I'm so frustrated about the situation in Israel. I've watched
friends nearly get in fistfights or "unfriend" each other over
hurtful comments from people on both sides (and sometimes from two people on
the "same side"). I've read heartfelt stories about heartbreaking
situations on both sides. It's inevitable that war is inclined to divide us,
but I think the better solution in a case like this is for it to bring us
together - for there to keep being respectful dialogue. The goal should be to
stop the violence, not to kill all the Jews or to kill all the Arabs. I've been
crushed hearing about the civilian casualties in Gaza, but I've also been
crushed to hear about the deaths of Israeli soldiers -- I can't get the
graveyard that we visited in Jerusalem out of my head. Now the FAA has stopped
flights to Israel, and I'm just sitting here WISHING there was something I
could do and worrying about my friends in the army and their friends and
family... as well as about the families and friends of the Palestinians that I
know. Can't we just accept that this is mutually tragic and try to put the
pieces back together without pointing fingers and fighting with each other all
over the world?
Personally, while I think things escalated crazily and
unnecessarily over the deaths of the three Israeli teenagers who were
hitchhiking in the West Bank, and that it's absolutely atrocious that the
Palestinian teenager was killed in retaliation, getting rid of the tunnel
network used by terrorists is an important homeland security task. Stopping the
rocket bombardment into Israel that wasn't even stopped by agreed upon
ceasefires and is targeting civilians is also an important homeland security
task. The Israelis have a right to protect themselves. Does that mean that the
virtual caste system going on in Israel is a good thing? No. Does that mean
that the subjugation of the Palestinians is a good thing? Hell no. But this war
isn't about taking territory, and these bigger issues need to peacefully
resolved with compromise on BOTH sides - no amount of missiles is going to
solve them.
Human shields are a scary and powerful weapon in the court
of public opinion. Adding up civilian deaths is an easy way to get the other
side to look bad. I do think that the Israelis have attempted to warn civilians
and get them out of the way -- but the fact that Gazans are practically locked
in their country with nowhere to go and no ability to get in or out means
everywhere is not safe. Hiding missiles in and under schools and hospitals -
again, a way to get the court of public opinion on your side. If the goal is to
destroy the missiles, they need to be destroyed regardless of where they lie.
Again, civilian casualties should always be minimized, but I was reading
yesterday about two terrorists using ambulances to transport themselves and
missiles in Gaza. Yes, those ambulances are then not really ambulances and
become fair-game targets.
Again, the whole thing is tragic. No one is in the right.
But hopefully we, the people scattered around the world, can stop biting each
other’s heads off and come together to lead to a peaceful solution, an end to
the violence, and to provide help to the victims on both sides.
I’m not putting this whole thing on Facebook – because it’s
too long and because I don’t want to start a big argument. I value that I have
friends on both sides of the conflict. I value and respect those friendships
and hope you will all respect my rights to an opinion. I also hope, regardless
of which side you’re on, you take a moment to also pray for/think of those on
the other side. May BOTH sides be safe and this conflict be resolved with as
few deaths as possible.
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