Respect

Someone I know whose very knowledgeable in the subject, once told me they believed the Israeli-Palestinian conflict was one that would be solved within our lifetime. I hope they're right, but as of right now, my current opinion leans in the opposite direction. At least I don't believe it will be solved without direct outside influence. This website gives the standards that define human rights according to the United Nations:
http://www.un.org/en/documents/udhr/
This one provides several brief definitions of human rights according to various sources:
http://www.answers.com/topic/human-rights
At the most basic level (in my opinion at least), the application of human rights comes down to respect. One people respecting another enough to grant them these basic human rights. Obviously, other factors inevitably make this process far more complicated, but lets start with this idea. If you don't respect another individual or group of individuals, and in this particular case anyways, if you're at conflict with these individuals and desire the same things they do, an enemy is created. Once this relationship is established, the enemy is frequently used as a scapegoat, increasing hatred towards the enemy yet simultaneously doing an injustice to the side of the “victim.” Dishonorable treatment against the opposite "side" becomes tolerable as resentment increases and the opposing sides begin to dehumanize each other further.
Take a minute to look up war propaganda put out within the last hundred years and further. You commonly see one culture, country or side characterizing the other either with a description or visual image (usually a cartoon) with attributes that are inhuman. People are compared to animals, biblical villains or fictional creatures that possess negative qualities. This is one method of actually viewing the process of dehumanization.
I am not exaggerating when I say the grand majority of Israelis do not see the Palestinians as people. Plain and simple. When I explain to Israelis that I work within the human rights community and I tell them I do so with the Palestinian population, they respond with different statements that say the same thing: I'm wasting my time. My organization, though it examines all cases of human rights abuses on the Palestinians, not matter the perpetrator, actually focuses on those committed by the Palestinian National Authority, which is a Palestinian organization, not an Israeli one. But to the Israelis the fact that my organization is not looking to target the Jewish community is irrelevant. If I'm aiding Palestinians in any capacity, not only am I exerting unnecessary energy, but I'm working on the side of the enemy and therefore, I am the enemy.
I had a huge discussion with a group of Israelis the other day about whether the Palestinians were entitled to human rights. It was so bizarre because that's not a topic for debate. If you're human, you are entitled to human rights, that's the whole point.
What vexes me, is that until you bring up the topic of the Palestinians, the Israeli's are very welcoming and helpful people. I enjoy my interactions with them and they are constantly teaching me about their culture and the conflict. I live with three Israeli roommates, all students, and all served in the army (Tal, Dina and Maton). I thought it would help broaden my horizons and help me to understand both perspectives, which it has. Tal (married to Dina), literally five minutes after meeting me, went out of his way to help me out of a very uncomfortable situation, not because I asked, but because that's just the kind of person he is. However, when you talk to him about the Palestinians and the conflict, it's as if another individual emerges. His demeanor become stiff, his attitude cold and unrelenting and his beliefs, unmerciful and inaccurate. Many of their arguments are based on falsities that they consider to be historical and political facts, but good luck arguing that. They believe they are true because its what they've been told their wholes lives. I often feel like when it comes to the conflict, I'm talking to a brainwashed population (I'll refer back to this later). It makes it difficult for me because I want to engage them in discussion about the overwhelming situation that surrounds them, but I hate seeing the transition.
I've spent time in both communities and its obvious the conflict, while an influential aspect of both communities, is more significantly present in the lives of the Palestinians than in those of the Israelis. The Palestinians are constantly going through checkpoints, the Israelis are not; the Palestinians all have water towers on their homes due to shortages and the Israelis do not because superior pipe networks were constructed under the Israeli settlements; jobs in the Palestinian settlements pay sometimes up to a three quarters less than those in the Israeli settlements; unemployment is drastically climbing in the Palestinian settlements (70% in Gaza and 20% in the West Bank cited by Barbara Ibrahim in her book from Charity to Social Change), and again I could go on for pages. What's interesting is that while the Palestinians are more oppressed, I don't sense that their hatred towards the Israelis is nearly as strong as the Israeli's hatred is towards them. That's not to say this isn't the case. I'll have to edit this later when I find out more on the matter. I know the Palestinians are frustrated and angry and in general do not like the Israelis, but I've had multiple Jews say flat out how much they hate the Arabs, and I've yet to hear the same said from the Arabs about the Jews. I'll uncover some more definite conclusions about this input them later.
There seems to be an infinite amount of obstacles inhibiting these two groups of people from cooperating with one another. They don't respect each other, they don't trust each other, the Palestinians are extremely divided, the Jews are extremely oppressive, both act with immense violence, the Palestinians haven't proven they are able to govern themselves, etc. The point I'm trying to make is that I'm so overwhelmed by how deep and complicated this conflict goes that its hard to tell where the healing process should start.
I suppose the first step would be education, on both sides. Neither the Palestinians or the Israelis are receiving the quality or quantity of education necessary for independent thinking and analysis. The Palestinians don't have the means to implement such a system (for Palestinians) and its my opinion that the Israeli government doesn't have the will to implement such a system (for Israelis). This is a disability to their communities because generations from both cultures (at least the majority) continue to act on the beliefs of their parents, society and of the government without ever examining why. As a result, they cease to establish independent conclusions.
My next suggestion would be interaction between the citizens of both nations. They need to see each other as people with similar needs, hopes, and emotions. Eventually, this could open the ground for open discussion instead of screaming and blame. Only through physical interaction can this be accomplished. The Palestinians would need to form a political body that actually represents the needs of the people as a whole, instead of multiple parties that are some combination of corrupt, violent, or politically inept. How to get this process started, I have no idea. That aspect has to come from within the people themselves. If it were to be achieved, I assume it would still take some time for the groups to reach a consensus as to what would make each satisfied. The actual application of those decisions would raise other issues as well. What I've presently observed is that these people want nothing to do with each other to the point where I'm questioning if either group really wants the conflict to end period.