Opinions on the "most recent" Israeli-Palestinian conflict

[thetreble 19]

So I am getting a ton of emails and facebook things from my friends trying to persuade me to show my support for Palestine in the newest conflict between the two parties.

There has been a lot of media spotlight on the conflict and I am just interested in knowing your thoughts on the matter.

Edited January 9, 2009 by thetreble

[Emancipation 2]

I dunno.. i guess mostly I think.. how does violence and war overcome violence and war..

I get that Israel feels threatened.. and I get that Gaza wants to end the horrible stranglehold Israel keeps on it's borders.. or at least I see two sides in a simple way.. I don't know all the nuances

But I think both sides have pulled stunts and have broken treaties, and I do think the timing of everything is JUST a little telling.. Christmas- before Obama gets elected...

But by doing it.. Israel have probably just created yet another generation of fHamas like soldiers & fighters.

*sigh....

I know many women are now widows, and many families have lost kids, fathers & family.. that's the sad undercurrent for me..

[The_Dude 1,142]

It's just a really messed up situation. Between Palestine, Syria and Israel, they just can't seem to find sany common ground. Israel is willing to give up gaza and the west bank, but then Syria chimes in and wants the Golan Heights back, which Israel is not willing to part with. This latest situation is really a continuation from the war 41 years ago.

The people of Palestine elected Hamas as their government. It is a horrible situation that they have to go through this. However, Hamas continued to launch rockets into Israel and kill it's citizens. It's a difficult situtation. I think Israel has a right to defend itself, but I think they are going way overboard in their reprisals. In reality though, what can they do? The Hamas government officials try to claim ignorance of the actions of it's millitary faction. They try to say that they are a completely different entity.

I have a good friend who thinks that Israel is doing all this (and last years offensive with Hezbollah) in an effort to provoke Syria into attacking them.

[DeadPoolX 9]

The problem is that the Palestinians are pawns. The Arab nations surrounding Israel hate the Palestinians, but they hate the Israelis more. In using the Palestinians are their "chess pieces," those nations are able to get their dirty work done for them.

Think about it. It make sense in some perverse way. Why send Syrian and Jordanian people out to kill the Israelis (when it might mean Syrian and Jordanian deaths) when they can use the Palestinians instead? If Palestinians are killed, then no one was harmed in Syria, Jordan or wherever else. Even better for those hostile surrounding countries is that they can claim "Israeli aggression" without implicating themselves in the process.

Israel has a policy of "you hit us, we'll hit back harder." This policy is highly understandable given the anti-Semitic feelings and violence that have occurred against Jews for the past 2000 years or more. In much of the world, covert (and sometimes overt) anti-Semitism is alive and well. "Never again" is the Israeli slogan. No matter what people may think of Israel (or Jews as a people and religion), the hard truth is that Israel will respond with force if violent actions are taken against it.

I've always said that "peace won't occur until Palestinians care more about their relatives than hurting the Israelis." This means that the Palestinians need to stop supporting terrorist groups such as Hamas, who attack Israel with suicide bombers, car bombs and by firing rockets into Israel. Provoking a nation which houses far better technology and a highly trained military force that tends to respond forcefully is generally considered an unwise move.

If the Middle East has any hope of obtaining peace, the Palestinians need to stop being manipulated and realize that it only hurts them to attack Israel. Once the attacks cease (or at least greatly diminish), I'm sure Israel would encourage the creation of a peace treaty and look forward to opening trade with the Palestinians and other nations around it. Such actions would only serve to benefit all parties.