The mindset of the West, proven over and over again in its dealings with the Middle East, is that the tiger really means no harm and poses no danger and if fed properly will become tame and docile. Thus, terrorists are only militants, hate speech is only a campaign tactic and there are always magical solutions to centuries’ old struggles and hatreds.

 

This Western, rose-colored mindset is impervious to the realities of the situation. It is backed by long-standing prejudices (especially against Jews and the Jewish state, but paradoxically against the Arab world as well) and fueled by a leftist-oriented idealism that discounts all facts and realities. It convinced itself that since Morsi was democratically elected he must therefore be a good person who wished to rule wisely and benignly.

 

It conveniently forgets that Hitler also came to power in Germany in the 1930’s through the manipulation of the democratic electoral process, and that he enjoyed the approval of the vast majority of the German people as he led them and much of the rest of the world to utter annihilation and murderous destruction.

 

Assad intends to stand for president of Syria once more and he claims to have the support of most of his countrymen, this after killing more than one hundred thousand of his people. The ayatollahs of Iran regularly are able to elect their puppets to office. The wild leaders of Turkey came to power through open elections. Hamas terrorists won the elections in Gaza and have only brought despair and war to their constituents and murder to many innocents. The shambles of democratic procedures currently litters the landscape of the Middle East, just as they did of much of Europe in the previous century.

 

All of the above is not to be interpreted as a rejection of democracy in favor of autocratic and dictatorial rule. But it is meant to point out that democracy can only be effective in countries and societies where the populace possesses a non-violent, tolerant and open mindset.

 

In countries where the mindset is rigidly narrowed by religious beliefs of exclusivity, superiority, chauvinism, fanaticism and deeply held prejudices against “others,” democracy as a governmental system is usually ineffective and eventually deteriorates into dictatorship, violence and opposing forms of fanaticism.

 

Democracy entails and requires the ability to discard ideals and philosophies, no matter how long and lovingly cherished they may have been, when those policies have visibly failed and brought forth more harm than good to the society and nation.

 

All of this requires a healthy and open mindset, a willingness to acknowledge the realities that face us and the courage to admit wrong and change course. Enshrining tactics and policies that have been proven to be failures is a certain recipe for continued failure and weakness. A strongly open mindset can engender the necessary adoption of tactics that will truly fit the situation at hand.

 

Israeli society generally is undergoing a rethinking of its mindset. Though polls may show that the majority of Israelis hope for and support a two state solution with the Arabs, the reality is sinking in that this is currently not achievable. The status quo, uncomfortable as it appears to be, may be the situation for many more years to come.

 

The mindset that unilateral Israeli concessions can achieve peace in our region is slowly but surely receding. That changing mindset should somehow also slowly begin to seep into the mindset of European and American diplomats as well. Tilting at windmills may be a satisfying way to coddle democratic instincts and policies but it is ultimately a fruitless endeavor.

 

Within the religious community in Israel, mindsets are also slowly changing. Even though the politicians who claim to represent this section of Israeli society are as vociferous as ever in opposing the changes that are nevertheless occurring to their society, the mindset of many of the masses is slowly but inexorably changing. And, with that new mindset, the changes in the economy and integration of that society into general Israeli life will eventually occur.

 

Changing directions and abandoning long held behavior patterns and social tactics remains a slow, arduous and painful process. But once the mindset has begun to shift then the actual realities on the ground will also change, hopefully for the better of all concerned.

 

Shabat shalom

 

Berel Wein