Dec 29 2008
Israel
I am just going to post a brief post here. I am really indifferent to the situation between Israel and Palestine. I care that it’s happening, I think it’s very sad, and I feel very sorry for the people who live with that kind of violence every day. But I really don’t take sides on it.
The reality of it is that both sides have commited some terrible, terrible, atrocities. And both sides are fighting over what they consider to be a) their home, and b) the center of their religious history. They are both right, and they are both very, very wrong. And it’s very ironic to me that two “religious” groups could do this to each other. When it boils down to it, the fundamental beliefs of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam are similar.
What I do have a serious problem with is the serious double standard the U.S. applies in this situation, and relative to other situations. Even our statement that Israel’s attacks are unjustified is hedged with the declaration that the attacks were still justified. If this were any other nation, we would demand an immediate stop to the violence, no caveats attached. This situation undermines the U.S.’s credibility in all international relations.
I hear what your saying but think if Canada was launching missles into American cities you don’t think we would respond the same way….
100% agreed. I’ve taken a lot of flack for my statements on it, including many people who said I was supporting Hamas. I’m not supporting them at all, I’m just saying I don’t support what Israel is doing for revenge.
I just feel so terrible for the innocent people stuck in between.
Clearly you do take sides.
There are faults on both sides of this conflict…
However, if I live in a community with my family and had to be concerned with an incoming rocket every couple days- I would be very disturbed. Now multiply that by hundreds of rockets daily and tell me how you would expect your government to react? Would you ask them to meet with the other side and see if something could be worked out to stop the incoming rockets knowing it might take only a week or so? Or knowing the history hope they would be able to attack the other side to stop it immediately an then negotiate with them.
Think about how you would react if it were you and your loved one waiting for the next incoming rocket.
skwguitar, I may have been one who has given you flack, and I am going to continue dishing it out to you because of your views on revenge.
Revenge is suicide bombers in marketplaces. Revenge is capturing soldiers and holding them hostage for years without access. Revenge is lobbing bombs into cities for years without fear of reprisal due to the political atmosphere of Anti-Israel. Revenge is refusal to recognize your fellow man as being a legitimate people and being hell bent on destroying them until they are no more- a stated goal of Hamas. Revenge is killing your own because they dont espouse to your ideas of terror or government. The innocent on both sides are suffering. Suffering is a consequesnce of not negotiating. Suffering is a result of Hamas’ refusal to honor agreements. Hamas doesn’t care about their own people. Hamas hides with the civilian population. They are heartless cowards who dont even deserve the fearful title of terrorists. I would not be afraid of a man hiding out with a bunch of women and children hoping to either save his own life or die trying. Skwguitar, you are clearly on the side of Hamas as I am on the side of Israel.
davidrude- If Canada were launching rockets into the United States is an entirely different scenario. Let’s say that we decided one day that we wanted to put all of the polygamists who are being persecuted by state governments in British Columbia. We pushed all of the Canadians across the border to the U.S., where people called them “Canucks” and didn’t want them. We then enabled the polygamists to refuse to allow anyone who did not believe in plural marriage to vote. They are allowed to chase these people out of their homes.
Now, the British Columbians (is that a word?) get upset and launch rockets into our newfound polygamist compound.
Would we think that they might be entitled to this reaction? Funny how things change when you switch the role of the “mainstream” and the “exotic” religion.
glynn- I’m not taking sides. I’m asking, in my opinion, the legitimate question of why our government so clearly has, when we ignore far greater and far more one-sided conflicts throughout the world every day.
tghirb- I entirely agree with you from the perspective of the Israelis. I also have to say that if my grandfather was born and raised on a piece of land, which was in a city my religion considered Holy, and all of a sudden, my whole family was removed from that land, and told they were not welcome, were not citizens, etc. but people of a certain religion, regardless of their geographic history were, what would I expect the State to do? And when they couldn’t do it, would it be entirely unthinkable to look for someone else who would?
As far as the overall point of both my post and my comment, there is definitely plenty of blame for both sides in this conflict.
ndefenceofobama- I read your comment, but haven’t read enough of skwguitar’s or your own comments on this issue to really make a judgment about either of your views.
Everyone, thanks for stopping by and commenting!