Israel launched its campaign in Gaza on Dec. 27 to stop rocket fire from the militant Palestinian group Hamas. Gaza health officials say nearly 870 Palestinians have been killed, roughly half of them civilians. Thirteen Israelis have also died.
The following are some points of view that have since been expressed in the media:
1. Israel should not have responded to the rocket attacks with force
2. Israel has a right to defend itself, but should have only used equal force
3. Israel should have tried to talk longer while continuing to endure the rocket attacks
4. Israel is an illegitimate state and should not be allowed to exist
5. Palestine is for Palestinians. The conflict will continue until Israel is driven out
6. Israel has the right to defend itself and to take whatever measures are necessary to remove the cause of the assault on its territory
Do any of these views match your own?
Also comment, if you wish, on how you feel this decades old struggle might be resolved.
If at all possible, please do your best to stick to the historical facts whenever you can, if you know them, but give your personal views and beliefs, even if you are not sure about the history of the conflict.
I don't unfortunately have a great deal of time to study the history of the situation, but I imagine it would take a lifetime anyway. However, for what it's worth my views are probably close to 2. or 3. I've been reading Media Lens on the subject.
ReplyDeleteI understand that George Mitchell is to be the envoy to the Middle East. He did an excellent job in negotiating in Northern Ireland so I'm very hopeful he can achieve something in the Gaza situation. In the end, it's been said before, one man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter. The only way to get peace is for the people involved to talk to each other, even if indirectly at the start. You cannot just blast the opposing side - it will cause far more hatred in the long run.
In 1955, Moshe Dayan said "What cause have we to complain about their fierce hatred for us? For eight years now they sit in their refugee camps in Gaza, and before their eyes we turn into our homestead the land and villages in which they and their forefathers have lived."
Does anyone seriously think bombing is going to change that hatred?
I agree with no 6, but as you know my belief system I will leave it at that.
ReplyDelete@A. - Thanks for your thoughtful comment. I know any rebuttal will be futile. I do hope you are right. I honestly hope that talking to the Palestinians today will produce a different result than it has the past 22,000-plus days. I am beginning to think not, however. Take care, hear?
ReplyDelete@Frostygirl - Yes, I know your views. And you know mine probably.
I am currently writing a history of the conflict and am sorely tempted to print excerpts here, but people are in the main reluctant to comment on issues that are controversial. So I probably won't bother.