photo: lapidim, Creative Commons
Discussions about the Israel/Hamas conflict have been strangely negligible on Takepart’s blog pages. It’s divisive, controversial and upsetting, so why wouldn’t bloggers leap at the opportunity to write about it? Yes, I’m Jewish person (I know a good kosher pickle and the best hummus in my town) who has lived in Israel and believes that Israelis and Palestinians should both have the right to live safely and securely in their own countries (2 states, 2 peoples). Those two things don’t make me qualified to be an expert on the situation (and certainly give me a bias), but I’m a concerned, opinionated blogger and so I’m going to take a stab at writing about this complicated international crisis. I’m upset that Israel is being bombed and I’m upset that Israel has invaded Gaza and killed hundreds of civilians.
The UN and international governments failed to stop Hamas’ constant barrage of rockets into Sderot and other southern Israeli towns for the past few years. How would the US feel if people in Mexico lobbed rockets into our border towns on a daily basis? Hey, we invaded another Middle Eastern country that didn’t even threaten us but supposedly had weapons that could hurt us.
On the flip side, Gaza is one of the poorest places on the planet with one of the highest birth rates and little economic opportunities. Again, this isn’t a simple story and this is a blog not a history of the region. However, once again, the finger pointing can be directed at many parties. Israeli policies isolated the region and starved it of basic necessities and economic development. Couple this with Palestinian leaders (PLO and Hamas) who have consistently used its citizens as pawns of their PR campaigns, squandered international aid money and turned down genuine peace agreements (remember Camp David under Bill Clinton?).
What is clear is that Hamas needs to stop launching rockets into Israel and Israel needs to stop its military incursion into Gaza. It’s military might ultimately will not stop the breeding of terrorist who hate Israel in the long-term (has its use of force been successful in the long-term at stopping Hamas or Hezbollah in the past which are funded by outside entities like Iran and Syria?) What has helped to bring elements of peace and stability to the region? Yup-negotiations and international engagement (think about Egypt and Jordan which now have peace agreements with Israel).
There are voices from both sides articulating a better alternative to this situation. However, this is going to take more than just sitting down together and agreeing on the best falafel sandwich. It will require a deep commitment by more than just Israelis and Palestinians but also international leaders who have a genuine concern and desire for both peoples to live safely and freely. Learn more from voices for peace whom you might not hear from the polarized talking heads on TV news. takepart to with the Israel-Palestine Center for Research and takepart with Daniel Levy’s Prospects for Peace. takepart to sign J Street’s Ceasefire Petition. And, if you have kids, share our conflict-resolution activity guides with them today.
CATEGORIES: Human Rights, Peace
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- Worldchanging
Watch Iron Man.
Peace.
Thanks for this blog, Sarah. This situation makes me sad and frustrated. Support for additional violence, I believe, only makes an already deadly situation worse. Thanks for sharing both sides of this heartbreaking story and for reminding us that negotiation is the road to peace.
Israel has every right to have a peaceful stable society free from terror.
Simply put Remove the Terror.
Why are we negotiating with terrorists? Until Hamas proves worthy of removal from this list, then they should not be accommodated. Why do they continue to jeopardize the peace by initiating and engaging Israel in a fight they cannot win? Because they are terrorists who hate Israel and will never stop trying to kill Israelis until all Jews are extinguished. So frustrating.
Recent attack by Israel in Gaza is not the solution.As Israeli authority cliams that they are fighting against the Hamas but in these unprecedented attack in the name of revenge is taking number of innocent lives and destruction of infrastructure.So according to me,I personally feel the talk on the table is the final solution.
I don’t want anyone to die. Period.
It is, however, difficult to navigate peace agreements when one of the groups at the table openly repeats a mantra of removing the other from existence. Though I believe it soothes moderates and liberals alike (of which I am one) to trumpet their own position of peace, love, and negotiating. Usually those people are not within range of a Qassam rocket nor have they seen the aftermath of a suicide bomb on a city bus.
