Gaza
Many Arab Muslims think American Christians are their enemies. Feeding this belief is the U.S. government’s consistent siding with Israel against Palestinians. When Bill Clinton tried to broker peace in 2000, he did not simply propose ideas for settling differences to the two sides. He first gave Israel a chance to veto the proposals before bringing them to the table. This imbalanced approach in 2000 was consistent with decades of favoritism toward Israel—in military, economic, political and, perhaps most important, propaganda support. The current Bush administration outdid all previous lopsided approaches.
The dogged and unrealistic wish of Hamas for an end to the state of Israel can be understood if we recall nineteenth century America. Then some Native American braves refused to accept the reality of overwhelming white military supremacy. Today members of Hamas—Native Palestinians—refuse to accept the reality of overwhelming Israeli military supremacy. To expand this analogy, vastly greater Palestinian deaths and suffering receive less media coverage than the few Israeli casualties—at least in the U.S—as if non-whites were worth less. Yes, I suspect race is a factor.
American weapons will continue to protect the state of Israel, no matter how flagrant its abuse of Native Palestinians, because the United States continues to assuage its guilt for turning away Jewish refugees during the Holocaust. We have to get over it. Not our compassion for Jewish Holocaust victims, but our fear of being termed “anti-Semitic” whenever we acknowledge Palestinian suffering.
During supposed ceasefires, Israel deprives Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank of land, electricity, water, food, medicine, jobs, and a myriad number of supplies, not to mention basic human rights such as freedom to choose their own leaders. And Israel, not Hamas, first violated the last ceasefire, as CNN and other sources report: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KntmpoRXFX4
I do not advocate withdrawal of American support for Israel, but peace rests on justice, and this Americans have not promoted in Palestine. So Muslims go on thinking we are their enemies.
The dogged and unrealistic wish of Hamas for an end to the state of Israel can be understood if we recall nineteenth century America. Then some Native American braves refused to accept the reality of overwhelming white military supremacy. Today members of Hamas—Native Palestinians—refuse to accept the reality of overwhelming Israeli military supremacy. To expand this analogy, vastly greater Palestinian deaths and suffering receive less media coverage than the few Israeli casualties—at least in the U.S—as if non-whites were worth less. Yes, I suspect race is a factor.
American weapons will continue to protect the state of Israel, no matter how flagrant its abuse of Native Palestinians, because the United States continues to assuage its guilt for turning away Jewish refugees during the Holocaust. We have to get over it. Not our compassion for Jewish Holocaust victims, but our fear of being termed “anti-Semitic” whenever we acknowledge Palestinian suffering.
During supposed ceasefires, Israel deprives Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank of land, electricity, water, food, medicine, jobs, and a myriad number of supplies, not to mention basic human rights such as freedom to choose their own leaders. And Israel, not Hamas, first violated the last ceasefire, as CNN and other sources report: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KntmpoRXFX4
I do not advocate withdrawal of American support for Israel, but peace rests on justice, and this Americans have not promoted in Palestine. So Muslims go on thinking we are their enemies.
Comments
Americans have been brainwashed by Zionist propaganda, the American government and the American press to believe that Hamas lobes missiles into Israel for basically no reason. On your blog, you gave a short list of on going abuses Israel exacts on the Palestinians. Unfortunately, there are so many more serious humanitarian and political issues/resons, such as the Jewish settlements on Palestinian land.
Our government MUST have a more balanced and fair approach to the Middle East than it has in the past. Israel does what it damn well pleases, knowing the US well not do anything, but give them more money. And of course, it is all the fault of the Palestinians. We as a government have to realize that the Palestinians have a legitimate right to existence, too.
"This problem won’t be over until we address its root cause [injustice toward the indigenous people]. A Gaza resident summed it up: 'Yes, we must recognize Israel, but Israel must also recognize us.'”
And now from an email that came to me:
1. Call your Representative now at 202-224-3121 and tell them to vote "NO" on H.Res.34 and instead support UN Security Council Resolution 1860 which calls for an immediate ceasefire and humanitarian access. Earlier this morning, the House of Representative debated this resolution "recognizing Israel's right to defend itself against attacks from Gaza" but has yet to vote on it. To watch the debate, click here and then on the segment that begins with Rep. Berman at 9:15am. Congress is expected to vote on the resolution later today, so call now.