Christian Democrats in the United States
Global Issues - Israel and Palestine Israel does exist, and we decry all attempts to terrorize its civilians with useless and counter-productive attacks. However, a peaceful world of international civil law can never exist while some people are denied citizenship in any country. Everyone has a right to form governments so they do not live in a brutal state of nature, and so do Palestinians. Israel must accept the existence of a Palestinian state, and must work to provide a level of civil equality for them. President Clinton accomplished marvelous results in the Israeli-Palestine conflict before the end of his term, and the first thing G.W. Bush did was to withdraw Clinton's special envoy and adopt a hard-line stance. This action sabotaged efforts for peace and destabilized the region, led to further conflict and let the violent Hamas group step into the power vacuum. We must return to the diplomatic table in Clinton's spirit of reconciliation, to build a Middle-East world in which Israelis and Palestinians are able to peacefully co-exist. Subscribe to Posts [Atom]
Thursday, January 1, 2009
12:35 PM
Deeply ingrained in the Palestinian cultural psyche is the notion that suicide attacks, terrorist attacks, rocket attacks on civilians and those kinds of "political" targets have some strategic value for their political goals. Yet it would appear, from the ongoing conflict without end, in which the Palestinians are for the most part the recurrent losers, that these strategies do not further their goals of justice, peace, and independent statehood.
Going after soft targets achieves no military goal for the Palestinians. If they want to wage war then they would need go after Israeli military installations and chokepoints of their military transportation infrastructure. (I'm not saying they should do this, or that they would succeed, just that it would make more sense as a military strategy.) But instead, when Palestinians get into conflict, they engage in militarily hopeless suicide missions, which have the inevitable result of provoking Israel's military force.
Why?
Let's take the recent Hamas rocket attacks against Israeli towns. These rockets have no targeting systems and just land where ever they land. We may recall that Hitler's buzz bombs, while terrifying, only served to strengthen British resolve to end World War Two, and the allies won by making the bitter choice to turn that strategy against Germany a thousand fold, firebombing German cities and killing civilians by the thousands. Given that states, armies and politicians are unlikely to behave much differently than they did 70 years ago, or 700, or 7000, why would the states backing Palestine encourage a losing strategy that results in the inevitable reaction by the Israeli military?
Who gave the Palestinians these rockets? Probably Syria, Iran, Egypt, or Saudi Arabia, or at least arms dealers who are protected by those states. Do you think they didn't know what would happen? No. They knew very well what Israel would do. So, why?
The simple answer is that fascist pseudo-republics like Iran and Syria need a way to manipulate their citizens into loyalty. Anger is much easier to generate than happiness, and much easier to manipulate. If the people in charge of the Islamic states actually wanted peace, or wanted their people to be happy, or cared about the Palestinians at all, they would find a solution with Israel. If they actually wanted to destroy Israel, they would do it, but they do not, because the existence of Israel and the oppression of Palestine is useful to them to control their own people. So in a sense, the Islamic states hang the Palestinians upon the cross of the west, not for any higher purpose, but only to maintain the power of the Herods of the middle east.
As long as Palestinians continue attacks on Israel, they will continue to lose, and the fascists of the Islamic states have an easy way to stoke the anger and fear of their people and keep them in control. If the people of the Islamic states realized the truth, they would throw the crooks out and would take charge of their own educations, their own governments, and their own lives, and work for peace. Reconciliation for the past may never be possible, but moving forward may be possible anyway, because people are simply tired of violence. If the Palestinians realized this larger picture, they could make peace with Israel -- in fact, Israel could one day become their greatest ally, if they would let that future unfold.
Again, hierarchical state authority is the problem. The fascists throughout the middle east have manipulated the people's search for the highest cosmic authority, God, to create an excuse for absolute authority on Earth. That is a lie. There is no correspondence of divine authority to earthly authority. If everyone were holy like the prophets of God, that would work, but they are not -- most people are sinners, they are corruptible, and absolute power makes them crazy. That is why universal participatory democracy, liberty and freedom are essential for peace.
palestinians are sacrificed by the muslim states
Consider for a moment why the Palestinians always seem to lose. Is it just the fault of Israel? Or does culpability lie with the states who "support" the Palestinians?Deeply ingrained in the Palestinian cultural psyche is the notion that suicide attacks, terrorist attacks, rocket attacks on civilians and those kinds of "political" targets have some strategic value for their political goals. Yet it would appear, from the ongoing conflict without end, in which the Palestinians are for the most part the recurrent losers, that these strategies do not further their goals of justice, peace, and independent statehood.
Going after soft targets achieves no military goal for the Palestinians. If they want to wage war then they would need go after Israeli military installations and chokepoints of their military transportation infrastructure. (I'm not saying they should do this, or that they would succeed, just that it would make more sense as a military strategy.) But instead, when Palestinians get into conflict, they engage in militarily hopeless suicide missions, which have the inevitable result of provoking Israel's military force.
Why?
Let's take the recent Hamas rocket attacks against Israeli towns. These rockets have no targeting systems and just land where ever they land. We may recall that Hitler's buzz bombs, while terrifying, only served to strengthen British resolve to end World War Two, and the allies won by making the bitter choice to turn that strategy against Germany a thousand fold, firebombing German cities and killing civilians by the thousands. Given that states, armies and politicians are unlikely to behave much differently than they did 70 years ago, or 700, or 7000, why would the states backing Palestine encourage a losing strategy that results in the inevitable reaction by the Israeli military?
Who gave the Palestinians these rockets? Probably Syria, Iran, Egypt, or Saudi Arabia, or at least arms dealers who are protected by those states. Do you think they didn't know what would happen? No. They knew very well what Israel would do. So, why?
The simple answer is that fascist pseudo-republics like Iran and Syria need a way to manipulate their citizens into loyalty. Anger is much easier to generate than happiness, and much easier to manipulate. If the people in charge of the Islamic states actually wanted peace, or wanted their people to be happy, or cared about the Palestinians at all, they would find a solution with Israel. If they actually wanted to destroy Israel, they would do it, but they do not, because the existence of Israel and the oppression of Palestine is useful to them to control their own people. So in a sense, the Islamic states hang the Palestinians upon the cross of the west, not for any higher purpose, but only to maintain the power of the Herods of the middle east.
As long as Palestinians continue attacks on Israel, they will continue to lose, and the fascists of the Islamic states have an easy way to stoke the anger and fear of their people and keep them in control. If the people of the Islamic states realized the truth, they would throw the crooks out and would take charge of their own educations, their own governments, and their own lives, and work for peace. Reconciliation for the past may never be possible, but moving forward may be possible anyway, because people are simply tired of violence. If the Palestinians realized this larger picture, they could make peace with Israel -- in fact, Israel could one day become their greatest ally, if they would let that future unfold.
Again, hierarchical state authority is the problem. The fascists throughout the middle east have manipulated the people's search for the highest cosmic authority, God, to create an excuse for absolute authority on Earth. That is a lie. There is no correspondence of divine authority to earthly authority. If everyone were holy like the prophets of God, that would work, but they are not -- most people are sinners, they are corruptible, and absolute power makes them crazy. That is why universal participatory democracy, liberty and freedom are essential for peace.
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