A person who is pro-Israel must also be pro-peace. For far too long Jews, lived without a homeland and were living by the whims of whatever people they lived under. Often, those whims lead to the deaths of thousands, and in the early 20th century, millions of Jews. Since the creation of the state of Israel, and the return of the Jews to their ancestral home, Jews and any who support Israel must take it upon themselves to support peace so that Jews can live without the threat of destruction.
But that does not mean Israel must neglect its role in protecting citizens: Jewish, Arab, Muslim or Christian. Since August 2005 when then Prime Minister Ariel Sharon ordered the pullout of the Gaza Strip, Qassam rockets have been launched into southern Israel daily. While the rockets miss their mark 90% of the time, they have a psychological effect on Israelis. Terrorism isn’t just a name used to vilify "the other." It refers to a tactic used by a people to cause total psychological, sociological and biological destruction.
To have Qassam rockets launched at you daily is to live in a perpetual state of mortal fear. Until last week, the politicians of Israel mostly left these communities to fend for themselves, not wanting to halt peace talks with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas (a.k.a. Abu Mazen). All the while, rockets launched from the Gaza Strip have created a situation that has left these border communities paralyzed from fear and paralyzed economically as businesses and people leave.
Most of us like to think that we are humanists and live in a world where the lines between right and wrong are clearly drawn. Sadly, this is so far from the truth. The idea of "collective punishment" for a mass population because of a small group of people goes against all notions of morality and international legality. There is one fatal flaw in our thought process: we live in democratic societies. In our society, the entire nation suffers "collective punishment" for whatever the majority votes into power.
The world and called for democracy within the territories in 2006. Hamas, which is recognized by the United States, Israel, European Union and the United Nations as a terrorist organization, was elected as the new government.
Because of Hamas’ actions, Palestinians living in the Gaza Strip are subjected to horrors, but that is because the Israeli government has a moral and legal right to protect its citizens from rockets and terrorists. Yet because of "refuseniks", or Israelis who refuse to work toward peace, Israeli citizens are being subjected to suicide bombings, Qassam rockets and an asymmetrical war where the enemy hides in shadows.
Yes, 112 Palestinian lives have been taken. And yes, Palestinians in Gaza are being subjected to "collective punishment." As a human being, it pains me to know things like this are happening, especially since I have family in Israel. But before we call the actions of Israel as too harsh, morally wrong, or the acts of a secretive expansionist plan, we must realize that the situation in the Middle East is a complex issue where emotions are the ruling factor instead of any use of intellectual thought. We in America are far removed from any sort of understanding of the problem over there, and the judgments we pass here must always be taken with a grain of salt.
In the end, all we can ever hope is that peace will someday prosper there, but before that, we must work toward that peace instead of just passing judgments.
