It’s been just over two
weeks since Hamas launched its attack on Israel, killing about 1400
people. I consider this a tragedy as all killing of humans by others in my mind
is a tragedy.
In this blog I will talk
about the tragedy of October 7 and the tragedy of what has happened since. I’m
also going to talk about the origins of the wars between Israel & Palestine
& hopefully provide some solutions, but of course solutions only work when
people are willing to sit down, listen to each other’s concerns & try &
find a solution.
I have written about the
Israel Palestine situation on various occasions & two blogs/ articles that
I have written are listed at the end of this essay.
Over the years I have had
the privilege to have made friends with many people who are Jewish. I have not
met so many Palestinians, but in the last few years I have spent time in
Morocco & Turkey & through those experiences I have made friends with
people who are Muslim and in the case of Morocco, Arabic as well. All these
friends have been fun to hang out with, full of compassion & love of life,
dealing with challenges like all humans do, but also dealing with challenges of
the groups they belong to.
As a child, when I learnt
about the holocaust and other attacks on Jewish people, I felt much compassion
and similarly when attacks occur against Muslim people, I feel compassion too.
When the attacks on Muslims happened at the two mosques in New Zealand, I
thought of how my friends could have been targets.
Israel- Palestine is a
very complex issue so it is not surprising that there is so much conflict. The
origins of the state of Israel & the history of Palestine is one where many
people choose information that suits their viewpoint and much information is
spread that is biased. The media manages to confuse with biased reporting and
so many people in the world favour one group over the other. I am not Jewish or
Palestinian, so that helps me to be more independent in my thinking & to try
& see different situations & points of view. Growing up in New Zealand,
as a nation, New Zealand has always believed in the right of Israel to exist,
but New Zealand has also become increasingly concerned about the treatment of
Palestinians by Israel.
So, let’s do some basic
history first. And while I am a teacher, I am not a high school history teacher.
But this year in particular, I have been doing a lot of reading on world
history. So that has helped me form a better picture of general tendencies in
the progress of humans.
As a child I learnt how
important the Middle East was. Raised as a Christian, I learnt that Jesus was
Jewish and that the area he had lived in was today called Israel. I later
learnt about the holocaust & how Israel emerged after WWII as a refuge for
surviving Jews. What I did not learn about at the time was that in the
formation of Israel, many Palestinians had been displaced. But as a child there
were many terrorist events against Israel, with the west condemning, while
there was a clear message that these events were happening because of
Palestinians being pushed off their land.
So, who was in the
Palestine/ Israel area first? Depends how far in time we go back. If we go back
2000 years, then it was Jewish people, but if we go back further then we are
looking at earlier groups of people & societies.
If we look at the area in
the last 2000 years, since 70AD, not many Jews, as the Romans expelled Jewish
people from Jerusalem which began the first major wave of Jewish people
resettling in other parts of the world. While many Jews would have moved to
other areas nearby, Islam emerged by the 7th Century, so many people
in the region converted to Islam. At different times with Christian Crusades,
there were many Christians for a while. But for most of the last 1400 years,
most of the area was under control of the Ottomans and therefore mostly Muslim.
Something I have come to
learn more this year is that almost everywhere, societies and groups have been
replaced by others, usually through violent take overs. The history of humanity
is mostly about thuggish & crafty behaviour winning the day. The educated
are often eliminated as are differences.
This history of brutality
by humans with invasions & genocide is unfortunately more the norm than the
oddity. There are many groups who lived in different places in the past or have
been conquered. This is part of the story of colonialism too. And the question
emerges, if someone pushes you off your land do you have recourse to demand its
return and if so for how long?
I suppose what makes the
Israel situation different to many other situations is that Jewish identity
remained strong through the 2000 years of living in different locations &
so the idea of returning to Zion existed as an idea for many Jewish people, but
it was in the 19th Century that the idea of Zionism really grew. On
the back of various pogroms and attacks on Jewish people, it’s not surprising
that such a group of people would seek a safe haven.
It was interesting to hear
a British politician saying a week or two ago that Britian should stay out of
the Israel- Palestine drama as it is not their problem. I would argue instead
that it is absolutely Britian’s problem. They created it. At the beginning of
the 20th Century, various places were being considered as a location for a new
nation for Jewish people. Well intentioned and wanting to create a place where
Jewish people would be able to live without threat to life. The decimation of
Jewish people in Europe in the last few centuries prior to the Holocaust is
big. Uganda was considered by Britian. Other places were also considered.
