Does Israel Want to Be a Partner in Peace?
On July 6, 2010, President Barack Obama, after having a meeting with Benjamin Netanyahu, the Prime Minister of Israel, declared that "the bond between the United States and Israel is unbreakable." President Obama, probably without intending to do so, was actually expressing one of the primary reasons for the endless conflict in the Middle East. The leaders of Israel, a state that has continually proven itself to be heedless of common morality, are aware that no matter how murderously evil their policies might be, they can always depend on blind support from the government of the United States. It is a longstanding pattern that has repeatedly hindered all attempts to effect a peaceful solution to the many problems that have plagued the unstable region for decades.
President Obama also said, "I believe that Prime Minister Netanyahu wants peace." Mr. Obama is entirely mistaken in that belief. Benjamin Netanyahu, throughout his many years as a public figure, has never given the least sign that he is serious about bringing peace to the Middle East. He has a long, well-known, history of contentiousness, bellicosity, and dishonesty, particularly in regard to the human rights and general welfare of the Palestinian people, and it is extremely unlikely that he would ever be inclined to pursue any policy that might result in an outcome of lasting peace. Mr. Netanyahu has shown himself, time and time again, to be a thoroughly deceitful character, one who should not be regarded (most especially in such a dangerous situation) as being worthy of trust.
The question must be asked, "Does Israel want to be a partner in peace?" Aside from Mr. Netanyahu himself, most citizens of Israel seem ill-disposed toward the furtherance of any policy that would require them to be anything other than selfish and heartless. They appear to believe that their own one-sided concerns must be granted unbending precedence over all other considerations. In a world of strife and misery, the ruthless violence of Israel, as evidenced by the savage war that the Israeli state wages against Palestinian civilians in Gaza, stands out as unusually abominable. Given the intolerable continuation of such barbaric conditions, it is hardly surprising that some Palestinians have sought to address their desperate plight by wrongly resorting to violent extremes.
President Obama also said, "I believe that Prime Minister Netanyahu wants peace." Mr. Obama is entirely mistaken in that belief. Benjamin Netanyahu, throughout his many years as a public figure, has never given the least sign that he is serious about bringing peace to the Middle East. He has a long, well-known, history of contentiousness, bellicosity, and dishonesty, particularly in regard to the human rights and general welfare of the Palestinian people, and it is extremely unlikely that he would ever be inclined to pursue any policy that might result in an outcome of lasting peace. Mr. Netanyahu has shown himself, time and time again, to be a thoroughly deceitful character, one who should not be regarded (most especially in such a dangerous situation) as being worthy of trust.
The question must be asked, "Does Israel want to be a partner in peace?" Aside from Mr. Netanyahu himself, most citizens of Israel seem ill-disposed toward the furtherance of any policy that would require them to be anything other than selfish and heartless. They appear to believe that their own one-sided concerns must be granted unbending precedence over all other considerations. In a world of strife and misery, the ruthless violence of Israel, as evidenced by the savage war that the Israeli state wages against Palestinian civilians in Gaza, stands out as unusually abominable. Given the intolerable continuation of such barbaric conditions, it is hardly surprising that some Palestinians have sought to address their desperate plight by wrongly resorting to violent extremes.
The actions of Israel are, undeniably, an affront to all principles of fairness. It is also undeniable that the prevailing mentality in Israel is one of fascism and racism. The inescapable truth is that Israel's actions constitute an ongoing assault against the former inhabitants of Palestine, who were forced out of their homeland by Zionists in 1947. As long as Israel maintains its current borders, and is allowed to hold itself above the fundamental laws of mankind, using Zionism (a philosophy of brutal oppression, as malign and malicious as Nazism) as its excuse, there will never be any hope of achieving peace in the Middle East. Unless the full rights of the Palestinian people are acknowledged, by Israel and by the rest of the world, the hideous cycle of hate, revenge, and bloodshed will never cease.