Well, I'm sure all of you have heard about the current war between Israel and Hamas. Though, calling it a war seems unfair since the distribution of weapons across that line is so disparate. Israel came out and said that the attacks were needed as Israel wants to live in Peace from attack from Hamas.
Hmmmm. Going to war to live in Peace? That sounds like extermination talk. Gross.
I'm not even going to try to pretend that I'm an expert in Israel/Palestinian relations. That's impossible. But I will say that, as Americans, we must stop letting our government send weapons to a country that provokes war throughout their region (look at Syria and Lebanon now) and must certainly separate our economies. (The price of Oil took a big leap this morning on midEast war news).
We all know that this hate is taught at an early age. Israelis and Palestinians hate each other but when asking newer generations, they don't seem to know why. By launching attacks like this, Israel is ensuring that this hatred will continue through upcoming generations. My question is this: If Hamas has been such bastards why has Israel not sought U.N. intervention in the matter...? why do they take it into their own hands to violently resolve the issue? and further more, why is Violence the way they solve the issue?
I've heard some interesting input into this issue...A comment today stated that Israel is trying to shore up its place on Obama's Repair List. That's interesting, no? Kill people and get support/repairs from the U.S.?
Damn.
Either way, Peaceful Conflict Resolution is what both parties need to work on...but, it's always difficult.
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"But I will say that, as Americans, we must stop letting our government send weapons to a country that provokes war throughout their region"
I'm sorry, WHO provokes war? Because from my understanding it was HAMAS that fired rockets into Israel to provoke the current counter attacks... not the other way around.
Also, you mention a "Peaceful Conflict Resolution" but don't bring much to the table in terms of ideas - it's much easier to talk about what is needed than to come up with actual solutions. There's a lot of history, politics, and hatred behind the current state of affairs and it doesn't do the situation justice to write a short post blaming one side for the aggression and writing off the issues as something that needs to implore Peaceful Conflict Resolution. Until you and others have rational ideals for solutions, Israel has the right to defend itself.
There's also a good discussion going on about this on Feministe: http://www.feministe.us/blog/archives/2008/12/27/israel-strike-gaza-strip/#comment-218937
Hey Fem! Thanks for the post...
Anyone- more specifically, any AMERICAN that thinks they have the right to take a side in the battle between Palestine and Israel is a fool. Who started what first? Come on. We will not answer that question. What we can do is NOT SUPPORT EITHER SIDE. And thank you for glossing over the huge disparity in forces between Israel and Hamas.
Stop war. Stop provoking war. Stop. War. Now. And since I can't influence Israel I will stay in my country and influence them. STOP SUPPORTING ROGUE STATES!
Take a good, hard look at the UN's stance on Israel, for the last 20 years (at least). The UN is quick to denounce Israel but says little about Saddam gassing his own people, Iran hanging gays, or Hamas lobbing rockets at civilians, pretty much non-stop for the last two years. Read the UN Peacekeeping force releases on the run-up to the Israel-Hizbollah war in 2006. They clearly state that Hizbollah was shelling Israel from UN outposts! Don't take my word for it; read the UN releases. Israel has figured out that the UN will do *nothing* to intervene on *its* behalf. Other than the US, no one else will stand up for it, so it'd better stand up for itself. Israel is using overpowering force in response to being continually bombarded. Where's the world condemnation of that? Where's the world's condemnation of terrorists deliberatly placing themselves and their equipment in civilian locations? If Israeli media and bloggers are to believed, the Israeli people are far more concerned than Hamas about the deaths of Palestinians caught in the cross-fire. Hamas feigns concern because it gives them a cause to kill more Jews. And they go right on putting their weapons caches in apartment buildings and firing mortars from school grounds.
First, you sound angry.
Second, saying that the U.N. doesn't act on behalf of Israel is a bit erroneous, no? Was it not the U.N. that approved the separation of Palestine into two distinct states in 1947 (I believe)? Based on the idea that (1) Jewish people should have a home (2) that Jews are somehow tied to the region based in pseudo-history (aka Judeo-Christian tradition).
Third, I've recently spoken with an Israeli soldier who fled Israel when asked to fight in another ridiculous war. And it IS A ridiculous war.
No, I'm not ignoring Hamas' threats and violent actions towards Israel but Hamas is NOT the ONLY POLITICAL GROUP IN PALESTINE and not all Palestinians are supporters of HAMAS- why punish them all? This is an absurd abuse of power. Both sides of this equation are imbalanced.
This type of excessive violence should NEVER be condoned. period.
I will not take a side in this debate. I can't. It's impossible for me. But I can say that the disparities that exist in the region are mostly to blame for the conflict. Fighting imbalanced wars aimed at extermination of political groups is disgusting.
Both sides are terrorizing each other and this behaviour should not be tolerated by the U.N. or our government...which by the way, is benefiting ass loads based on Israel's arms purchases...ICK!
If I was living in a fenced ghetto, reminiscent of Jewish concentration camps during WWII, I would be launching rockets too.
"I would rather die on my feet than to live on my knees." - Emiliano Zapata.
On a separate note, just by the fact of you living in this country, you are automatically supporting the proliferation of war. You are a de facto participant in the capitalist system. Iraq is one prime and recent example of a war based on the need for the expansion of capitalist markets in order to support the American way of life for a couple more decades. Until the next war....
I hear you Anon. And you are WRONG about being a de facto capitalist/war mongerer by living in the U.S.
There are plenty of communities that exist outside of the traditional American experience.
I suggest you look into "Intentional Communities."
There are IN FACT, other ways to live besides those that have been preset by governments.
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