The middle eastern conflict, has so many sides and angles that I am starting to feel that I may not survive this without the use of a lot of beer and great understanding. Before I voice my opinions here, let me be clear: I am neither "Pro Israel" or "Pro Palestine", which are camps people have aligned themselves into. I am Pro peace, tolerance, respecting human life and for the love of all that is holy I am pro not completely destroying the hope of leaving our children with a planet that is riddled with hate and violence. Is it not bad enough that we have and continue to completely mess up the environment...but that is a discussion for another rant... Every day my view on this situation changes. Every day I am swayed extreme left and then extreme right. I am confused and angry and find myself in a situation where I am being forced to pick sides. I don't want to pick sides. Unless its the side between left and right that still believes that human beings can drop the hate and anger (and guns) and start talking to each other, listening to each other, and therefore understanding each other.
In the last week, the iron dome was tested and a rocket hit 50 meters from our apartment. We packed a bag and fled north and have been jumping from one place to one place trying to figure out where to from here. And all this while being bombarded by news, opinions, propaganda from all sides that I feel like I am drowning in the confusion of it it. I ask myself repeatedly, what am I doing here...What I can do to help.. How I can be bigger than myself and make a difference... not sitting on my soap box picking sides like everyone else, I mean getting my hands dirty, making a real difference for peace. I am left feeling very helpless. So I write this, not to tell you your opinion is wrong or disagree with you, whatever your stand my be, I write this in hope that some how I may get clarity, or find a solution in my ramblings or just a general direction of where to from here...
My view on Hamas...Freedom fighter or Terrorist?
I asked myself this morning, after a comment was made on my facebook (anti Israeli stand point) about how "primitive" the rockets that Hamas are firing are (and therefore the Israeli army out guns them so badly that it is an unfair fight), I asked myself, why, knowing full well the force of the Israeli army (an army so used to fighting and defending itself that it doesn't know when to talk and when to shoot) and their firing power, why are they shooting rockets that 1. They know won't hit targets and 2. Will not result in casualties... The argument can be made that Hamas is using little resources it has to fight for the freedom of their oppressed people. Not a notion I haven't thought of myself. But something doesn't add up. Human Shield strategies. Rockets found at schools. The findings of tunnels (months in the making), aimed at getting into Israel, the quickness of the Palestinian support. The force at which they hit the social media for calls for help and the fact that in not ONE international news report, does it mention an "armed" militant or soldier was killed...270 Palestine's killed. 2 IDF soldiers died. mmmm makes the Israeli's out to look like a bunch of gun wielding bullies doesn't it - just a thought to ponder.
To me, this was a very well thought out clever plan. Which started with the kidnapping of three Jewish boys... A plan that relied on the stupidity of fundamentalist jews to retaliate and disgustingly kill a Muslim boy, and for the army to retaliate to the retaliation. A plan that they, Hamas, were prepared to sacrifice lives for. They played Israel's hand perfectly...they shot rockets knowing Iron Dome would intercept. Taunting Israel into action, despite not having any causalities. Because everyone loves an underdog, Israel's support has been penalized because of that Iron Dome. All people see are the hundreds of Palestinians killed, while the Israeli number where two (last checking - a number that flashes all over the news)... But I digress. Then they put their people in the firing line and pictures of dead civilians and children start to circulate the news while people in Tel Aviv are shot on the beach smiling while they run for cover for an alarm. Once again Israel is shown to be the big bully, (I am not saying they not, just go with me here, picking on people that they stole land from (another debate I wish not to get into)...Israel is the super villain, everyone jumps onto the band wagon and then, when you fight back, and launch your soldiers (terrorists/freedom fighters) into tunnels and over sea into Israel and your soldiers attack and blow things up and kill people, everyone will say, oh Israel asked for it. Look what they are doing to the people.
I have no doubt that the Palestinian people have a raw deal and when we went to Bethlehem last year, and we spoke to people in the markets, it was clear that the situation in Israel or west bank or Gaza whichever you prefer, has got to change. It is clear that Palestinian people are caught in cross fire and their kids are paying with their lives. But this is not a simple political situation. And this war is not between the Palestinian people and Israel... It actually has nothing to do with their freedom. I have seen Hamas's Constitution. They do not wish for peace, they do not wish to live side by side with the Israelis. They arm their children and teach them war and plan to kill every Israeli. That is their end goal. That is what they want. And how clever of them to disguise their agenda behind the aggression of Israel. How clever of them to distract so many people from the fact that their fundamentalist thinking is the same thinking of the Taliban or Al Quaidi whose foe is Western Civilization. Who take the freedom of their own people away and outlaw things like singing in public. The same thinking that doesn't allow woman to vote or drive cars. Who pay $10000 to families that have a member volunteering to be suicide bombers.Who preach that for your kids to die is a blessing.
So many people fly the banners "free Palestine" or "I stand by Israel", so many people attack each other (from both sides) with hate speech, all this while the focus is taken of Hamas and their agenda. I am not condoning the killing of kids on the beach. I do not agree with this war. I am horrified by rocket sirens and the sounds of guns I have heard in Gaza (that's how close I was to the situation), there are too many people getting distracted by pro Israeli and Pro Palestine propaganda that we are forgetting who the real enemy is here. And all those protesters, sit in their countries, safe from rocket fire and ignorant that the media, whom pick sides at will, is not showing them the whole picture.
As Nelson Mandela said : No
one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin, or
his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they
can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more
naturally to the human heart than its opposite... I chose to believe that there is still hope for tolerance and love and if people just stopped with their pro this and pro that rants and their hatred for either side, they could look at this situation as whole, and see that it is not as clear cut as Israel is a bully and Palestine are helpless. This is not a he said, she said. This is not (only) about the freedom of the oppressed or the human right to live in safety. There are far bigger problems going on here....
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