Does anybody remember why they Palestinians and the Israelis are fighting? Do they even remember why they are fighting? More importantly, does anyone really care?
These are not questions to be taken lightly although it seems that it no longer makes a difference. Unfortunately, the reason for the seemingly endless struggle may be locked away in hate-fogged memories and myopic views of revenge and retaliation, or it may have been forgotten altogether in the endless bloodshed and carnage.
It seems that the same conflict has been going on forever. Has there ever been peace in the Middle East? Even since Biblical times there has been constant turmoil and war with no end in sight. Why is peace an anathema to the Middle East? What ever the answer, it is long past due as that same unrest is now seeping into the rest of the world with Islamic extremist bent on bringing the world to war.
Perhaps, it is far past time to reevaluate of relationship with Israel and it seems that the United States is doing just that after the September 11 World Trade Center catastrophe. We have been one of the Israelis staunchest allies and they have been ours, but is it time to reevaluate the alliance? According to Israel, they don’t plan on having a solution at their expense and of course neither do their Arab neighbors.
Whatever the answer, we can no longer ignore the Middle East as it has come to our doorstep and knocked the door down after terrorists crashed passenger jets into the Pentagon and the World trade Center Towers last month. Still, why are these people fighting? What are they fighting for or against?
As a journalist I am tempted to research the subject, but instead I decided to rely on my feelings about it rather than dig back through the dusty news reels, yellowed newsclips and forgotten UN resolutions. I have lived with the fighting in the Middle East for as long as I can remember and I still don’t know for sure what it is about and at this point I really don’t care.
That is not a cavalier attitude speaking but rather a pragmatic view of a situation that has not changed for ages. It is the sarcastic spouting of a soul that thinks “just let them fight it out and whoever wins becomes our new best friends.” There have been attempts at peace and all have failed and the fighting has continued. Both sides are caught in a closed-loop of revenge, retaliation and reliving the past. No new ground has been broken, nor will it be broken as long as minds continue to live in the past with no thought for the future. At what point does man weary of war? Or, does the constant fighting make it seem that life is meant to be lived that way?
We cannot abandon our allies nor can we allow this fighting to continue endlessly until it spills over the brim and the whole world is at war. It is past time that we get the Israelis and the rest of the Middle East to stop and if that means angering the Israelis then let them be angry. If it means angering the Arabs states, let them be angry, but let them stop fighting and start thinking about moving into the 21st century.
A real effort needs to be made to resolve the real issues that afflict most of the Middle East. We have stood idly by and done nothing for so long as it stayed in the Middle East. That time is past and if we don’t want to become embroiled in the same endless war, it is time we stepped on a few toes, bent a few stiff backs and made the peace table a number one priority—or—give everyone guns and bombs and let them fight until there is no one standing, then we will declare peace.
Exasperated
These are not questions to be taken lightly although it seems that it no longer makes a difference. Unfortunately, the reason for the seemingly endless struggle may be locked away in hate-fogged memories and myopic views of revenge and retaliation, or it may have been forgotten altogether in the endless bloodshed and carnage.
It seems that the same conflict has been going on forever. Has there ever been peace in the Middle East? Even since Biblical times there has been constant turmoil and war with no end in sight. Why is peace an anathema to the Middle East? What ever the answer, it is long past due as that same unrest is now seeping into the rest of the world with Islamic extremist bent on bringing the world to war.
Perhaps, it is far past time to reevaluate of relationship with Israel and it seems that the United States is doing just that after the September 11 World Trade Center catastrophe. We have been one of the Israelis staunchest allies and they have been ours, but is it time to reevaluate the alliance? According to Israel, they don’t plan on having a solution at their expense and of course neither do their Arab neighbors.
Whatever the answer, we can no longer ignore the Middle East as it has come to our doorstep and knocked the door down after terrorists crashed passenger jets into the Pentagon and the World trade Center Towers last month. Still, why are these people fighting? What are they fighting for or against?
As a journalist I am tempted to research the subject, but instead I decided to rely on my feelings about it rather than dig back through the dusty news reels, yellowed newsclips and forgotten UN resolutions. I have lived with the fighting in the Middle East for as long as I can remember and I still don’t know for sure what it is about and at this point I really don’t care.
That is not a cavalier attitude speaking but rather a pragmatic view of a situation that has not changed for ages. It is the sarcastic spouting of a soul that thinks “just let them fight it out and whoever wins becomes our new best friends.” There have been attempts at peace and all have failed and the fighting has continued. Both sides are caught in a closed-loop of revenge, retaliation and reliving the past. No new ground has been broken, nor will it be broken as long as minds continue to live in the past with no thought for the future. At what point does man weary of war? Or, does the constant fighting make it seem that life is meant to be lived that way?
We cannot abandon our allies nor can we allow this fighting to continue endlessly until it spills over the brim and the whole world is at war. It is past time that we get the Israelis and the rest of the Middle East to stop and if that means angering the Israelis then let them be angry. If it means angering the Arabs states, let them be angry, but let them stop fighting and start thinking about moving into the 21st century.
A real effort needs to be made to resolve the real issues that afflict most of the Middle East. We have stood idly by and done nothing for so long as it stayed in the Middle East. That time is past and if we don’t want to become embroiled in the same endless war, it is time we stepped on a few toes, bent a few stiff backs and made the peace table a number one priority—or—give everyone guns and bombs and let them fight until there is no one standing, then we will declare peace.
Exasperated