After reading the recommended diary today, and having many discussions in my Jewish Community high school I attend and with family members (many of whom are so right-wing politically and ignorant regarding all world issues), I have been thinking about many points regarding the Israel-Palestine conflict. Can someone please respond to these points--- I do not necessarily agree with them but I need input, as my arguments are always shouted down with these.
- The Palestinians do not want peace. Israel offered them 97.5 percent of what they asked for during the Camp David accords, an astounding and even unexpected amount, yet Arafat turned it down. Additionaly, Arafat would seem like he wanted peace when speaking in English, yet would shout "Jihad! Jihad! Jihad!" in Arabic.
- Israel is criticized for not fully complying with the Oslo Peace accords, yet in fact it did comply largely. The Palestinians, however, did not comply at all. Example: They did not educate their children regarding peace, did not stop the terror attacks, did not change the Palestinian charter recognizing Israel's right to exist etc.
- Although the Palestinian people are very impoverished and "Brainwashed", they still elected Hamas as their government. Hamas' charter (which I read) actually is very anti-Israel and does not recognize that Israel is there.
- Israel withdrew from part of the West Bank and Gaza, and even provided many humanitarian things like greenhouses for the Palestinians. What happened next? They burned the greenhouses and started to shoot over the border.
- The seperation fence/wall has helped deter terrorism.
- Israel tries to limit collateral damage, yet Palestinian Suicide bombers have that as their goal!
- The Palestinians have never wanted peace. The fact that they stand idly by when terror organizations attempt to kill Jews is similar to the German people not doing anything when the Nazis were persecuting Jews: it is their fault.
Again, I do not necessarily (and certainly do not) agree with many of these points. However, I want to hear from both sides. In my high school and around my relatively homogeneous community, I hear only one side of the debate. I think for myself but am having trouble hearing both sides, because it seems the other extreme says that Israel is always wrong. There are injustices on both sides!
Update: Just responding to a pretty common theme of the comments. Yes, I am 17, and yes, some of these views (but defintely not ones as extreme) are my own to some degree. To be honest, some things on both sides of the debate do not make much sense to me. I am living, as I said, in a homogeneous community and these points are drilled into me, yet some do just not make sense.
I see there are many on the other side, and I want to know their views. Clearly the views I have heard are not totally correct, and the other extreme is not either. I am not trying to be a "shameful coward" but rather someone who can see both sides.