I know the things I’m about to write may be construed as “controversial,” even hateful, and that’s to be expected when discussing the Israeli-Palestinian issue. Before I get started, I want to clarify that I am not simply “pro-Israel” or “pro-Palestine.” I’m pro-humanity.
Sunday night, and well into the pre-dawn hours of Monday morning, I followed the developing story of the Gaza aid flotilla on various fronts, including Twitter and Al Jazeera. (Why Al Jazeera? Because no other news agency was reporting it, and I get a lot of my news from them.) It’s pointless to sit here and give explanations of what it’s all about since I’m sure you’ve all read or heard about it already.
I’m not going to sit here and claim things to be fact or write as if I know for certain that certain events did or didn’t happen. Some people are going to accept what Israel says as fact, and others are not. As with just about everything regarding anything Israel and Palestine, it’s hard to get hard, factual information because the propaganda from both sides is overwhelming. I’m trying to look at the entire issue from a neutral standpoint and am basing my opinion on historical fact and on a humanitarian basis.
One of my biggest “world view” annoyances is that some people fail to examine the reasons why terrorist organizations exist. To do this is to sit back and take in the wrongdoings that our Western governments have done in the past, something that is hard for many people to accept. Once people finally begin to understand certain events in common era history, then maybe they will understand why they carry so much hatred. Saying this does not make me a sympathizer. This doesn’t mean I condone what they do or want to advocate for their cause. This doesn’t mean that I agree 100% with what makes them angry, but I do understand why they are angry. I think they just go about making their points in vile ways. This goes for any terrorist organization, be it the IRA or Al Queda (or just about any group on this list).
But this isn’t a history lesson, nor is this a blog entry where I will talk about why various terrorist organizations are full of the hate they carry.
I’ve been active on Twitter for a couple of years and, before the Iranian elections last year, I was oblivious to the worldwide impact something so simple could have. (I think everyone underestimated the power of Twitter before then.) I had a renewed confidence in the overall goodness that is out there in the world after having had my faith in humanity so damaged previously. It was truly amazing to witness.
I’ve always wanted to (even sometimes forced myself to) believe in the inherent goodness of the human race, never wanting to believe that hatred was on as large a scale as we’re made to believe. Blame the fact that I read Anne Frank’s diary when I was a kid if you want to. Like she said, “…[I]n spite of everything I still believe that people are really good at heart.” I’ve stated in the past that I have had a problem with being incredibly naive (a problem that I am rapidly growing out of), so I’m not sure if it’s my naivete or the fact that I was raised to always find the good in people that makes me want to believe that love and kindness will always win over hatred.
As quickly as Twitter made me believe that the human race does indeed feel compassion, it took that belief away. It’s amazing how all it takes is a few hours in the middle of the night to turn that car completely around and have it speed down the highway in the opposite direction at warp speed. I couldn’t believe some of the things I was reading last night, and I still have a hard time digesting some of the things I’m reading right now.
“[The people of Gaza] want aid? Get rid of Hamas.”
“They elected Hamas, they deserve everything they get.”
“Gazans are terrorists. There are no exceptions. Anyone sending aid to Gazans are terrorists.”
“End terrorism: NUKE GAZA!”
This is a common sentiment amongst many. It baffles me how (not in just this case) people don’t seem to remember recent events – and by “recent,” I mean events that transpired not even 10 years go. People either don’t know or don’t remember that the Hamas takeover in Gaza three years ago was not pleasant, but on the other hand, life for the people of Gaza wasn’t a big ray of sunshine under Fatah control either. Fatah was seen as corrupt and incompetent, which is why during the Palestinian parliamentary elections, Fatah lost control to Hamas. If you had a government that you felt was oppressing you, wouldn’t you go for the other option?
Condensed version: Hamas was elected by the people in Gaza. Because of this, Israel, along with Egypt, imposes a blockade on Gaza. Not an embargo. Not sanctions. Not the siege of a port. A blockade.
People are dying, they don’t have adequate shelter, their water supply is minimal (not to mention completely unsanitary), they lack clothing, they lost almost 100% of their commerce, and the blockade is only furthering the ongoing crisis that the people in Gaza are facing.
Understandably, weapons and items that can help make weapons should not be let in. Israel has every right, in my opinion, to want to keep these items out of Gaza, for their own protection. However, when they refuse to let in the following:
sage, cardamon, jam, vinegar, chocolate, fruit preserves and dried fruit, seeds and nuts, biscuits and sweets, fresh meat, fabric for clothing, fishing rods, musical instruments, writing implements, notebooks, newspapers, toys, razors, heaters, horses, donkeys, goats, cattle, and chicks
… and when they allow small quantities of the following:
Wheat, animal feed, flour, cooking oil, cooking fat, sugar, salt, pasta, dates, garlic, chickpeas, rice, beans, lentils, kidney beans, margarine, some dairy products, powdered milk, frozen meat and fish, frozen vegetables, animal medicines, gas for medical use, empty bags for flour, certain medicines and medical equipment, diapers, toilet paper, detergent, washing liquid, shampoo, soap, toothpaste, toothbrushes, cleaning products for tiles and glass, toilet cleaner, yeast, fertilized and unfertilized eggs, some fruit, semolina, polyethylene for greenhouses, some agricultural materials, tea, instant and regular coffee, canned tuna, salami, canned meat, bath and washing-up sponges, cloths to mop floors, baby wipes, some canned goods other than fruit, dried herb mix, black pepper, chicken stock powder, blankets, olives, matches, candles, sticks for brooms, rubbish bins, mops, hand cleansing gel, aniseed, cinnamon, camomile, water dispensers, potatoes, mineral water, tahini, combs, hair brushes, shoes, wood for doorposts and window frames, small amounts of aluminum, and some kitchenware
… I have to question the Israeli’s motives.
This does not make me anti-Israel.
When I see videos and hear reports of the Israeli military boarding humanitarian aid ships via helicopters well into international waters and not within the 3 mile range of their blockade, I have to question Israel’s motives.
This does not make me anti-Israel.
I say these things, and I call the humanitarian situation in Gaza a shame, and I get called a “terrorist lover.” I find the blockade and restrictions on Gaza to be entirely too harsh. I say this, and I’m accused of supporting Hamas.
But most of all, when I speak of well-documented and often controversial historical fact, all hell seems to break loose. Which brings me all the way back to something I mentioned earlier:
People fail to examine the reasons why terrorist organizations exist.
Until we, not just Americans but all citizens of the world, understand why these people harbor the hatred that they do, nothing will change. Until we look at the wrongs of our governments, we will continue to make the same mistakes.
And if me saying all of this makes me a pacifist, and being a pacifist is wrong, then so be it.
Read more about the humanitarian crisis in Gaza: [1] [2] [3]
