A few weeks ago, the Associated Press reported that 66 percent of Palestinians supported suicide-bombing attacks against Israel. This figure likely outraged most Americans and furthered their view of Palestinians as terrorists out to rid the earth of Jews. Many of these same Americans probably blame Palestinian National Authority leader Yasser Arafat for the impossibly drawn-out peace process.
The fact is, says Eric Zakim, Americans tend to see the Middle East crisis in plain black and white. Zakim, who teaches Israeli cultural studies at Duke, argues that American culture tells us to look for a scapegoat to account for the recent violence between the two parties. Almost always, he says, the cloth-robe-donning Arabs-rather than the business-suit-wearing Israelis-fall under suspicion.
Several factors influence the predominant American viewpoint. Only upon leaving the country, however, was I able to understand exactly how the environment in which I grew up shaped my beliefs-and how one-sided those beliefs were.
I spent last fall studying in Spain, where I found that several differences in Spanish culture create a society in which the average person is much more likely to lend support to the Palestinians and still have great respect for the Israeli point of view.
The most frequently cited distinction between the opinions of Spaniards and Americans lies with each country's news sources. Although there are exceptions, the American media's editorials often characterize Arafat's actions as irresponsible and the Palestinian people as misguided. Pictures of former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak walking with President Bill Clinton shown alongside footage of Arafat traveling alone give the impression that Israel is the only side willing to work toward resolution.
Miriam Cooke, professor of Arabic language and literature, says it is often very hard for a member of the American press to acknowledge pro-Palestinian outlooks, especially in Jewish-American publications. She cites the example of a journalist at the Kansas City Jewish Chronicle, who published a submission advocating the Palestinian right of return; the journalist was promptly fired for the action.
Zakim agrees that it's difficult to escape the traditional pro-Israeli stance in the United States. "Even if people here want to read other perspectives, it's very hard," he says.
In Spain, however, a specific person's viewpoint on the issue will be more determined by what he reads, rather than if he reads. According to some regular readers of Spain's most widely read periodicals, El País and El Mundo, each newspaper presents a view that is slightly slanted toward one side, Israeli and Palestinian respectively.
The Spanish press, though, seems to take a stance that is much less influenced by outside interests. Most Spanish newspapers allot equal space for showing the terrorist acts of Palestinians and what many would characterize as the terrorist acts of Israel. And although press coverage can certainly influence viewpoints, few things can affect us more than the foundations laid by education. In public schools across the country, children learn that six million Jews were murdered in the Holocaust. Time after time we as Americans have heard about the Jewish struggle to survive.
But the word "Palestinian"-likely coupled with the word "terrorist"-enters Americans' vocabularies much later. For many Americans, it is not until high school that the "hostile Arab world" in which Israel is "struggling to survive" takes on an identity.
Twenty-six-year-old Santiago Díaz-Otero, who grew up in Madrid, paints a different picture of the typical Spaniard's introduction to the Middle East conflict. "We learned about both groups at the same time," he says, adding that along with the Jewish plight, he learned about that of the Palestinians, many of whom were forced to vacate their land when the Jewish state was founded.
In both the United States and Spain, press coverage and educational differences are molded by the country's historical relationship with the Middle East. The United States has been the strongest backer of Israel throughout its existence. In fact, the Jewish state receives the largest aid package given to any country, most likely due to the large Jewish-American contingent and our vast military and economic interests in the region. Additionally, we are a nation that, with a few notable exceptions, tends not to question our government's choices in international affairs.
Spain has also been a significant participant in the affairs of the Middle East. In October 1991, the first Middle East Peace Conference began in Madrid, a site chosen because of Spain's good relationships with both the Arab and Jewish worlds. Indeed, Spain has a rich history with both groups, and its own culture is in many ways a combination of Muslim, Jewish and Christian influences.
All told, Spaniards have a much more even-minded approach to the issue. Many will tell you they do not place the blame on a certain leader or group of people, but are just extremely frustrated with the circumstances.
And although few in Spain would condone suicide bombing attacks against Israel, many more would understand why so many Palestinians support it.
Get The Chronicle straight to your inbox
Signup for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time.