‘True peace not possible,’ Israeli prof says

OTTAWA — In order to understand the quest for peace between Israel and its Arab neighbours, one must understand what each side really means by “peace.”

Federal minister John Baird gave keynote address

So says Prof. Eliezer Tauber, who was in Ottawa last week to speak at the Department of Foreign Affairs as part of a celebration of 60 years of friendly relations between Canada and Israel.

The event, titled “Canada-Israel Relations: a comparison and assessment of 60 Years” was co-hosted by Canada’s Department of Foreign Affairs and the Israeli Embassy.

The government was represented by John Baird, minister of transport, infrastructure and communities, speaking on behalf of International Trade Minister Stockwell Day, who had to cancel his scheduled appearance. Baird gave a keynote address to attendees.

Tauber, dean of the faculty of Jewish Studies at Bar-Ilan University, is an expert on the history of the Middle East, as well as Islam and the Arab-Israeli conflict.

During a pre-conference interview with The CJN, Tauber said that “some of the information that I will give you is based on the fact that I, as a religious Jew, feel I can understand religious Muslims better than a secular person can… and most experts on the Mideast are secular people.”

Tauber said the concept of a secular Muslim does not really exist because, according to Islam, a Muslim who becomes secular must be killed. Therefore, the vast majority of Muslims do, in fact, follow their religion.  

The success or failure of today’s peace negotiations hinges on the ancient Treaty of Hudaybiyya, which the prophet Muhammad signed in exchange for permission to enter the city of Mecca to perform the Hajj. Two years after signing the treaty, Muhammad was powerful enough to annul it, enter Mecca and “kill whomever he had to kill,” Tauber said.

The explanation Muhammad gave to his followers was that although it’s important to honour a peace treaty, it was more important to cleanse Mecca of infidels.

The premise, which is still an integral belief of Islam, Tauber said, is that “if you are not strong enough, you are allowed to sign a peace treaty with the enemy. However, the minute you are strong enough, you are obliged to conquer the enemy by force – and this is accepted by all Islamic sects.”

“If you are strong, they will respect you, and you can live in some sort of coexistence – not real peace, but a coexistence, in which you can at least be alive.”

Even the Arabic word “salaam” which sounds so similar to the word “shalom,” doesn’t have the same meaning as its Hebrew counterpart, Tauber said.

The word “salaam” is more like a truce or ceasefire. It has a more temporary connotation. “According to Islam, a true peace is not possible,” he said.

So where does that leave Israel?

“I do believe in the future of the State of Israel,” Tauber said. “We must be strong, try our best to prevent the Iranians from obtaining nuclear power… [former U.S. president] George Bush saw that. [U.S. President Barack] Obama does not yet understand the Middle East.”

Tauber was one of several speakers from Israel’s main universities who came to Ottawa for the event, which took place Sept. 9 and 10.

Amit Gil-Bayaz, deputy head of mission at the Israeli Embassy of Israel, said that a variety of sessions were held in the “academic portion” of the 60-year celebration, and each featured a Canadian and an Israeli speaker, as well as a moderator. At the conclusion, there was an ambassadorial roundtable about representing one’s country abroad.

In his address, Baird said Canada is looking forward to expanding Canada-Israel partnerships.

“Israel is today a country regarded around the world as a centre of culture, a hub of trade, and a voice of freedom and democracy, human rights and the rule of law,” he said.

Baird said that the “strong ties” between Canada and Israel are a result of the Jewish state’s “determination to reach out to partners around the world” and the “deliberate choice” by Israelis and Canadians to ally themselves involving matters of trade, arts and culture, defence and technology.

Baird cited facts about the two countries’ economic links, including the Canada-Israel Free Trade Agreement – signed in 1997 – which last year saw $1.8 billion in “two-way merchandise trade,” he said, adding that the two countries have now become part of each others “value chains.”

Baird also said that Canada and Israel are working on a new customs agreement “to continue boosting business between our countries.”

With files from Andy Levy-Ajzenkopf