Anyone that follows my personal page will know of the interest that I have in the Israeli/Palestinian Conflict and how much I post updates about the issues. I have been interested in this topic for a while and this was originally my undergraduate thesis but I switched it to Darfur Genocide. If I had picked the Conflict as a topic, I would have had a book, real talk. Yet, I digress. This had not been the first time that these two entities have been involved in bloodshed and violent conflict but this is the first time of many that the Israeli Government has been so harshly scrutinized for the actions that they have taken in the war. The United Nations have already condemned the actions of the IDF(Israel Defense Forces) as they have shelled 6 U.N. schools that were designated as refugee safe places caused numerous deaths and hundreds of injuries.
In a nutshell of a background, Israel was given the land that it sits on today in 1948 by the Western Powers (U.S.A, Britain, etc.). Under Hitler they experienced mass genocide. This area once known as Palestine was invaded the next day by a collective of Arab forces (Egypt, Jordan, Syria and Iraq) in an attempt to help the Palestinians keep their land. The Palestinians were moved from this land to areas known as The West Bank (initially controlled by Jordan) and Gaza Strip (initially controlled by Egypt). These lands were seized by Israel after fierce fighting with those same Arab Forces in the 6-Day War of 1967.
These lands have been largely oppressed for over 50 years and constantly been engaged in terrorism, guerrilla warfare and protest ever since the beginning of Israel. These areas are largely impoverished, largely restricted and continuously occupied with an unclear structure of government especially in the Gaza Strip. The Gaza Strip is a small land but happens to be one of the most densely populated areas on earth. This area also suffers from over 50% unemployment while Israel enjoys a booming economy and a seemingly western style of life.
That's the background in a nutshell, but this fight goes far back into the Bible days and the "Sons of Abraham". This piece of land that the Israelis (or the Jewish for those who may not know that they are the same) were once their land and the capital of Israel is Jerusalem although some may contest their rights to the land. This land is land that the Israelis feel that has been promised to them in the Torah and Bible as they are "God's Chosen People". They have always thought of that land as home and have made many attempts to repopulate the land with their race.
Back to today. The war today has been closing in on around 30 days of fighting. In this fighting, more 1,300 Palestinians and mostly civilians have been the casualties in this attack on the Gaza Strip. Less that 60 Israelis have lost their lives. Although there have been serious altercations between Hamas/Palestinians in recent time (2006 and 2012) these fights today have surprisingly mild beginnings. As I watched the news, I will tell the story as I understood the escalation on a seemingly small issue when it comes to large scale war standards. Three Israeli boys were missing and Hamas was accused of taking them. Hamas is the name for an organization based out of Gaza. Their name essentially means "Islamic Resistance Movement". They have governed Gaza since 2007. This organization does have terrorist designation by many countries including the U.S., Egypt, Jordan, the U.K. and others. Not all countries see this as a terrorist organization. This is who Israel is fighting right now. Now back to the recap, the boys were found dead in the West Bank. Israel then carried out airstrikes and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was quoted to say, "Hamas will pay". Soon after, Jewish Israeli extremist and citizens in the Country of Israel became hostile. A Palestinian-Israeli teen was kidnapped, beaten to death and set on fire. During the protest of his murder, his American cousin that was on vacation from Florida was attacked. This attack was caught on tape as this young teenager was zip tied, beaten unconscious and taken to jail without medical attention. This sparked a barrage of missile fire from both sides and eventually the ground invasion of the Gaza Strip by the IDF.
This invasion has caused media attention and international uproar as most ceasefires have been violated and no side wants to give an inch. Hamas has no want for a ceasefire unless the Palestinians are allowed free movement and a basic liberation of the people. Israel wants a demilitarized Hamas. These agreements could be reached, but there seems to be a need for Israel to be separated from the Palestinian people. This sounds like segregation and oppression to me. It seems as if there is a vastly uneven fight going on where the aggressor cries wolf as they destroy everything in their path. Israel has the most advance missile protection system on earth which will block around 90% of Hamas missile into Israel while Israelis ground and aerial attacks pummel Palestinian infrastructure. They recently shelled the only power plant in Gaza. This has forced the residents of Gaza to live in darkness, without electricity and proper water and sewer operations until the plant can be rebuilt. They said that it will take a year to fix but cannot be started until the war is over due to intense fighting.
This conflict seems to not have a clear ending as Israel tries to destroy Hamas' military but leave political aspects remaining to attempt to not cause a power vacuum. This seems highly unlikely and there seems to be no desire from Israel to liberate the Palestinians. You may expect the United States to help to bring peace to this area. That is highly unlikely as Israel is our biggest ally in the area and we have a hand in their existence. Not only has the United States had blind support of Israel, it is also a bad look in the political realm to not support Israel. They receive the most American aid compared to any other country and are to receive $3.115 BILLION from us in 2014. We are also resupplying them with ammunition currently for this particular war. It is not hidden that we have a supreme bias. Hopefully, the gruesome pictures are enough to gain the world support for Palestinian Freedom.
Q.Young
Urban Echelon Magazine and Blogspot
