Our Voice Now

Probably about the only thing everyone can agree on is that, realistically, there will never be true peace in the Mid-East.  It’s a nice dream that I am sorry to say, I don’t think will ever be realized, at least not in any of our lifetimes.

So, with that out of the way, I bring forth the question that seems to *finally* be being asked by some of the more hard-hitting journalists as well - why is the US giving carte blanche in support to Israel?  What have they done for us?  As I recall, it wasn’t that long ago where Americans were being targeted in Israel.

It almost seems that there is a fear in this country that if you don’t support anything and everything the Israeli government does then that somehow means you are anti-semitic.  That logic seems about as reasonable as Bush’s ‘if you don’t support me you support the terrorist’ rhetoric.

Does Israel have a right to protect itself? Yes.  Absolutely.  There is no question about that.  (Edit - I meant include they have a right to protect themselves if a situation warrants but no one was killed by the Hamas missiles - for the moment they were more of a nuisance as opposed to the hundreds killed by the Israeli attacks).  But what has been forgotten or purposely not reported is that since they took control of Gaza and basically walled the Palestinians in, they have treated the Palestinians almost the same way the Saddam treated the Iraqi’s who didn’t support him.  They have cut off food, water, electricity and other basic needs to the Palestinians - and have for years not just since this latest fighting started.  They do not allow the Palestinians to travel from one section to another without having to go through security checkpoints.  Didn’t we overthrow an entire government (albeit illegally) because Saddam did the same?

While in no means do I support Hamas, and please remember, if someone is Palestinian it does NOT mean they are members of Hamas - that would be the equivalant of saying if you are white and live in the south then you are a member of the Klan, I do question Israel’s over-reacting of the missiles being fired by Hamas.  Hamas’ missiles did not kill anyone.  In one day, Israel killed more than 250 civilians in Gaza and the deaths continue to rise.  They bombed two U.N. schools - the Israelis, not Hamas.

The timing also seems a bit… convenient.  Bush has less than two weeks left as President.  Did the Israeli government panic figuring it was now or never because the odds are Obama will not let them just attack and use the excuse of ‘but we’re Israel, you have to support us’?

While neither side is right in this issue, the saddest part is the hundreds of innocent lives being taken in the name of pride and arrogance.  I would like to believe that the average Israeli citizen is just as disgusted by the actions of their leaders as so many Americans were disgusted by the actions of Bush.

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