Israel Palestinian conflict

By Bishnu Dey

Let me start with the statement that I do believe that the people of Palestine have a right to live in peace and dignity and enjoy full freedom in their own land.  The people of Palestine have paid a heavy price over the last 50+ years, and they do deserve our support in achieving their goals.  I am saddened that the Palestinians were known to be the most tolerant among the Arab tribes, but the acts of violence against the innocent civilians of Israel has tarnished their credibility beyond repair. 

Having said that, I would like to point out that no matter how many outsiders voice their opinion in favor of the Palestinians, it is ultimately the people of Palestine and their leadership who have to solve their own problem.  Instead of adopting a constructive path, they have adopted a self-destructive course to ensure that their long-term objective will be better served by keeping the Intifada alive, which some day might gather enough momentum to completely eradicate Israel from the face of the earth.  Islamists are master land-grabbers, and it has been proven over centuries of bloodshed and occupation of territories from Morrocco to Indonesia.  Some of our ancestors were the victims of this tactics, which they so well perfected in what we know as “ethnic cleansing” today. 

PLO, Fatah, Hamas, and Hezbollah (Lebanon based) etc. and scores of other bloody terrorist groups are now an integral part of the Palestinian political landscape.  Through the use of Islam as a tool, they have been able to convert the relatively secular people of Palestine into a vicious bloodthirsty society.  It is sad when these people can not even see how morally repugnant act it is to blow apart children in discos, or ordinary people in the streets, just to “voice” their claim in favor of a somewhat noble and worthy cause, seeking independence. 

Imagine the lack of human dignity and the extent to which these people have degenerated to the point that they even rejoice at the deaths of their own children!  The proud parents of the young suicide bombers proclaim publicly how happy they are that their own flesh and blood have martyred themselves, in quest of holy Jihad!  

We know that terrorists do not care for the sanctity of human lives and to them the end justifies all means!  In the past these terrorists comprised of smaller groups of individuals belonging to the extreme fringes of the society, and were easily identifiable and dealt with.  What is happening today is a completely different phenomenon.  The terrorists have infiltrated into the mainstream society and have been able to set the agenda for the people of Palestine.  The voice of sanity and reasoning are lost in the shrill cry of “Allah Hu Akbar”, and “kill the Jews and the Infidels”.  Equally repugnant is the attitude of the Muslim world, where not one single country has come out denouncing the violence perpetrated by the misled youth of Palestine, blowing them up just to kill some innocent people.  What is it that makes the Muslims of the world to look the other way, and justify the barbarism as a legitimate act of freedom fight?  Is it the teachings of Islam that desensitizes the entire mass of a billion plus people? 

Now, it is quite a noble gesture to sign petitions to voice the solidarity with the people of Palestine.  But do the signatories of this one sided proposal know that far more Palestinians have been illed by their own Arab brothers?  Do they recall that tens of thousands of Palestinians were killed by the king Hussain of Jordan in 1968?  How about the reprisals against the Palestinians by the Kuwaitis following the liberation of Kuwait by the US led coalition force?  Did the Kuwaitis not drive out every single Palestinians from that land?  Where were the voice of these pious Arabs, and the rest of the Muslim world?  The point I am trying to make is simple.  The Muslim Arabs killed thousands of more Palestinians than the so-called atrocities that are being charged against Israel.  How many petitions were signed against the atrocities by king Hussain, or the emir of Kuwait??      

I am aware of the fact that Israel has displayed arrogance in dealing with the Palestinians, and has also ruthlessly suppressed some of the legitimate demands of the people there.  Freedom loving people of the world have from time to time voiced their disapproval against Israeli brutality.  Unfortunately, a sustained move against so-called “Israeli atrocities” never materialized because of the equal or more acts of violence and brutality against the Jews, by the Palestinians and other Arabs.  We all remember the Black September day when a gang of Arab terrorists invaded the Munich Olympic complex and mercilessly slaughtered the members of Israeli contingent in 1972.  During most of the 70s and 80s, the Arab terrorists wrecked havoc in Europe and other parts of the world.  We all recall vividly the Rome Airport incident, when several dozens of innocent people were gunned down by these Jihadis, just to make a point that finally Arab terrorism has come to age, and is here to stay!  The number of such acts of Pan Arabic terrorism is innumerable and is not the focus of this writing, but just to remind the readers that this scourge that was unleashed by the followers of Mohammed has not only survived the past millennium, but is here kicking and alive, and far more potent in its destructive capability, displayed through the acts of September 11, 2001. 

