Israel
There was once a bully at my primary school called Steven. He always went around picking fights with all of the other kids, even though a lot of them were bigger and stronger than he was. His tactic was simple, he would start a fight, and if he started to get beaten up by his retaliator, he would simply bide his time until the teacher came in and split the fight up. Yes, his pride would've been hurt, but he would have gotten away with starting the fight - and his retaliator would've received a telling off by the teacher and be told he used excessive force in his retaliation.
One day, after the teachers realised what he was doing, he picked another fight with a big boy called Abraham - this boy was unfairly disliked by all the other kids as he was of a different background - and Steven knew that if Abraham fought back, the others would hate him even more.
Steven ran up to Abraham and took a swipe at him. Abraham didn't respond at first, simply warning Steven that future attacks would be dealt with severly. Steven didn't take heed of this warning and continued to hit Abraham, until - having had enough of being bullied for so long, Abraham took the law into his own hands and started to kick the living hell out of Steven.
Although painful, Steven thought - the sacrifice is worth it, the teachers will come in and break it up and everyone will comment on how nasty Abraham is... however, the punches continued to fly, Steven fell to the ground.
...a crowd had gathered. People were not condemning Abraham as Steven thought - they simply stood by and watched as Abraham kept laying punch after punch.
'Admit it! Admit you were wrong!' Shouted Abraham. No answer from Steven.
'Admit you are wrong or I will keep hitting you!' No answer.
The teachers had arrived by now, all standing by and watching through gaps in their fingers. Despite the sacrifice they saw from Steven and despite the temptation, they knew they couldn't wade in and break things up if Steven was to learn his lesson. Not this time.
'Ok! I am sorry! I wont attack you, or anyone else again!' Cried Steven. At this, Abraham ceased his attack and picked Steven up.
Many years later Steven and Abraham are good friends despite their differences. Steven has learned to live and let live, and as a reward has lived a rich life where he and his friends want for nothing. Abraham doesn't get bullied anymore, and hasn't raised his fists since that day.
If only the United Nations could behave like the teachers, the world like the gathering crowd, perhaps Israel and Palestine could come to a resolution. But no, the watching world will keep butting in on a tetchy matter they have no real understanding of.
I am afraid the terrorists who constantly pick on Israel will continue to do so, at the costs of many lives of their own.
19 January 2009 @ 05:54
discuss
tl;dr
xeno
19 January 2009 @ 06:38
Well the UN is fundamentlay flawed when it comes to military action because the only country who will actully USA - which is already in 2 wars and so wudnt be able to go to Isrreal - anyway the only language those two countries speak is blood for blood like in 1982 when 20-30,000 Jews were killed ion Syria!
However I am totally against wars - but the UN cant do anything!
lukemuse
19 January 2009 @ 10:55
I did read, but I think you're wrong if I interpreted it correctly. What you're saying is we should let Israel pummel Palestine into the ground and completely overwhelm them through brute military force until Palestine is forced to give in and seek a peaceful resolution? This would not work in so many ways, I think you have oversimplified what isa very complex and fragile situation in the middle east at the moment, however I do not want to clog up the complaints board with great long debates about conflict in the middle east, and I mean you know offense whatsoever, I wish the world was simple enough that your playground tale could be applied without anybody losing their lives, however, this is not possible.
Gregremlin
20 January 2009 @ 16:14
Yes, I am saying we should let Israel pummel Palestine into the ground - if Hamas wants to spare the lives of its people, it should seek a peaceful resolution before it reaches that stage. I lived in the wonderful city of Jerusalem for 3 months and I can tell you that you will struggle to find an Israeli that doesn't long for peace.
Nyakarnimsankermongyhiker
24 January 2009 @ 14:08
I find it incredible that either side thinks that killing civilians will convince the other side to stop killing civilians. Surely it's blindingly obvious that killing civilians will just make the other side think that they are justified in retaliating. Neither side is without blame.
Iffalicious
03 February 2009 @ 08:29
Well, Israel were eager to agree a ceasefire last week. Hours later rockets were fired into Sderot (by Hamas militants), injuring 3 Israeli civilians. Proportion of blame must sway more heavily towards the instigator than the retaliator, I am afraid. If the Welsh fired rockets into Chester and Hereford, the English wouldn't just sit idly and let it happen.
Nyakarnimsankermongyhiker
04 February 2009 @ 03:45
Hmm, but the whole vicious circle of instigator and retaliator goes back almost 100 years, you can't really just take the last few weeks as the model when in actual fact the conflict has raged since the Israeli declaration of independence in May 1948, and the seeds of discontent were sown well before that with the Zionist movement. Over the past hundred years, the conflict has developed into something so conflict it becomes very hard to find justifiable actions with either side. A large portion of blame does remain with the palestinians, however, I do agree with this point. I recently discovered that Yasser Arafat was at one point offered Gaza, 97% the West Bank, and most importantly, an entirely independant Palestinian state wih its capital in East Jersualem, and yet he still refused. To balance it out, however, both sides have committed atrocities while the world has looked on, and Israel's recent acts of aggression were never going to accumulate anything more than international condemnation. While I respect that having lived in Jerusalem you have obviously experienced the conflict and its various factors, you are clearly an outright supporter of the Israelis and there maybe some leanings towards their side of the dispute. Bear in mind that you made the point one would be hard-pressed to find an Israeli that does not want peace, and yet I am sure there are plenty within that state like you, who want peace, but want it on their terms and through pummeling Palestine into the ground. I would like to point out that this is not really peace through discussion, but through suppression and more violence. Whatever the situation is now, doubtless it will progress and develop further in the coming months now that elections for the Knesset are approaching. We can only really hope a more moderate labour government is elected rather than the more right-wing Kadima government retain power. At least members of Labour are more likely to engage in negotiations than instigate more
Gregremlin
05 February 2009 @ 05:30
Good points Gregremlin, although I think you misunderstand my standpoint slightly. I want peace not by pummelling Palestine into the ground, but through negotiation - but when Israel attempts this (as per your example of the offer put to Arafat) it is spurned for violence. Everytime a cease fire is called, rockets get fired. Only the other day unexploded Israeli shells went 'missing'. But the conflict goes back even further than you say - even thousands of years, when the Jews were enslaved by Egypt. Unfortunately, there are many more religious fundamentalists in Palestine and other Arab states than in Israel (look at the tennis debacle in UAE this week!)- although I accept there are some on both sides. You can't negotiate with religious fundamentalism unfortunately, due to it's lack of reason or common sense.
I have to say I do lean towards the Israeli side of the dispute but I get fed up of the negative publicity Israel receives that the overwhelming majority of people take on board. If you walk around the streets of Jerusalem, religion is not important - everyone gets on. My solution to the conflict would be to declare Jerusalem an international city, give Palestine Gaza and the West Bank. However, this wouldn't be good enough for some of the Arab states that not only want to see Palestine get it's freedom - but to see Israel extinguished - and this is why Israel is so defensive.
Nyakarnimsankermongyhiker
18 February 2009 @ 11:22
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