At the very bottom of this conflict, you have to realize that Israel,
according to UN Resolution 252, is REQUIRED to return the land it seized in
the 1967 war. Rog has a valid point about Israelis often being the victims of
suicide bombings and I agree with him in that this is an unsuitable way of
showing discontent. However, it's up to us to find out the causes that
prompt these bombings. How about Israeli soldiers targeting ambulances
through sniper rifles, sometimes refusing them passage to hospitals?
Palestinians have access to less than 15% of the water in Israel because of
land closures and movement restrictions. Just two weeks ago Israeli soldiers
attacked a Palestinian refugee camp, labelling the refugees with numbers on
their foreheads. When foreign media crews in an adjacent building tried to
record the attack, they themselves were shot at.
Most Americans subscribe to what is known as the "microwave theory"
concerning Yasser Arafat; they believe he can simply end all of the
Palestinian attacks by pushing a button. But it's not that simple. Even
when he calls for a cease-fire, there are always misguided ones who decide to
blow up a building to disrupt the peace process.
Ehud Barak made more concessions to the Palestinians than anyone had ever
done before. However, this doesn't say anything about Barak's generosity,
but about the previous prime ministers' oppression. The land he offered
consisted of small chunks separated by Israeli controlled highways and
waterways. Palestinians would still be restricted from travelling from their
tiny pieces of land, much as they are now. Indeed, his campaign slogan:
"Peace through separation: us over here, them over there," has been carried
out all too well.
Rasheed
PS
Here's a recent article concerning the conflict. You need a Login and
password if you're not already a member of the ny times website.
http://www.nytimes.com/2002/04/02/opinion/02SHEH.html?todaysheadlines
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