Toward new and more inclusive narratives for relaunching (fragile) hope in Israel and Palestine

By Lorenzo Bona

In recent days, media coverage of the deeply painful and seemingly unending conflict in Israel and Palestine has intensified, adding further elements of sorrow – particularly in relation to the incredibly tragic events unfolding in the Gaza Strip.

Thinking about this, it may be worth revisiting some reflections developed in earlier Insights, which explored how studies at the intersection of history and economic theory tend to highlight the role of exchange relationships, pro-market practices, and entrepreneurship in overcoming complex difficulties and highly uncertain situations – by creating new opportunities for human cooperation and the advancement of civilization.

From this perspective, it can be recalled that early long-distance trade practices seem to have emerged from a fundamental realization: virtually no single place on Earth could optimally provide all the resources necessary for human well-being. In response, humanity developed a remarkable capacity to trade and adapt – reaching across frontiers to access what was needed for survival and progress.

In other words, throughout history, dynamics based on the generative power of exchange interactions and pro-market institutions not only produced material wealth but also fostered mutual understanding between communities once separated by mistrust or competition over scarce resources.

Extending this line of reasoning – and continuing to draw on economic studies that incorporate insights from history and anthropology – it becomes particularly relevant to reflect on two often overlooked but powerful drivers of human progress: the use of narratives to gain a better understanding of the world, and the emergence of forward-looking forms of unreciprocated altruism.

By narrating and comparing competing stories about their experiences, individuals learned to select and converge on narratives that supported more effective responses to highly uncertain situations, in ways that enabled future coordinated action.

Unreciprocated forms of altruism can be conceived as acts of generosity or cooperation not necessarily returned by others, but which manage to avoid collapsing into either excessive altruism or rigid forms of exclusive solidarity toward one’s own group. When such behavior transcends group-based boundaries without automatically demanding strict reciprocity, it opens space for transformative social and economic relationships in ways that can also reflect healthy forms of self-interest.

For example, some studies suggest that early intergroup contact began with strategic gift-giving – not as pure altruism, but as a way to communicate peaceful intent and the expectation of some form of reciprocity. These gestures facilitated access to neighboring territories and laid the groundwork for more durable and mutually advantageous relationships among different groups.

In this context, individuals from ancient times – like merchants, navigators, and pioneers – were often driven by personal gain. Yet, guided by self-interested motivations, they resisted the pull of being constrained by excessive forms of solidarity toward members of their own groups. By doing so, they embraced uncertainty, ventured into unfamiliar territories, and overcame instinctive fears of strangers – catalyzing processes that reshaped human cooperation and expanded the social fabric.

Over time, these dynamics evolved into complex trade networks that, even today, continue to integrate distant markets, foster innovation, and promote increasing levels of peaceful coexistence – producing outcomes no isolated society could have achieved alone.

One of the most significant aspects of this long arc of human interaction is perhaps the widespread diffusion of a form of pragmatism: a readiness, on one hand, to converge and settle for good-enough solutions rather than ideal ones, and on the other, the recognition that differences in resource availability and cultural practices can be transformed into opportunities for mutual gain not only among individuals but also among diverse cultures and regions.

Yet, this may give the idea of a goal that remains far from universally realized. In many places, the potential for peaceful and reciprocal development appears to continue to be obstructed by rigid in-group solidarities and deeply entrenched divisions.

The tragic conflict in Israel and Palestine seems to offer a stark example of what very sadly can happen when societies become trapped in rigid ideologies and narrow group solidarities. In his 2015 article Israele al bivio (“Israel at the Crossroads”)*, Italian economist Gianfranco Sabattini warned that escalating tensions – fueled by symbolic disputes and uncompromising territorial claims – risked perpetuating cycles of violence and instability. He emphasized – perhaps in ways that now seem almost prophetic – that without pragmatic political choices capable of transcending hardened positions, the possibility of lasting peace would remain out of reach.

All this seems to suggest that when societies fall prey to excessive and ideologically rigid in-group solidarity, they undermine the very conditions for mutually advantageous relationships. Opportunities for cooperative, wealth-enhancing exchange are lost – replaced instead by destructive cycles of impoverishing forms of exchange and conflict.

While economists often speak of market failure to explain unsatisfactory or unacceptable dynamics, history – and deeply tragic cases such as this – remind us that political failure can be just as, if not more, damaging.

In the absence of visionary political leadership – both in Israel and Palestine – capable of breaking deep-rooted patterns of conflict, violence, and division, the hope perhaps may only lie in a rediscovery of forward-looking expressions of unreciprocated altruism: not blind, ideologically driven solidarity confined to one’s own group, but a form of pragmatism grounded in openness to new, more inclusive narratives or perspective that can inspire people to embrace differences in ways that promote cooperation, and shared prosperity.

New investments that foster a culture of entrepreneurship – especially by supporting human creativity, the arts, and intercultural exchange – could, maybe, play a strategic role in reinforcing this hope and stimulating the emergence of new narratives that can help lay the foundations for a more resilient and inclusive future.

Notes:

*Gianfranco Sabattini, “Israele al bivio”, Il Manifesto Sardo, 16.12.2015 (https://www.manifestosardo.org/israele-al-bivio/)