After WWI, Britian took
control of Palestine as the Ottoman empire crumbled. At that time 15% of the
population in Palestine was Jewish but based on the historical link to the
area, British politicians thought the area was the ideal for creating a Jewish
homeland which would be half the area, while Palestinians living in the region
would have the other half.
The Palestinians were
never consulted about such a plan, and as Jewish migration to Palestine began,
many Palestinians were wary of such a development. As anti semitism rose in the
1930s, more Jewish people sought out Palestine. At the end of WWII, Jewish
people who had managed to survive the holocaust tried to seek refuge there too.
Palestinians never agreed
to a 50% deal with Jewish people. At first Jewish people were willing. But if
you think logically, why would Palestinians give up 50% of the land that they
regarded as theirs? Terrorist events spiralled between Jewish & Palestinian
groups, the British pulled out, war broke out & the Jewish faction gained
control. And that’s the situation that has maintained itself since, with Israel
taking control of the whole area, controlling Palestinians in all kinds of ways
and increasingly turning land of Palestinians over to Israeli settlers.
Right from the word go,
Israel has had to fight to defend its borders as all its neighbours are Arabic
& Muslim and regard what Israel has done to the Palestinians as an attack
on their brothers & sisters. Israel has survived several attacks by
neighbouring countries or groups in neighbouring countries. Over time, walls
have been built to create a divide between Israel & Palestinian territory
as various terrorist events have occurred by Palestinians against Israel. Only
through a strong military has Israel been able to exist along with the military
backing of the United States.
Outside Israel, the United
States is probably the only other country with a reasonably sized Jewish
population. Many assume that is the reason that the US supports Israel, and
while there is a strong influence by a Jewish lobby in the US, the US support
to Israel is for other reasons I believe. A strategic player & ally in the
region to access oil & other resources is one reason & I suspect the
other is a moral response to the holocaust. There is also a powerful evangelical
Christian lobby who see Israel as important in the ‘last days’.
There are varying opinions
of how much Germans or other people knew about the holocaust at the time it was
occurring. But what is clear is that at the end of WWII when the US and other
western nations saw what had happened to Jewish people by Nazi Germany, there
was a moment of shock, possibly unlike any other time in history. The scale
& barbarity & efficiency with which the Nazi system eliminated 6 out of
9 million Jewish people was on a scale of efficiency that the world has not
seen before and certainly for it happen in a European country, a supposedly
civilised one, made many people the world over feel shame and despair for what
had happened.
When Jewish people created
the state of Israel, they achieved it on their own and have been playing
hardball ever since. For many westerners, their sympathy & compassion
towards Jewish people and what they had endured particularly under the Nazis
has made a decision by many to never be critical of Israel. That is
understandable, but it does not make sense. Because the group that has had to
pay the price for this guilt or shame is not westerners, but the Palestinians.
When Hamas attacked Israel
on October 7, it was not like this was the first attack against Israel. Attacks
have been occurring all the time Israel has existed. But the scale of Israeli
death was the biggest in its history.
Hamas got voted for by 50%
of Palestinians in Gaza. Many Israelis argue that this proves all Palestinians
are animals & deserve what they get. But when you start to read of all the
attacks by Israel’s defence forces against Palestinians over the last few
decades, you get a very different picture. Palestinians got sick of waiting for
a peace solution. When you get 50% of a people voting for a terrorist
organisation you can either say that it proves these people are terrorists or
that they have given up on any other solution. Palestinians have been waiting
70 years and in this time it only has gotten worse.
The worst action in my
view to sink the ship of peace & settlement has been the increasing moving
by Jewish people into new settlements in the West Bank. That land is supposed
to be Palestine.
Western countries are
scared to censor Israel at all times. Other countries condemn, especially Arab
nations.
There are some very
strange things happening with this bias at the moment. Read different
newspapers and explore how much they are reporting on the impact of October 7
to Israelis vs what has happened to Palestinians since that date. Same with
most Western politicians.
