Is it naive to believe that an agreed upon ceasefire between warring nations means that both sides will refrain from active aggression for the duration of the agreement? Should I at least trust that our allies will honor the agreement? In the current conflict situations, it seems the answer is, “yes, it is naive to believe that a ceasefire will hold” and, “No, even the ‘favored side’ cannot be trusted with the agreement.”
It is becoming common and discouraging to read the reports of ceasefire violations. For example, the United States and Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire that has since been violated by both sides. It has been reported by the High Representative on the U.N. Security Council’s Board of Peace that “The tenuous ceasefire in Gaza is ‘far from perfect’, with ongoing Israeli attacks and no tangible recovery in sight for the territory’s beleaguered Palestinian population” And the BBC has reported that the U.S. State Department has announced that Israel and Lebanon have agreed to extend their shaky ceasefire, but both Israel and Hezbollah have continued to fight since then.
The spirit of the Gaza-Israeli ceasefire has been neglected in the occupied Palestinian territory of the West Bank. On May 22, UK-based movement group Na’amod reported, “Today, we were woken up at 6 AM to a group of settlers from Carmel – the illegal settlement near Umm al-Kheir – erecting a set of caravans on the site where the local Palestinians have historically celebrated weddings, boxing in and dispossessing the rightful owners of this land even further … From construction equipment to the ambulances and regional council vehicles borrowed for the construction of these homes, it’s clear that these settlers have state backing. Nothing will change without tackling this issue at its core.” 3.
This may be the problem — the core issues of these wars are not being considered. Marc Santora, who covers the Ukraine war for the New York Times, writes that a ceasefire looks like peace, and it’s good for headlines. And it’s better when fewer people die. But it doesn’t solve the underlying conflict. Ongoing wars are so much in the background of our daily lives that even leaders of nations have little hope that peace with justice is possible.
An overarching factor in perpetual wars is the economics of war. Profits from weapons production grow as long as wars continue. The top 20 defense firms had a combined $438.4 billion in arms revenue in 2024. U.S. companies account for six of the top 10 firms. Lockheed Martin leads with nearly $65 billion in arms revenue. Also, there is the potential economic opportunity to rebuild after the destruction from the wars. The economic pressure to continue wars is immense. As long as weapons are easily accessible, ceasefires will continue to be tenuous. War fatigue may sometimes motivate a temporary ceasefire, but the possession of a plethora of weapons ready to be used to win the war will fracture a ceasefire.
However, the demand for weapons may diminish if ceasefires are the motivation to explore with the adversary the core issues for waging the war. Fear, mistrust, dignity, power, influence and wealth must come to the table. The motivation for a ceasefire must be to listen to the other side, without the deafening noise of war carnage — crashing of buildings, cries of pain, shouts of bravado, groans of despair. In the stillness, true humanity may show itself across the table. The passing of bread instead of the propelling of bullets. Exchanging a cup of cool water instead of a drought of revenge. “How can we help” instead of helping ourselves.
The Memorial Day ceremonies in Washington D.C. this past weekend praised military personnel who demonstrated their bravery and sacrifices in the many wars that have gone before us and in those wars that are still active. However, I suggest that it also takes great courage to put down the weapons of war, to declare a ceasefire. Even Martin Luther King Jr., as popular as he was, received strong criticism for his opposition to the Vietnam war. Advocating for ceasefires that lead to the table of negotiation and reconciliation may be cast as treason by critics. However, wars only lead to great loss.
May the leaders of nations see their way to end warfare as a solution. Let there be a real ceasefire, not out of fatigue to give time to recover for yet more fighting but out of determination to understand what really is happening in war. That would be a Memorial Day to celebrate. Perhaps, Independence Day!
John Buttrick writes from his Vermont Folk Rocker in his Concord home, Minds Crossing. He can be reached at johndbuttrick@gmail.com.