For eight days in November last year,
both Israelis and Palestinians launched rockets at each other, killing dozens
of innocent civilians including children, and wounding hundreds of others. Both
sides committed violations of the laws of war. Both have also committed human
rights violations in the past year. Israeli security forces demolished hundreds
of Palestinian homes within Israeli control, used what many consider excessive
force against Palestinian demonstrators, and subjected Palestinians to unfair
trials. Palestinian security forces made arbitrary arrests and tortured and
denied detainees access to their lawyers. Many of these detainees were
Palestinians themselves.
Conflict between Israelis and
Palestinians has been ongoing since the beginning of the 20th
century. It is a heated and emotional struggle with deep roots in religion going
back hundreds, even thousands, of years. As a result, neither side can put
themselves in the shoes of the other, but until they do, this issue will never
be resolved. There will never be peace and human rights will continue to be
violated. Both groups have a claim to the area, but neither has the right to
harm innocent civilians.
It is obvious that neither group is
going to give up its claims. So what options are left? Complete annihilation of
one or both groups is, of course, out of the question. The only possible
solution is a successful peace agreement in which two separate states coexist
side by side. That requires both groups to cooperate and trust that the other will
uphold its end. Neither appears to be capable of such trust, and, to be honest,
in a similar situation I don’t think the US would be either. So, it seems we
are destined to continue to see war between these nations, and casualties, for
the foreseeable future. Hopefully a third party will be able to inspire cooperation
soon, else this could very well turn into World War III.
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