“Israel has the right to defend itself.”
These are the words we hear from both Democratic and Republican administrations whenever the government of Israel, with its enormous military power, responds to rocket attacks from Gaza.
Let’s be clear. No one is arguing that Israel, or any government, does not have the right to self-defense or to protect its people. So why are these words repeated year after year, war after war? And why is the question almost never asked: “What are the rights of the Palestinian people?”
And why do we seem to take notice of the violence in Israel and Palestine only when rockets are falling on Israel?
In this moment of crisis, the United States should be urging an immediate cease-fire. We should also understand that, while Hamas firing rockets into Israeli communities is absolutely unacceptable, today’s conflict did not begin with those rockets.
Palestinian families in the Jerusalem neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah have been living under the threat of eviction for many years, navigating a legal system designed to facilitate their forced displacement. And over the past weeks, extremist settlers have intensified their efforts to evict them.
And, tragically, those evictions […]
Because religion destroys all. It’s codified in each religion; the first 4 or so commandments are about the worship of this particular deity and no others.
A story as old as humanity of the oppressed becoming the oppressors. Victim consciousness of the oppressed can justify any action that sets things right and this holds true regardless of culture or religion. Add to that that both groups have a “holy book” that justifies their situations because God/Allah declares that they are the favored ones and nothing is more satisfying than being right.
Extremists on both sides pushing for the maximum advantage with Israel being by far the most powerful with their side determined to end this problem once and for all. Where does this all end? Oh, that’s right “the second coming”….and all religions claim to represent an all knowing, all loving God, creator of heaven and earth which some humans are determined to destroy in his name.