COMPLICATED ISSUES:
A few facts about the players involved created a deeper complexity to the issues at hand. Here are a few of them:
*Jews are both a race and a religion and throughout history have been the target of a great deal of anti-Semitism. Almost more than any other race and group throughout history they have been targeted, hated, and driven from most locations around the world. Their story and history naturally engender empathy and sympathy. They are a sympathetic people by nature and any advocates of fostering humanity and humanitarian approaches to all people will naturally have a general soft spot in their hearts for them. This played a big part of the establishment of the State of Israel (primarily a Jewish state). It’s difficult to get too upset at this people who struggled themselves to obtain a place to call home.
[Ironically the Jews struggle to gain a State was very similar to the current one being put up by Hamas and other Palestinians. The Jews struggle to establish a State did many of the same things Palestinians are currently doing which are aggressive and at times violent, AND the Palestinians in the region at that time while holding the majority did many of the same things the Israeli’s are currently doing to them which are also aggressive and at times violent. The tables are now turned and it is a fascinating parallel. Questions arise of people’s right to exist and coexist. If both sides agree to allow each other to co-exist peacefully then this would have been resolved long ago. But again…the issues are deep and include religious beliefs, shared holy and sacred sites, a long history of inhabiting the same land, large world powers being involved and facilitating inhabitation, etc. We will try to de-code some of this…stay tuned!)*The lines of religion and politics are deeply tied together in the State of Israel.
*The State of Israel was primarily founded by religious sentiments for the land called “Holy”. (Zionists were the first Jewish settlers and were religiously driven)
*The Palestinians are also a very sympathetic group who were driven from their lands in the early 1900’s and have not had a State to call their own then or now. Palestinian refugees have found residence elsewhere and still bemoan the loss of their homes and land in Palestine.
*Palestinians living in the Gaza Strip are some of the most sympathetic people living on the planet. They have been land-locked and suffered economic struggle and many other difficulties due to their restricted conditions in which they live. Those who advocate humanity and humanitarian approaches to all people have a great deal of natural sympathy for those living in the Gaza Strip. Israel is the dominant force in the area and enforces their restrictions and are therefore deemed responsible.
*Palestinians have been without a State to call their own and have been striving for one for decades. They have not always been treated with dignity by the Israeli’s.
*Israel has for the past decade or more been building Settlements in Palestinian Territories in the West Bank which breaches understandings and agreements and hinders measures for peaceful solutions and also provides a climate and recipe for conflict and unrest as they strive to exist in such close proximity with one another. This does NOT help, but only adds fuel to an already burning fire.
*Hamas (and some other Islamic entities in the area) maintain a policy that refuses to acknowledge the State of Israel and their right to exist and have advocated their goal to eradicate Jews/Israeli’s from the area. This makes reaching a mutual agreement difficult!
*Official agreements are reached in Peace Summits and are not fully endorsed and adhered to by local citizens and divisions among themselves proves to be a HUGE deterrent to long-term solutions to peace in the region. (example is the Oslo-Accords and other agreements)
*The Palestinians in the recent past have experienced a lack of unity between their own governing political powers: Hamas and the Fetah (PLO/Palestinian Authority). This division and lack of unity make things difficult in terms of organization and their ability to self-govern and become an official State.
My heart (like many of you) has been hurting deeply since the news broke on Oct 7th. Hurting because of the pain that has been festering in the region for the past decades, but especially for the actions of that day and the retaliation that continues and will continue for decades to come. The real victims of the war are the innocent who lose their lives and loved ones, but this war also affects millions in the region and also millions around the world. It also personally affects me and my livelihood, so loss is felt by all and some more personally than others. Prayers go out to ALL involved and for as good of a solution as can be reached as quickly as is possible.
My guess is there will be a myriad of opinions on how this should be done and accomplished, but ultimately we will all have opinions, but those living it there on the ground are facing some VERY difficult and complex decisions and are the ones who must act and react. We CANNOT fully understand all that is involved and we have the luxury of watching and judging the situation from our protected homes and environments. Let us not lose site of the fact that these are real people doing the very best they can with a near impossible situation. PLEASE PRAY FOR THEM!
The more I learn about this situation and their history, the more complex the current issues becomes. Both sides are brilliant in their own right and demonstrating impressive intelligence, resilience, and determination. Let’s seek to understand…
First of all let’s define some terms so that we know what is being discussed…(See next post)
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