The Israelis have been patient, not perfect. Military actions cause humans to die. That is exacerbated when one of the fighting forces stands in urban areas behind women, children, hospitals, schools, and citizens. If you’re going to run your outrage up the flagpole then please run it up consistently, not selectively.
Frankly, Jews have been pushed out of nearly every country on the planet. So a place for them was created when no others would have them (without either oppressing or killing them). That place was continuously occupied by Jews for 3700 years.
Seriously, one sixth of one percent of the middle east is what Israel comprises. Is it really so much to ask to stay there without having the neighbors send their kids onto local busses with a C4 backpack? Well the bully has mistakenly picked on a very competent scrawny kid named Jacob.
Thanks for this balanced post. I find this a really tough subject to broach as well, and am always interested in what you have to say.
Kudos for tackling this immensely complex conflict, Sarah. If readers come away with one thing I hope it is this: Stop the violence, stop the killing on both sides…period. It may be naive, but let’s forget politics for a second and consider the human cost.
Reflections on the human cost: http://lamentations-gaza.blogspot.com/
Gordon:
WHO is the bully?
I know it was a mistake.
I love the Jewish faith and their patience and wisdom.
I watch South Park with my kids and try to imagine what it must be like (I was Catholic).
I hope this does not offend you because I must suggest it.
Maybe some could relocate to my area in Canada (we have lots of room and water).
We are blessed to have some green left because we have lived a very sheltered life.
If you cannot leave your lovely land and must stay to fight, then I will email Stockwell Day to ask Harper to ask Obama when he visits to ask all arms dealers to stand down.
Wouldn’t it be more civilized to kill only by bare hands or hand made weapons?
When I look at the world I wonder when and why the Israelis lost some of their coastline?
I hate to admit it but it looks pretty scary to me.
I’m not an Israeli citizen, but I’m also concerned –like you–about the region where I were born and raised in. I’m a human being who does not only seek Peace but who live the need of a just Peace.
The Middle East is a very complicated region to understand. I do pretend I do. But I try to learn and read as much as I can so that I can understand better what is happening around. My modest comment is just to point out some important facts that would make the article more balanced:
- Ref. “I’m upset that Israel is being bombed and I’m upset that Israel has invaded Gaza…”
The invasion of Gaza by IDF would not have happened in 2009 if Palestinians (and Hamas Today) stopped bombing Israel from inside Gaza years ago.
- Negotiations with conflicted parties round any crisis or problem must be based on recognizing each other first. Hamas does not recognize the State of Israel. Consequently Hamas refuses to talk means to negotiate with Israel.
- The inter-conflict between Palestinians i.e. Fateh (Palestinian Authority) and Hamas (controlling Gaza) is a conflict that both Palestinians themselves and Arab countries are fully responsible to solve.
- The Rafeh cross border is being used to feed Hamas with weapons. We watched an on-field-documentary in Arabic Language –that was obviously produced before the war– broadcast on some Arab satellite TV i.e. Al-Arabiya during the war: The Rafah tunnels fulfilled with weapons and some interviews with some of Hamas terrorists transmitting weapons from inside the Rafeh tunnel to Gaza were all filmed and broadcast.
- Consequently, the International community, UN in particular, and Arab countries are all called to stop terror in Gaza — before any further step– and to work genuinely for Peace. Arab countries are the only on-field players i.e. Egypt and Jordan (ad KSA) to make that happen.
“Let’s talk about Gaza”. Seems that we have the same interest i.e. Peace. But this is, unforunately, Gaza.
I want Peace; I need Peace where others like Palestinians and Arab countries seem very well not working to achieving it. I want Peace. But truth is truth.
Norma from Lebanon
I’m neither Professor Bernard Lewis nor Professor Barry Rubin nor Dr. Daniel Pipes…to “pretend I do” (understand the region and its digraceful history). What I meant to write (is what I think): “I do NOT pretend I do”.
I’m terribly sorry for that terrible mistake.
Thank you.
Norma from Lebanon