The extension of this fear
has been to curtail democracy, just to appear loyal to Israel. Banning a pro-Palestinian
march in Berlin because of concerns of anti semitism; we must always understand
that criticising Israel & its actions is very different to being against
Jewish people. In fact, as I have always argued, real security for Jewish
people lies in an Israel that is held to account. An Israel that kills as it
wishes makes a world where anti-Israel sentiments can easily shift into hatred
against Jews.
A similar story of a
university in Britain where an academic was sacked for criticising Israel &
its policies but was labelled anti-semitic. Israel manipulates this stuff to
avoid criticism, but as I said, this can create a bigger issue.
Israel must be held to the
same standards as any other country. Human rights are international. Israel
will be done no favours by being allowed to bomb civilians. The animosity
building in the world now towards Israel is huge because most western countries
are not holding Israel accountable for the same standards required of other countries.
Gaza is where the terrorists who committed the atrocities on October 7 are
hiding out. But so are over 2 million people. So far, the bombings by Israel
have killed over 6000 people including about 2000 children.
This kind of bombing of civilians
is a war crime and Israel will be judged for it as will all countries who do
not condemn it. Bombing like this does not make Israel safer in the long term.
It amplifies the hatred that is very strong all through the Arab Muslim world.
This hatred is amplifying and could lead to WWIII. Currently it is very easy to
see an alliance emerging of Iran, Russia, China, North Korea as well as many
countries in the Arab world.
Solutions lie in
negotiation. When violence is used, it suppresses things only temporarily. With
what is happening now in Gaza, all Israel does is increase the likelihood that
many Palestinian children will become terrorists when they become older.
Israel should never have
been allowed to be in control of Palestinians since they won the war in 1948.
Like other teachers in
schools, we are becoming more aware of how trauma affects children and adults.
The western education system is more mindful of helping children who are acting
out and helping them address issues that could be causing their upset state. In
the past a child was simply punished. Now an effective school has anti bullying
programs to stop the bullying & also addresses the issues with the bullying
child to determine if they are ok.
My sense is that Israel
never has been seen the same. After what happened to Jewish people in WWII,
there is this weird idea that some who support the rights of Palestinians say you
would think they (Israel) would treat the Palestinians better. But of course,
things are far more complex than that. When a group of people have been almost
wiped out, there are various responses but what I see with Israel is them
playing hard ball. NEVER AGAIN! That’s how Israel operates. It is a survivor
and determined to survive.
But is it a
psychologically balanced nation? Surrounded by countries that hate it for how
it dominates the Palestinians, it survives by playing tough. But should it be
allowed to have control over another group of people? Not if it dominates,
diminishes, treats the other less than, continues to take more land, switches
off electricity, water and food to cities because some of them are terrorists.
Its like keeping in a whole class on detention because some did the wrong thing
and you don’t know who… Except of course it is much more savage.
It is troubling to see
another war, and it is equally troubling to see so many supposed leaders in the
world say nothing about a ceasefire, let alone demanding it from Israel as over
2000 children have died in Gaza in two weeks
It is strange how people
can fail to have compassion even for children…
Compassion is missing on
all sides: How did all those Israeli families feel as their people were
massacred …
And the same with the
massacring/ bombing of Gaza and the deaths of so many.
Both actions are wrong.
As regards the increase in anti semitism, this
is a concern. But If Israel kills massive numbers of civilians as we currently
see and Israel is known as the Jewish state, then you are looking at the rise
in anti semitism as some people will blame Jewish people, not just Israel. It
is wrong, but this is what happens. So Israels actions are making things less
safe for Jewish people.
Israel as a concept is opposed by some
Jewish people. Whether Israel should exist if it means replacing another group
is a valid topic too. Israel certainly needs to return the Palestinian
territory in the West Bank. It is valid
to criticise all countries and how they conduct themselves. There are
international laws and all countries are expected to follow.
Violence only puts a lid
on a problem. Negotiations are the only way.
Graham A.
Harvey: The debacle of Israel and Palestine (progressiveglobalcommunication.blogspot.com)
Graham A.
Harvey: Poland and the Nazi death camps
(progressiveglobalcommunication.blogspot.com)
The photos below found on internet. please advise if copyright concern.
