Move Along World, There's Nothing To See Here.

There is an overwhelming sense of trepidation as I begin to type this post out, a nervousness only matched by the fleeting but powerful peaks of excitement, what may this post may do to my poky little blog? Will it be a source of supportive and engaged traffic? Will it spawn an assemblage of enemies in a way that only the internet seems capable of? The most likely scenario of course is that it will do nothing, leaving this blog and blogger to carry on as normal. Yippee!

By now you're probably wondering what the point of the earlier nonsense was, there was none, but fear not I do have a point to this post. It is about Israel... More specifically the recent attacks by Israel and the ongoing oppressing Palestinians. I could have just cut to the chase but I am sort worried about getting a disproportionate amount of hate for this, you know kind of like the Palestinians.

I am going to state this clearly now just so everyone is completely sure and it cannot be used against me, it is sad that I have to but that is the nature of these things. ISRAEL DOES HAVE A RIGHT TO DEFEND ITS PEOPLE FROM ATTACK. They are people and EVERYONE has the right to life. Okay now that is out of the way and I feel I might have covered my defence from anyone who wants to accuse me of anti-Semitism (unlikely but worth a try) onto the post I go. The act of war itself between Israel and Hamas is not of concern to me, Hamas launched rockets into the Israeli cities and Israel struck back. What does concern me is the civilian death toll, reportedly one Israeli has died through a concerted effort by Hamas to kill Israelis, a tonne of innocent Palestinians dead through a concerted effort by the IDF to kill every 'terrorist'. This would be acceptable if it was only terrorists that the Israeli Defence Force was killing off in their thousands, but as history tells us it isn't. The number of civilian causalities is alarming, like this recent bombing of a home for the disabled because a 'suspected' terrorist lived in the same building. Or perhaps the deaths and substantial injuries inflicted upon non-combatant adults and children in Palestine due to the Israeli fire-power, do these seem acceptable? This seems especially one-sided when contrasting the deaths and injuries that have occurred in the most recent conflict. 

Unfortunately, much of the problem goes beyond the conflicts, it is experienced everyday by those living within Palestine. Israel as the larger, richer, and internationally supported country holds all of the cards. Much, if not most, of the resentment that has caused this conflict to drag on and escalate has come to down to Israeli policy towards the state of Palestine and its people. To control a nations means of production, to limit their right to self-determination with your powerful friends, and to systematically reduce to the size of Palestinian territory (thus reducing living conditions for Palestinians), will always create hostile attitudes towards their neighbours. Whatever you think of Israel and Palestine surely this, coupled with the false attitude that only Jews have any historical right to the land, is harmful to any prepositions of peace in the region existing in the future. Control over borders, water, food and countless other items or amenities which can be switched off at will by Israel, is not how you build trust and cooperation with Palestinians. Surely all peoples would attempt to fight back in the face of such oppression? Even if their chance of success holds such minuscule odds. When you think about it you undoubtedly have to ask if Israel wants any Palestinians to continue to exist, such is their domination over the Palestinian people and their lands. The recent comments by Mahmoud Abbas about this being a "genocide against the Palestinian people" (although culturally insensitive) are hard to deny. Particularly in light of these revelations whereby a politician, and growing numbers of Israelis, are calling for the blood of Israel's enemies. The enemies being all Palestinian people, whether aggressors or not.

Yet it seems to many all condemnation of Israeli tactics and persecution of the Palestinians is Anti-Semitic, rather than just humanitarian concern for an oppressed people. A few examples of this nonsense are presented here, here, here and here. That is not to say that much of it can be anti-Semitic, it is just too easily used to detract from the very real arguments against some of Israel's actions. It is these actions stretching back to the creation of the state of Israel that has caused this on-going conflict. That's not to say the Palestinians are completely blameless, they are not, but to me it just seems as lopsided as the death toll.

If you couldn't be bothered to read all of that here is a nice animated video for you, it pretty much sums it up.