IN THEORY:Peace in troubled lands

As Israel remembers its victories over Arab armies 40 years ago this month in the Six-Day War, peace is fragile and at times doesn't seem to exist in the region. And recent fighting between Hamas and Fatah, in Israel's Gaza Strip — land Israel gained in the war — has reportedly put a dent in some hopes that Palestinians and Israelis can ever live side-by-side, given Hamas' call for the destruction of Israel. What are your thoughts on the prospects for peace in this region? And why has peace been so elusive at times, even after the victories of 1967?

The Israeli-Arab conflict is a complex situation shaped by many factors.

But if I had to name the most critical elements fueling the continuous struggle, I would point to the hateful indoctrination of children and the lack of constructive national leadership.

A telling indicator of one people's attitude toward another is what they teach their children. Sadly, many Arab children in today's Middle East are raised with some degree of hostility toward Israel, and are taught to adopt a dehumanized view of Jews. School books in Arab countries are rife with anti-Semitic cartoons; maps in the classrooms do not include Israel; history lessons distort facts to drive home a one-sided message.

The messages adults receive from their leaders are often as misguided as those taught to the children. Before the Six-Day War, Arab leaders inculcated their people with a vision of a Jew-free Arab state stretching "from the river to the sea." After the war, selfish men like Yassir Arafat — who, in my opinion, was more interested in personal power and enrichment than making life better for Palestinians — led many people to commit acts of terror. A result of these destructive trends became painfully clear two years ago when Israel handed over Gaza to the Palestinians: In return for giving up land and dismantling thriving Jewish settlements, Israel has been rewarded with a daily barrage of rockets and the abduction of its soldiers.

Can there still be peace in the Middle-East? Absolutely. But the path to peace will only materialize when the people who need it most decide to support moral leaders who embrace the principles of understanding and dialogue. And it will only endure when the younger generation is taught to reject ideologies of hatred and violence.

RABBI SIMCHA BACKMAN

Chabad Jewish Center