excited about the possibility of finding a way to communicate them to people, whether it be third parties or political leaders, so they could be more effective in the peace process.”

Continue reading this article.