This is a commentary on a recent article by Uri Avnery...
A map is just a map...
That is, unless certain countries do not appear on it.
Growing up in the post WW2 era in the United States, the 'list' of nations we did not recognise was unbelievable.... 'Red' China did NOT exist, North Korea did NOT exist, almost all of Eastern Europe did NOT exist. Countries were added to this 'list' as time went on.... Cuba did NOT exist (still doesn't), North Vietnam did NOT exist. For students it lessened the burdon of studying geography, how could one learn about such non entities?
As the world slowly changed, blank spaces were filled in on these maps, curriculums changed as the world did... prejudices remained against certain political systems, but denial of nations was not as great.
This held true in the United States, but not so in the Middle East. Palestinian schoolchildren look at a map in their textbooks void of a 'green line', void of a pre 1967 border between Israel and Palestine.
Israeli schoolchildren study a map in their textbooks completely void of Palestine. It does NOT exist. Yet, we hear talks of peace on both sides. How confusing this must be to the younger generation.... peace with whom? There is no Israel to negotiate with, there is no Palestine to negotiate with..... so who are we making peace with?
Ironic that despite the non recognition, it is easy to have a war with a non existing entity... surely we could conceive of a just and lasting peace as well. This might even lead to the realisation that recognition is key to that process.
Uri Avnery hits it right on the head in his most recent essay in Counterpunch... it's a must read.
Avnery's essay can be found here... http://counterpunch.com/...