HOME | POLITICS | SPORTS | LIFE | SCI/TECH | OPEDS | HELPFUL TIPS
|
Oct. 14, 2004 Long gone are the optimistic days when I used to ask my Dad for a dime to buy a leaf for a tree to be planted in the Negev desert of Israel. That was a time when deserts lands were being reclaimed in the early 60’s to make way for orange tree groves and other trees. The country was created for the Jewish Diaspora I was told so that I could visit and bring family too, but years have passed and the desire to visit after some much bloodshed in the region has decreased. I am troubled by the current state of affairs surrounding Israel, its hard line against Palestinians in the West Bank with the building of a wall. Lately I hear about the state of Israel being illegitimate by an Arab girl promoting the rights of Palestinians. There is also a continued association of Jews in Israel to Zionism and that is worrisome as that connotes an expansion of the Hebrew state against the will of those that surround it. The dream that David be Gurion had to promote Israel’s extension to the Euphrates river was a ploy by Israel’s enemies to discredit it’s existence. More and more hate against Israel is being disseminated over the internet in part due to the aggressive policies of Sharon countering extremism and in part due to sympathizing with frustrated Palestinians who have never witnessed a homeland that hasn’t been under counter siege. Jews in my province are more aware of how Palestinians are depicted as heroes under siege by Israeli bullies and there is little consolation of how Israelis have had to deal with an increase in terrorist bombings in civilian targeted areas. There is little consolation of the lack of recognition of its borders by surrounding states like Iraq or Syria. This is not to say that there are Israelis who have been able to witness a life free of extremist incursions, plenty have died and will continue until Palestine can have a complete autonomy and its citizens can find themselves treated as equals among other men. There is much opposition against Sharon’s heavy handedness but who am I to criticize that when I am so far removed from the country. I believe that both Israel and Palestine have rights to exist. It’s argued that Israel has been in the Mid East long before Arabs began to populate the region. Yet even after the loss of the kingdoms of Judea and Israel shouldn’t one accept the present reality of the Palestine nation without building a wall to confine it? And what about the existence of Palestine before Jews migrated there when it was under the British mandate? The right of Israel to exist shouldn’t be at the expense of disallowing Palestine to exist. Yet it seems world news reports only point out that Israel has to return conquered lands back to the hands of the Arab nations and to accept borders that are pervious to the infiltration of suicide bombers while those nations harboring extremist organizations don’t have to. So the existence of Israel is constantly in peril leading to an endless tit for tat against Palestinian incursions. Or perhaps I should turn that statement around and say against Israel incursions since that Israel was recently responsible for the destruction of whole areas in Gaza because of some suspected terrorist hideouts that proved groundless. Even the UN denounced those incursions but to no avail. It appears many in Europe are happy that Israel should not be allowed to defend itself. Here are countries that made it difficult for Jews to be accepted for asylum once Hitler and Mussolini began to purge their countries of any Jewish leadership. Recently another suicide attack entered Israel at a point when the wall being built between the West bank and the rest of the country was incomplete. Advocates of the wall say had it only been complete the attack would have been avoided. I find it difficult to accept a wall that divides families especially after the Berlin Wall was taken down after so many years of communist rule. Opponents of a wall- less border between the Palestinian West bank and Israel say that comparing it to the Berlin Wall is senseless. That was a wall imposed from without. It was a physical statement that the Soviet gave to the West about dividing ideologies and to a degree it kept capitalism out. Will the wall between Israel and Palestine survive? As long it doesn't remain a threat to Palestian survival, I think it will. It has contributed to a large drop in terrorist incurions from the West Bank. But many predict it will only fuel further resentment between both sides. Only time will tell. ------------ About the author Martin Dansky: Visit: http://www.writers.net/writers/state/61/ http://books.lulu.com/content/49036 http://h.lalo.free.fr/site_martin/ Email: admiral9@sprint.ca Tell a friend about this site! ------------ |
||||||
|
|
|||||||
|