Israel’s acts of defiance and hostility against its neighboring countries can perhaps be understood in the light of the vicious anti Semitism displayed by the Arabs, who joined forces in the famous battle of Yom Kippur in 1973.  Through heroic resistance, the people of Israel were not only able to thwart the barbaric invasion, but were also able to wrestle away Golan Heights from Syria, the Gaza strip from Egypt, and other Palestinian land we know as the West Bank.  Today, the Muslims who were vanquished in that battle are clamoring to get back the ownership of their land.  May I ask the readers when was the last time invading Islamic forces relinquished their hold over occupied land?  Never!  The fact is Israel has already returned the Gaza Strip to Egypt following Mr. Anwar Sadat’s peace agreement with Menachim Begin.  They have also agreed to come to terms with the Palestinians following Oslo Summit in 1993.  If the Israelis were that land-hungry, why would they negotiate away the land that they occupied through their victory?  

Finally, towards the end of 2000, when pieces were falling in place, and both Israel and Palestine were getting close to an agreement, whereby Israel agreed to return almost all of the occupied Palestinian land, and even agreed to share Jerusalem.  It was the Jihadi elements within the Arab nationalists who were able to drive a stake through the heart of this prospective peace agreement, through a massive display of brute force unleashed by what they call, “the Intifada”. 

The terrorist that Yassar Arafat is, he spurned that offer and renewed his jihad with intensified vigor through the use of suicide bombers, indiscriminately killing innocent Israeli citizens and forcing them to resort to harsh tactics to protect its own citizens.  The killing of innocent Israelis is just as reprehensive as any retaliatory action that might be taken by Israel.  Time and again, Israel and its people were instigated to react to countless acts of suicide bombing.  Finally, Israel decided that enough was enough and sent in their army to uproot the source of this barbaric uprising, which they term as “freedom fight”. 

Israel could have perhaps reacted in a different manner.  Instead of using force to quell this violence they could have adopted subtler measures to selectively target the leaders who entice the young to become "suicide bombers". Serious consideration should be given to selectively targeting some of the clergy and leaders of the political establishments of Arab countries who openly condone acts of suicide bombing, as a “halal” act sanctioned by the Koran.  Brutal as it might sound, the parents of the suicide bombers must also be brought to justice for gloating at the apparently heroic acts of their “martyred” children.  Once a “prospective” suicide bomber realizes that even as they might enjoy the company of the 72 houris in heaven, their parents will be paying a heavy price in the prisons of Tel Aviv for their bad karma.  Perhaps, this will induce some fear and some sense in their jihadi souls that violence and terrorism in the name of Allah is just another cowardly crime against humanity and there is a price to be paid. 

The Palestinians are not innocent victims as they are loudly proclaiming.  We all know how they operate.  The only way for them to get their freedom is through the path of peace and negotiation.  They will have to denounce violence and will have to learn to be civil and accommodating.  The sooner they learn that they will never succeed in ethnically cleansing Israel of the Jews, the better off they will be.  The display of ugly burqua clad Palestinian women singing and clapping in glee following the Sept 11 carnage is too fresh in our collective minds. 

Whatever sympathy the average Americans had for the Palestinians, got washed away that day!! Finally, terrorism must not be rewarded.  Let it be known that no matter how pious and self-serving the ultimate goal might be, injecting the call of Islamic brotherhood is not sufficient to bring the emancipation of the Palestinians or for that matter any other politically inspired group, like the Kashmiris. 

This petition is one sided, and does not reflect the reality of the socio-political environment in that region.  This is a statement from a group of individuals who are selective in expressing their outrage favoring their own narrow agenda of promoting freethinking with an “Eslamic” slant. 

Regards, 

Bishnu Dey