Today, along with continued bombings, Israel officially deployed infantry INSIDE Gaza for the first time since the conflict began several days ago.
Now, I say officially because Israel most likely has operatives active inside Gaza, just as Hamas most likely has active operatives inside Israel. But that's besides the point. The real problem here is that Israel is acting just like somebody we all know that earned scorn and criticism from countries all around the world; us, the US of A.
I have to say, I can't blame Israel 100%. The Hamas government brought it on themselves when they refused to cease the firing of rockets in to Israel territory, causing innocent civillian casualties everyday. If I ran Israel, I may just have carpet bombed the damn place and just gotten it over with. Except for one problem: Just why is Israel getting attacked, anyway?
If you haven't read the previous post, or are not very informed about this topic, let me explain to you in a few short lines how it came about.
1. Palestine used to own the area.
2. Jews, after WWII, wanted their own country.
3. With the help of allies, they took Palestinian land and (re?)established the country of Israel.
4. Since then, Palestine hasn't really stably existed as a country
5. Israel still controlls the sea and air space around it, as well as most of the land borders except for the Egyptian border.
6. Palestinians want their land, their COUNTRY, back.
7. Israel doesn't want to. (Obviously!)
It's a bit more complicated than this, of course, and there are complex religious, racial, and political issues that are intertwined with each other that make this an impossible case. However, I believe that this doesn't change the fact that Israel started things, and so they should be doing everything they can to resolve the conflict before bombing them. Right now, this is the picture I'm getting in my head.
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A: Hey, that's mine!
B: Well, too bad. It's mine now.
A: Give it back!
B: Nope.
A: Can I pleeeease have it back?
B: No, but maybe I'll let you use it.
A: Really?
B: Maybe not.
A: *Frustrated*
A: *Punches B*
B:Ohhhh, you getting it now!
B: *Ground and Pound A with obvious advantage in size and weight.
B: *Doesn't allow A to recieve help from anyone.*
B: *No one able to help A because of A's friends, who are all even bigger than B and helped him get it in the first place*
B: *Some friends brave enough to say "Hey, come on, don't do that, that's too much!"*
B: *Nobody actually does anything to help, though.*
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Familiar picture? Yep, that's right. A BULLY. I don't mean to belittle the casualties that Israel has suffered because of Hamas's rather idiotic actions, but it's so little compare to what the Palestinian people inside the Gaza strip have suffered that this situation is becoming rather ridiculous as far as I am concerned. All Israel is doing is taking something, refusing to return it, and that's not even in a nice way. Not once have they said to the Palestinian people, "Hey, I'm really sorry about taking your land forcefully and relocating 1.5 million people, confining them to infinite poverty and instability, but here's what we're going to do to make it right."
Aid? Yes, 50 trucks of first aid and food is really going to help almost 2 million people deprived of even the basic commodities, including freedom of movement, trade, FOOD....and then they have the hypocrosy to TREAT the victims of bombings in their own hospitals? Hmm. Not to say that's not humanitarian, it's actually very nice of them, but it's still hypocrosy at its best nonetheless.
Dear Israeli government: If you want to end this situation....clean up the mess you started. Pay the Palestinians what they are due, whether it's through monetary, economical, medical, political, or any other methods. Reimburse them for what they've lost, and what they've suffered because you wanted to be a country. I know you can't give back the land; not only is that not a viable option (innocent Israelli civilians...), it's too late for that, and it wouldn't be any where near enough compensation. No. Help them establish a country, a healthy government, a healthy economy, give them back their sea/air space, help them establish a sufficient military, support them in anything they need to become a stable country. THAT is the right way to solve this. In my opinion, of course.
Will that ever happen? Well.....maybe when pigs fly.
