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The Great Myth
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Disclaimer:
David P. Price, PhD is responsible for this content, which is not edited by the Wilson County News or wilsoncountynews.com. |
October 17, 2009 | 2 comments
Controversy has surrounded awarding the Nobel Peace Prize to President Obama, but he is deserving. Aside from political courage in dealing with Middle East issues – he understands what few people do; that peace in the Israeli/Palestinian Conflict is possible.
The Myth. The majority of Americans do not believe peace is possible due to what is essentially a universal myth. And that myth is that, “They’ve been fighting for thousands of years”. That idea is completely and totally false. The truth is yes, thousands of years ago there was fighting, but for 2000 years there was peace (in Palestine). What we know as the Middle East Crisis did not begin until 1946.
The History. When Moses led the Jews out of Egypt they marched into Palestine and took the country by conquest. The strategy was simple but brutal. Surrender, or the Israelites would engage in genocide. The first citadel encountered was Jericho and to send a message, Joshua (the Israelite’s general) had every man, woman and child put to death.
The Jews believe it was God’s Will they conquered Palestine, as this was their “Promised Land”. The historical record indicates the Israelites were a skilled, disciplined (and ruthless) fighting force that did in fact conquer Palestine . . . but they held it only until faced with an even more powerful force; the Roman Army.
To bring peace to the region, in 1948 the UN separated Palestine into two sectors; Israel and the Palestinian Territories. Although Ben Gurion signed the UN Accord, interviews published in Israeli newspapers revealed there was never any intention of respecting the designated borders.
In 1967, Israel engaged in a justified act of self-defense, pre-emptively attacking Egypt, Jordan and Syria; which were conspiring to attack Israel. It was during the 6 day War in which Israel seized control of the Palestinian Territories.
The Conflict Today centers around the seizing of homes in the West Bank (the largest of the Palestinian Territories). One by one, Palestinian families are driven from their homes and sent to refugee camps. In violation of international law, the homes are destroyed and replaced with Jewish “settlements”. Palestinian farmers are likewise driven from their land and/or have their irrigation water (from the Jordan River) taken from them.
It is raw conquest, which flies in the face of any standard of modern civilized behavior. Conquest that is perpetrated with US weapons.
The Road to Peace is simple. The seizing of Palestinian land must stop. Every US president since Richard Nixon has engaged in rhetoric to that effect, but only Barack Obama has meant it. Barack Obama has said there must be a two state solution and Israel must not meddle or engage in activities to damage the Palestinian economy.
The Bottom Line is that no – they haven’t been fighting for thousands of years. The fighting did not begin until after WWII. While there are bitter, displaced Palestinians who are willing to engage in terrorism, there are also radical Israelis who want to continue to displace the Palestinians and take what is left of their land. But the majority of Israelis and Palestinians want peace. Give the Palestinians sovereign borders and the land promised to them by the UN Charter, and there will be peace. Prior to Barack Obama, we were calling for peace while allowing one side to continue in an insidious program of small scale military conquest. That is not a recipe for peace. That is a guarantee for continued hatred and conflict.
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4th Generation Texan
Sutherland Springs
October 28, 2009 10:17am
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October 27, 2009 8:05pm
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