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June 29, 2006
Let God Sort 'Em Out
Anyone else besides me just completely sick of the Middle East? It's virtually impossible anymore to find white knights or good guys over there; the world could be excused for throwing up its hands and exclaiming in exasperation that no one in that part of the world wants peace anyway, so we're going to write you all off and let you kill each other.
This week's events are more of the "same as it ever was" that you always get in that part of the world. Early in the week, there were reports that Fatah and Hamas were about to ink an agreement that implicitly recognized Israel's right to exist. Not the solution to everything, but certainly a positive step in bringing stability to the region. So naturally, this week Israel has escalated military action in Gaza, conducting multiple missile attacks and making mass arrests (including about 20 Hamas members of the Palestinian cabinet), in response to the kidnapping of a soldier. This action virtually assures that Hamas will dig its heels in, revert to its militaristic, terroristic roots, and whatever window might have been opened with the tentative agreement is likely closed.
This isn't a rant against Israel. I'm sure the next time, Israel will make some conciliatory move, and it will be the Palestinian side that reacts with some action that will slam the door shut on peace and ensure more fighting and bloodshed. It just seems to be the raison d'etre in that part of the world to take olive brances, fashion them into spears, and impale one another with them. Doesn't matter which side you're on. The only constant is an element on each side that simply does not want peace under any circumstances other than complete and total victory.
And that's exhausting to many of us in the rest of the world who would like nothing more than for the Star of David and the Crescent to be raised together in peace.
(Oh - and for the record... despite the presence of extremists on both sides who argue that you cannot even criticize the actions of a government without it somehow reflecting prejudice against the governed, I am neither a Zionist nor an anti-Semite... just as it is possible to criticize the US government's actions without being anti-American, it is possible to criticize the Israeli government without being anti-Israel or anti-Semitic, and it is possible to criticize the Palestinian Authority or Parliament -- or the actions of extremist groups among the community -- without being anti-Palestinian or anti-Arab or anti-Muslim.
I know far too many "Israel is/the Palestinians are always right" types who simply will not accept any other position than 100% lockstep agreement. To those on each side, I say, you'll find no quarter here. To my mind, both sides have earned equal criticism and neither side is above reproach when it comes to making peace work. Extreme jingoism -- whether here in the States among conservatives, or among Israel's supporters, or in tsupport of Palestinians -- is something I disdain and always will, no matter its source. Everyone is open for criticism, at any time, for anything.)
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Comments
The sad thing is, this feud goes back thousands of years. I don't think the Hatfields/McCoys go back that far.
Posted by: A Disturbingly Cynical College Student at June 29, 2006 12:36 PM
I think that this is what happens when the population of an area reaches a certain point vis-a-vis the region's available resources. All of the human problems/prejudices (Muslim v. Jew, Rich/Powerful v. Poor) just add to the fun.
Posted by: Mike at June 29, 2006 12:54 PM
