I have given this conflict a fair amount of thought, and have not been able to formulate any solid conclusions on how to bring a peaceful resolution. I figure I could win the Nobel Peace Prize if I can formulate that equation. It seems that a lot of very smart people, presumably much smarter than I, have failed at this as well much more publicly, so I don't feel too bad. Anywho, I decided to write an email to Mr. Steve Osborn explaining my problem with his analogy. I figured I would share it here as well.
Here is how he begins after a good historical perspective of the creation of the Warsaw Ghetto:
When the partition took place, Palestine was broken into two countries, Jordan (or Transjordan at the time) and Israel. The Palestinian people, those who had resided in Palestine during the post WW1 British protectorate, or within the Ottoman Empire prior to 1918, would be divided into these two new countries with a new nationality; Jordanians and Israelis. Palestinians would cease to exist in a perfect UN mandated world. Those who still consider themselves to be Palestinian today, are wrong, Palestine ceased to exist in 1947.I bring up this "ancient" history because, unfortunately, I see the same thing
going on in Israel today. In1947, the UN General Assembly approved the 1947 UN
Partition Plan dividing the territory of Palestine into two states, with the
Jewish area having roughly 55% of the land, and the Arab area roughly 45%.
Jerusalem was planned to be an international region administered by the UN to
avoid conflict over its status.
The UN mandate was set up to provide a sovereign nation for the Arab population, Jordan as well as a state for the Jewish population, Israel. The Arab population could have moved, think India/Pakistan at the same time (not a peaceful transition, but hey the world is not perfect) or if they chose not to move and remain in their respective new country, then they should have agreed to live within the laws set up in that new country. As an ethnic minority within the Jewish state of Israel they might have had an opportunity to press for peace, but that was something that those Arab Palestinians were never willing to do and are still not willing to do. Instead they made further demands that Israel be further partitioned to make room for yet another neighboring enemy, in spite of the original UN mandate.
If they admitted or acknowledged or recognized that Israel is a real country, neigh their country and that they could have voted in election to bring Arab politicians into the Knesset and could have brought a larger voice to the political process, then we would not be where we are now? Instead the Arabs living under Jewish rule chose to use violence and terrorism to achieve their means and continue to do so. Comparing this situation to the Warsaw Ghetto is simply not a similar or fair comparison. Jews were forced into the Ghetto from their homes, it is not like they lived there before 1940. The Jews were oppressed and unable to vote or have any say in what was happening around them. The Palestinians or the Israeli Arabs, have made a conscious choice not to participate in the Israeli government, not the other way around.
The fact is that Israel has needed to defend their homeland from insurgents and terrorists who have never accepted the UN mandate of 1947. This would be like Lincoln freeing the slaves in 1863, and having the former slaves refuse to accept that they are citizens of the United States demanding their own state and using terrorist tactics into at least the 1920's.
Don't get me wrong, I am in full support of your efforts to promote World Peace. I am all in favor of that initative. I would like nothing more than for the conflict in the Middle East and all conflict to be resolved peacefully without another life being wasted, without another suicide bomber blowing himself and city blocks to bits, without the hatred that has existed between man for centuries. However placing blame on citizens and governments of Israel who are simply trying to defend their home land, (which is exactly what we should be focusing on, rather than trying to push our views and ways onto those who don't want us there) and comparing them to the Nazi's is outrageous and wrong.
I agree that what is happening in the world and the way we are dealing with it, is not working. Greed and Terror are not part of my libertarian ideals. We are certainly not even following our own laws, let alone the laws of other sovereign countries. But rather trying to blame a government that has been like Switzerland, living in a bad neighborhood, but also worse, where everyone in your neighborhood hates you and is constantly trying to encroach on your property from the outside and the inside, how much can you really acheive by talking? Someone needs to talk to their neighbors and ask them question of how to resolve this issue without violence and terrorism. Once that occurs, I have to believe that Israel will be happy to come to the negotiating table, but until then something stronger is necessary.
What would you do if some group decided that they wanted your home and land and was willing to destroy your family and themselves in order to acheive your goal. At some point in time, perhaps as a last resort, but you must defend yourself, and that is what Israel is trying to do. For as much of a pacifist I believe myself to be, if my home or family were under attack, you better believe that I would do everything in my place to keep them safe, and if talking doesn't work then you have to resort more drastic means. But hey, maybe that is just me.
3 comments:
The Israel-Palestine conflict is certainly the focal point of all the middle east. It is how this conflict gets resolved, not the oil supply, that will ultimately determine the status of the region.
That said, I have a question regarding your statement that the Palestinians are wrong to call themselves Palestinians. My grandfather came to this country as a young boy from Krakow. However, at the time Poland was swallowed up between Austria-Hungary and Russia. Does that mean he is not Polish?
E-
That is a very good point, however the only distinction I would make is because the way European nations were expanding their borders in the pre WWI era, they did not change the national identity of those citizens that were annexed. They just acted as if the free terrority formerly known as Poland was now part of Austria/Hungary or Russia. Essentially a Polish state or nation within the borders of the empire.
The territory that was Palestine was not annexed by another empire in 1947, it was split into two sovereign nations. I honestly don't know why the name Palestine was removed from the territory, perhaps the same reason we have Iran today and not Persia. But it seems if the Arab territory that was called Palestine and not (Trans)Jordan, then maybe we would not be in the same situation we are today.
Jeff,
Thanks for the clear thinking on this issue. To answer e-luv's point, my father-in-law and the other Jews who lived in Israel at the time of the British Mandate were the ones called "Palestinians." The Arabs that were there considered themselves Arabs, with no real distinction between themselves and those living in the surrounding nations, and they certainly did not have any ancient roots in the region. They only adopted the "Palestinian" identity for PR purposes to try to establish a claim for themselves in Israel. If they had accepted the relatively huge territory designated for them in 1948, or if the other Arab nations had taken in their "brothers" after creating the refugee problem themselves, we might not be in the same situation we are in now. On the other hand, since the Arabs cannot abide the existence of even a tiny Jewish country in their midst, that probably would not have been enough to avert the conflict.
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