Applying Hegel's Project of Reconciliation to the Palestinian Society

No one denies that alienation in the Palestinian society has deepened since the separation of Gaza. Most impoverished Palestinians feel that they are abandoned and that they are foreign to their society and its institutions. Furthermore, they feel that they are cut off from political life since only Palestinians with political affiliation can participate in the political arena. In the last few years, there have been many initiatives to reconcile the two major players in the Palestinian political arena, namely, Fatah and Hamas, but although careful considerations were given to the parties themselves, no consideration was given to the ordinary Palestinian citizen. This was a mistake: before there can be political agreement, the ordinary Palestinian needs to be reconciled to his society and its institutions in order to overcome alienation. The Palestinian society is in greater need first for an initiative that applies Hegel's project of reconciliation to overcome and heal the contradictions, conflicts, and fragmentations between the individual and his society.Keywords: reconciliation, individual, society, individualism, alienation, social world, social member, belonging