Using Systems Thinking to Process the Israel-Palestine Conflict
I want to establish something important before I start discussing this topic. I do not consider myself well-versed in international politics. I think that’s a sentiment that many of us relate to in the USA. The media we are presented with here is often based on national issues, of which we have many, and changes by the hour. This, of course, doesn’t excuse us from being responsible for understanding global issues, but it explains a point I will discuss later. The second part of this admittance is that I, like many others, am wrestling with many of these issues for the first time, and it often feels like being thrown into the deep end of a pool. But I always say that the most important thing when thinking about new ideas is admitting your blind spots. So, again, I don’t excuse my lack of understanding, but I do recognize it.
That being said, I am well-versed in how to think about complex problems. My background is in Philosophy and Humanities, which requires me to be able to think critically, form logical arguments, and tackle complex, often abstract, problems. In this analysis, I want to focus more on the critical thinking aspects of the Israel-Palestine conflict instead of the specifics of the conflict itself. There are some amazingly detailed pieces about the history of this conflict and its political nuances, so if that’s the sort of thing you’re looking for, I assure you plenty of other authors are discussing that. But here, I will be focused more on the approach to the topic and how the approach may help engage the specifics. By applying a systems thinking approach, I think we can find ourselves able to digest the breadth of the conflict better and further help us process the heavy emotions tied to it.
I want to establish a framework that systems thinking employs to help think about problems. One of the famous models of systems thinking is the Iceberg Model.
Often, we don’t get past the first level of the iceberg. We are overwhelmed by an event itself and cease to explore beyond that. This is something I’ve noticed happening regularly regarding the conversations surrounding the Israel-Palestine conflict. People are running into sound bytes and quotes from leaders, viewing violent media on various social platforms, and getting caught in the mud with others motivated by profit, rage, or another undesirable catalyst. The first level asks, “What is happening right now?” It can be hard to get past this level in a society constantly bombarded by rapid-fire information from various outlets. This is part of the reason we struggle to stay deeply informed on any issue. The headlines are always changing and disorienting citizens who are trying to find stability. It’s easier to be carried away with the current than to resist the pull and firmly plant yourself in one topic at a time. The first level is concerned with the visible. This level is the various forms of media we are being shown daily as violence is on full display. This level is incredibly seductive because it is endless; there will always be more content to consume, more videos to watch, and more opinions to read. I realize the irony of me saying this as you consume more media regarding this subject. Still, I think this discussion will enable you to engage future media, even beyond this specific topic. What runs parallel to the violent media are the emotions we feel as we rapidly consume it. The events in this case are those feelings of sadness, anger, and helplessness that are unavoidable when faced with such atrocities.
The second level is the Patterns of Behavior, which begins our journey into the invisible or hidden levels of the iceberg. At this level, we ask, “What has been happening over time?” Or “What is the pattern that has appeared throughout history?” In the case of the Israel-Palestine conflict, there is a very long history of violence in that region that extends through history and is linked to many histories of other countries. But as we begin to explore this level, we can see patterns start to appear: patterns of violence, power struggles, and various other components that create an event like we are seeing play out. Running parallel to that pattern is the pattern of us consuming this form of media, being hypnotized by the violence, and feeling as if we have to choose a side, an “A/Not-A” framework being forced upon us. This happened recently with the Russia-Ukraine conflict and before with the BLM movement, Covid-19, and the 2020 election. We are often pushed towards a linear, black-and-white way of thinking that explains events in an “A →B →C” structure and asks us to pick a side without accounting for the nuances. This violates a key component of systems thinking that views things more in a circular pattern and allows for each stage to feed into the other, allowing for a more organic perspective to be formed.
The third level of the iceberg is where a fundamental transformation occurs. At this level, we begin to assess the systems that are influencing the patterns. We ask, “What systems or structures are perpetuating the patterns that lead to the event?” Here, we can start to critique the political systems, motivations, and powers that are dominating individuals and causing this repeated behavior. Likewise, we can run this parallel to our consumption of this form of media. What systems are pushing us towards repeatedly consuming these forms of media and making us feel as if we have to form a strong opinion that puts us against fellow citizens? This is where often a deconstruction begins to occur. At this level, we realize that systems of power exist to perpetuate the patterns that lead to these events and cause global trauma. Here is where awareness is most required and where resistance truly begins. If you can acknowledge the systems at play, you strip them of much of their power. This acknowledgment takes you out of the fugue state you were placed in and brings you back into your body and in control of your thoughts.
The final level of the iceberg is the self-reflective work that asks, “What beliefs exist to keep the systems and structures in place?” Sometimes, these beliefs can be changed; other times, they are so deeply rooted in a particular cultural or religious identity that they are simply beyond changing. But regardless, they are worth acknowledging. As I said earlier, bringing awareness to the blind spots is the most valuable thing you can do when engaging new information. Often, we disregard the beliefs and emotions that feed the systems of power in our lives, but here is where we need to sink our heels in and do the work. There are many beliefs at play in the Israel-Palestine conflict, but running parallel to that is the belief that tells us that we need to become tribal over these issues and be supported by a group that agrees with our “side” and opposes those against us. This drive towards tribalism, towards an “us vs. them” mentality, is at the root of what perpetuates these systems. The “A/Not-A” paradigm again shows its ugly face in an insidious way. When we adopt this framework for all problems, we often feel trapped between only two options when many others exist on a spectrum. Again, avoiding the linear modes of thinking helps us see the problem as organic and develop solutions that reflect that.
Seeing any other side when trapped in the events-level loop can be challenging. Still, as you expand your vision and adopt the systems thinking model, you will begin to see how there is space for you to honor your emotions and still see the bigger picture. So, while this doesn’t necessarily solve the problem of how we engage this material and certainly doesn’t solve the problem occurring between Israel and Palestine, it certainly helps us develop a framework for beginning to work through the problems. More importantly, it permits us to form perspectives that aren’t locked in an “us vs. them” mentality and create a path to a more mature and nuanced response both to the events themselves and our fellow humans.
