This is not that simple a question given that Hamas has been lobbing rockets at civilian targets and has been threatening to once again start using suicide bombers in Israel. Is peace ever even possible there?
John, I finally wrote about Gaza, too. I've been wanting to, but I was blocked until tonight. The latest figure that I had for Palestinians dead was 430, but that was a day or so ago. I see that the number has risen. It will rise more.
Did you know that over the period of 8 years that Hamas lobbed rockets into Israel, 15 people died. Now one person dead is too many, but the bombing and invasion seem like a disproportionate response by Israel.
Not that I don't see winner/loser or aggressor/victim in this as a far more complicated question. It is a tragedy all around. No winners, only losers. God grieves for the mess that we are.
If my own countrymen locked all the residents of Carter County into a holding pen and said "Here. Live like filth and die like filth", you better believe those people would lob rockets, rocks, whatever they could find. Desperate people will act, well, desperately.
The Israeli government has for years proudly stated that they will respond in an overwhelmingly disproportionate manner to anything the Palestinians will do. It is policy. Our tax money supports this as part of our disgustingly bloated "defense" budget. Until that one little bit of policy is changed, there will be no hope for peace.
Killed:
This is not that simple a question given that Hamas has been lobbing rockets at civilian targets and has been threatening to once again start using suicide bombers in Israel. Is peace ever even possible there?
ReplyDeleteJohn, I finally wrote about Gaza, too. I've been wanting to, but I was blocked until tonight. The latest figure that I had for Palestinians dead was 430, but that was a day or so ago. I see that the number has risen. It will rise more.
ReplyDeleteDid you know that over the period of 8 years that Hamas lobbed rockets into Israel, 15 people died. Now one person dead is too many, but the bombing and invasion seem like a disproportionate response by Israel.
More Japanese died in WW2 at the hands of the Americans than vice versa.
ReplyDeleteWho was the aggressor?
This is not a popular topic to write about. I was there 14 years ago, before the lobbing of rockets, before the wall.
ReplyDeleteThe Palestinians were treated like second-class citizens.
I don't have any answers. I don't know if there will be peace there ever.
I think Israel is wrong.
I think rockets are wrong.
But they are not equal.
There are many non-violent organizations I support, such as Sabeel.
Not that I don't see winner/loser or aggressor/victim in this as a far more complicated question. It is a tragedy all around. No winners, only losers. God grieves for the mess that we are.
ReplyDeleteI hear you Jim. It is tragedy all around. I continue to hold out hope for those crossing lines and making for peace and justice there for all people.
ReplyDeleteIf my own countrymen locked all the residents of Carter County into a holding pen and said "Here. Live like filth and die like filth", you better believe those people would lob rockets, rocks, whatever they could find. Desperate people will act, well, desperately.
ReplyDeleteThe Israeli government has for years proudly stated that they will respond in an overwhelmingly disproportionate manner to anything the Palestinians will do. It is policy. Our tax money supports this as part of our disgustingly bloated "defense" budget. Until that one little bit of policy is changed, there will be no hope for peace.