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Articles read in the writing of this article:
Israel-Palestine
latest news: Israelis slaughtered and lit on fire, says IDF (msn.com)
U.S. in
the Crosshairs: Schröder Pins Peace Talk Collapse on Washington (msn.com)
‘Honest
broker’ needed to end violence between Israel and Palestine, says Yousaf
(msn.com)
Germany:
Thousands march in support of Gazans – DW – 10/21/2023
Antisemitism
should be taught in all schools to tackle hate across society (msn.com)
Netanyahu
is to blame for Hamas war, say four out of five Israelis (msn.com)
Israeli
ambassador’s comments on Irish president not helpful, says minister (msn.com)
Is it safe
to visit Tunisia? Latest travel advice (msn.com)
Israel
Bombarded: Kremlin’s Strategic Maneuvers Cast a Pall Over Ukraine (msn.com)
Iran
denies its security forces ‘helped plan Hamas attack on Israel’
(telegraph.co.uk)
Star of
David graffitied on Berlin homes in chilling echo of Nazi crimes
(telegraph.co.uk)
The Hamas
Apocalypse has crafted a New World Order (telegraph.co.uk)
The Hamas
Apocalypse has crafted a New World Order (telegraph.co.uk)
Hamas have
revealed themselves for what they are (telegraph.co.uk)
China,
Russia and North Korea 'using smokescreen of Israel to prepare for WW3'
(msn.com)
At least
59 people killed in twin attacks on mosques in Pakistan (msn.com)
Taking
sides is futile when innocents are being slaughtered across a tragic divide
(msn.com)
Thunberg
gets backlash for pro-Palestinian post – DW – 10/21/2023
Top US
universities face funding fallout after students’ anti-Israel comments
(msn.com)
Devastated
British doctor loses 35 members of his family in airstrike on their Gaza home
(msn.com)
Netanyahu
is to blame for Hamas war, say four out of five Israelis (msn.com)
No 10 says
pro-Palestine marchers have right to protest but should ‘be mindful’ (msn.com)
Academic’s
career ‘effectively ended after sacking over Israel comments’ (msn.com)
Terrorist
attack in UK linked to Gaza (msn.com)
US pushes
UN to back Israel self-defense, demand Iran stop arms to Hamas (msn.com)
Muslims
protest around world to demand end to Israel's Gaza campaign (msn.com)
Analysis-China
and Russia find common cause in Israel-Hamas crisis (msn.com)
Resigning
Oxford City councillors say party leadership ‘complicit in war crimes’
(msn.com)
Academic’s
career ‘effectively ended after sacking over Israel comments’ | The Independent
About
100,000 protesters join pro-Palestinian march through London | Reuters
What’s
behind the war? Understanding the Israel-Palestine history of conflict |
(thedailydigest.com)
What’s
behind the war? Understanding the Israel-Palestine history of conflict |
(thedailydigest.com)
Mohammed
Deif, the man behind Hamas' attack on Israel (msn.com)
What’s
behind the war? Understanding the Israel-Palestine history of conflict |
(thedailydigest.com)
Labour MPs are
terrified of telling the truth about Hamas (telegraph.co.uk)
Death toll in
Palestine rises to 4,651 with nearly 2,000 Palestinian children dead (msn.com)
Qatar's emir:
Israel shouldn't get unrestricted OK to kill | Reuters
Palestinian
children write names on arms in case they are killed | World News | Metro News
Gaza Death
Toll: 5,791 Palestinians Killed, Thousands Injured in Israeli Attacks (msn.com)
Starmer to meet
with Muslim MPs as he tries to ease backlash over Gaza position (msn.com)
Justin Welby
accused of ‘relegating’ plight of Palestinian Christians (msn.com)
Varadkar says
it is ‘wrong’ to be fired for views after Israeli firm sacks woman (msn.com)
Tens of
thousands sign petition supporting Tube driver suspended over Palestine chant
(msn.com)
Israel must be
urged to ‘follow the laws of war’, ministers told (msn.com)
Scottish Labour leader Sarwar says
Israel 'breaking international law' in Gaza - BBC News
Israel must be
urged to ‘follow the laws of war’, ministers told (msn.com)
Israel Gaza
latest: IDF hits West Bank with drone strike | The Independent
Israel-Hamas
conflict casts a shadow over Saudi Arabia’s ‘Davos in the Desert’
(telegraph.co.uk)
