Watching the violence unfold in the middle east has been heart-wrenching. Innocent civilians on both sides have suffered atrocities.
Montanans and their members of Congress have voiced myriad and often opposing views of the conflict and how the U.S. should respond. I think that there is room to vigorously disagree, while still working together for peace. The goal of terrorism is to get attention and provoke a violent response. Now is the time to recognize that war is not the answer.
The military-first approach has not worked. Our members of Congress should be speaking out publicly about solutions to the problem that will work to prevent more war, break cycles of violence and rebuild relationships. With a new Speaker finally installed in the House, decisions on spending will be moving forward. Congress has the opportunity now to fully fund non-violent interventions that have been proven to work: Diplomacy, unarmed civilian peacekeeping, mediation, atrocities prevention, complex crisis intervention and reconciliation.
Not only are these non-violent interventions effective, they save money.
The Institute for Economics and Peace found that every dollar invested in peacebuilding can save $16 in the cost of responding to an armed conflict. Discretionary spending for the Department of Defense is now at $797 billion, and non-defense discretionary spending is $766 billion. There is only $91 million allocated for peacebuilding. Given the grave atrocities occurring in real-time, atrocity prevention can no longer remain siloed, under-resourced and a “second order” issue in U.S. foreign policy and assistance.
We could fit 13 Israels, and the West Bank, the Golan Heights and Gaza into Montana. We and our members of Congress should consider what it would be like to be at war in such a small space. We can give the combatants space by supporting the work of the Atrocities Prevention Fund, and devising a comprehensive, non-violent strategy that emphasizes de-escalation and restraint in Gaza and Israel.
The future for Palestinians and Israelis is being erased each passing day. Before it is too late, the United States and Congress should side with peace, not more war, in the Middle East.
