The Israeli/Palestinian conflict is the most misunderstood issue in modern times, yet it arguably evokes far more passionate and visceral emotions than most other issues. Misconceptions abound, but the claim that this is an ancient conflict is the most commonly heard. Most cite the Bible when they make the assertion: “When Yahweh, your God, has led you into the land you are entering to make it your own, many nations will fall before you… nations greater and stronger than you.” (Jerusalem Bible, Deuteronomy 7.1) Despite this rousing pronouncement (and similar ones found in the Old Testament), the conflict between Israel and the stateless Palestinians is a modern conflict, born out of renewed interest in Zionism at the turn of the twentieth century, exacerbated by confused policies and promises made by British imperialists, and intensified by the creation of the state of Israel in 1948.

The Zionists, who promoted the creation of a Jewish state in Palestine, argued that they had historical ties to the land, which gave them the right to pursue statehood. They cited the Hebrew people, a pastoral people on-the-go, who were the descendents of Abraham (of Mesopotamia) and eventually settled on the land of Canaan (later known as Palestine). These were not a people who appeared to be of European descent—these were people with a dark complexion, a natural defense against the intense heat of the region. Around 1250 BCE, the Hebrews found a leader in Moses, who freed them from their enslavement by the Egyptians and guided them through the desert to the Sinai Peninsula (Ralph, 76). Yahweh spoke to Moses at the top of Mount Sinai, where Moses was told that the Hebrews would be Yahweh’s “chosen people” – so long as they obeyed him (Jerusalem Bible, Exodus 19.5). As Moses and his followers waited in Moab, after their arduous journey, Yahweh renewed his promise to the Hebrews that they would be victorious over the people of Canaan, and that the land they were promised would be “fertile” enough so that they would “never go hungry or ever be in need.” ( Read more )

We are now at the end of day 12 of the Israeli invasion of Gaza. Remember that the June 1967 war lasted only six days. In that war, Israel was able to defeat Egypt, Jordan, Syria, and a few other Arab states that contributed some troops to the war against Israel. Israel's quick victory demonstrated to the world, and to the United States in particular, that they were mightier than they were in 1948. The victory not only crushed Arab Nationalism and unity, smashed Nasser's political relevance, and gained them huge territorial gains, but it also earned them the support of the U.S., who wished to use Israel as a bulwark against any possible Soviet Union incursion into the middle-east. Israel took the Sinai peninsula, the Golan Heights, and they also took control over the Gaza Strip, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem. This war and the ongoing occupation has continued to influence the conflict in the region.



In the last few days, the violence in Gaza has escalated. An Israeli attack on a school in Gaza where the UN was sheltering about 350 civilians has resulted in the deaths of 40 people, injuring dozens more. This has been the third attack on schools in Gaza in the last twelve days. Most of those killed were civilians, according to paramedics, though Israel maintains that Hamas militants were using the school to fire rockets into Israel. Israel Defense Forces spokesman Brig. General Avi Benayahu said, "We face a very delicate situation where the Hamas is using the citizens of Gaza as a protective vest." The UN will begin investigations into the school bombing. John Ging, director of the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), said that the UN schools were all "clearly marked" with UN flags and that Israel had been given the global positioning coordinates of all school locations. Ging went on to say that, "We're demanding full accountability in accordance with international law and the duty of care that the parties to the conflict are obliged to adhere to." He also denied Israeli assertions that Hamas militants were using the school, saying, "So far we've not had violations by militants of our facilities." He insisted that the UN had vetted all civilians requesting shelter.
( Read More )

Yesterday, Israel launched air-strikes against the Hamas governed Gaza Strip. F16's and Apache helicopters rained missiles down upon 150 targets yesterday and today, killing at least 280 people and wounding about 600 people (though some estimates are as high as 700). Israel's Defense Minister (and former PM) Ehud Barak said that the operation ('Operation Cast Lead') in Gaza were going to continue and expand: "This will not be a short operation. The war on terrorism is an ongoing one, and we will have to stand firm in order to change the situation in the south." The breakdown of the 6 month Egyptian-brokered truce ended December 19th, which Hamas failed to renew because of Israel's failure to uphold the terms of the truce. A tit-for-tat, eye-for-an-eye, escalation ensued, resulting in the violence over the past few days. Whereas there have been massive Palestinian casualties, only one Israeli has been killed and 4 have been wounded from the 110 rockets that Hamas militants fired into Israel.


( Read more )

I can already see, despite my support of President-elect Obama, that my main criticism of his administration will be his lack of change in America's policy in the Middle East. So far, it hardly seems any different from Bush's, or Clinton's, or any other President's policy since John F. Kennedy. The last President to stand up to Israel, of course, was Eisenhower, who threatened to impose sanctions on Israel if it did not withdrawal from Egypt. Obama, thus far, does not appear to be so bold. So, with that, I will begin by offering Obama my solution to the conflict:



How to Solve the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict
In Eight Easy Steps!

In a post-9/11 world, with militant Islamic fundamentalism on the rise, it is even more imperative to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. For too long, the United States has believed that arming Israel to the teeth and maintaining a regional imbalance of power was a strategic asset. However, this has proven to be a misguided policy as it has fueled anti-Americanism in the Middle-East, which has manifested itself into acts terrorism. The only way to reverse the violent trend is to impose a general settlement along the following lines: provide for the self-determination of both Israelis and Palestinians within the borders created by the UN Partition Plan of 1947; both parties must recognize one another’s right to exist; the Israelis must allow for the return of refugees, or provide compensation to those families that decide to remain within the state of Palestine; the Jewish settlers in the West Bank must return to Israel, or accept Palestinian citizenship; both states must guarantee religious freedom to all its citizens; the UN will have the authority to patrol and secure the borders of Israel and Palestine, as well as have jurisdiction over Jerusalem, which will be the capital of both Israel and Palestine; and both states must agree to rein in and control their extremist populations, who will undoubtedly, perhaps violently, reject any peace agreement. This settlement must be implemented speedily, so as to avoid any potential political stalling.
( Read more )