I am sad … I am very sad.
I am sad … I am very sad.
It is a new year but same old people still do the same old bad habits. The conflict … the killing still continues. The sad … the very sad thing is … the killing is purely driven self interests. The even sadder thing is … the world is blinded or ignorant.
When I was a kid, I spend the evening time after dinner with my parents watching TV. We watched a lot of things … news, movies, documentaries, game shows … and whatever was on. Once in the while, there were news about Israel and Palestine. I cannot remember much what happen back then but, for sure, I recall most of my reactions were … “Wow … This side is so cool. They have tanks, armors and big guns. The other side have just stones.” As a young boy, I did not think much about it.
Since my interests as a child was drawing and later shifted to science and technology, I (just like most people) lived on with my live and did not care or think much about it. After all, Thailand was a third of a world away from the middle east and we are bhuddist nation which have nothing whatsoever to do with Judaism, Christianity or Islam.
It was in my collage years that I began having interested in history and politic. Perhaps because the economic crisis in Thailand and surrounding countries. One thing lead to another, I got a hand on a book called “ยิว” or “Jew” or “Jewish”. The book was written by a formal prime-minister (of Thailand, of course) who, at one time, a foreign minister. During that time he was a foreign minister, he had visited Israel and Palestine at the time the state of Israel was just being formed. In other word, he had first hand experience.
The book tells story of Jewish people since the ancient time. How they were together, separated, together and separated again, and of course together again. How other treat them and how they treat others. This book made me feel so much admiration to Jewish people. I was also made aware that one of my favorite people (Albert Einstein) is Jewish. NOTE: Since the book was written quite sometime ago, it was not every update as so my view toward situation.
Whenever I saw middle east conflict, I assumed (just like everyone else) that the situation is what the news said – Israel protect themselves against the peace-hating Islam. I was (just like everyone else) having lots of things in mind – study, personal matter, job opportunity or even other distractions like movies or games. Until one day, I saw that picture again … the one with soldiers on the tank fired to a scatted crowd that threw stones at them and I began to wonder. “What do these people thinking?” “Why do they risk their life throwing stones or bottle bomb to those solders with tanks and guns? They had no chance to win.” “Why do they kill themselves just to kill others they hate (by religion).” “But oh, I have to go now otherwise, I well be late for the class” (after all, I had to go through Bangkok’s traffic jam). As I said, I (just like everyone else), have a lot of other and more important things to handle.
David and Goliath?
Later, I came to Canada as an exchange student. My English was much improve (as it was extremely bad at home – it is still quite bad just much better). I practiced my English by reading and watching news (news announcers speaks in a much easier to understand manner and movies). Middle east conflict shew up once in a while on TV. Most of them it will be either Israel attack Palestinian to prevent future terrorist activities or Palestinian terrorists attack Israel town. But some pattern began to immerse (at least to me):
1. When Israel attacked, there will be picture of Palestinian people carried coffin. The quick cut people with shows quite a lot of things but usually not staying long enough or close enough to show people as individual but rather a big group of people. Together the full explanation of why Israel attack (like to kill the militant) something like this “Israel troop attack the militant group … killing the official of the group in response to the ….. The group vows to attack Israel in revenge, the angry mob said.”. The news usually ends with something like “10 civilian also died form the incident”. The news will run just once or twice.
2. When Palestinian attacked, the news reporter will say something like “Palestinian militant group attacks … Israel town 2 civilians die” with picture of all sad looking people and cry. The picture will stay long enough to really show how sad they were. Followed by leaders of pretty much every big countries come out and condemn the attack. The news will go on with difference aspects covered for a few days; sometime even interviews of the victim or eyewitness or authority, sometime re-show more background (mostly blame Palestine) and sometime more response from people (usually US, and say something like, this is terrorist and racist/hate, unacceptable and blocking the process of peace).
3. Majority of those news will contain these two words: “Palestinian refugees” and “Jewish settlers”.
I asked myself: Why are Palestinian is doing this? They know there will be respond, why still? Is it because of hate? Is it only that as the news somewhat implied? Well, after all (from what I was aware of then), Israel got those land by legal means like buy it and from the six-day wars with UN resolution backed up. I understand that they will be angry (as I will be) but it’s not like a few decades ago? Should you accept it already?
With more improves English skill and access to fast Internet, I began browsing around reading different aspect of the conflict. It was then my whole view toward the conflict has changed. Palestinian (even those the militants) have reason to angry and to attack. This does not means that I supports the violent; it is just means that now I see the reason much clearer. The must important thing is that the reason is not the hate for either race or religion but what Israel has done and how the world is turning blind eyes on them.
Israel had taken their lands (and mostly not by legal means) and driven them to be refugees (refugees in their-own countries). Israel occupied them and does not treat them very nice or sometime even like sub-human. After all these, Israel never accept that they have done anything wrong. They always think that Palestinian do that to them purely because of hate (as they can do no wrong); and, the most important thing is that the whole world accept Israel behaviors. The world accepts that Israel can takes the land at will; they can block road, access to water, access to fishing area, access to farmland, access to more equipped-hospital, better school or relatives. Israel can shoot at will into the refugee camp, terrorizing people, killing children. All this without anyone saying anything.
Ok, both side have blood on their hands. Palestinian actions draw so much blood too. My problem with the whole situation is that the only one get the blames is the Palestinians. What angers me the most … is that the Palestinians, Iraqis and Afghans have to go through hell each and every day. Their families are killed, homes destroyed, and lives ruined, then when they have had enough and pick up guns and stones and bombs to fight back with anger, to get justice for their dead loved ones, to kick the invaders out of their homeland, they get labeled as “Terrorists”.
And the scale of actions from both side really cannot be compared. Ok, I know what you think. You think that if Palestinians get a hand on more weapon they will do it in the same scale too. This may likely be true BUT it gives no justification whatsoever to the scale of action done by Israel.
With all the explosion of my thoughts and concerns above. I would like to ask you very simple favor:
1. Stop giving benefit to the doubt to Israel or perhaps to anyone. If no clear evidences are given, don’t believe them. See Tom Hurndall or Gaza: Killing Zone for example of Israel lies. It takes 4 years for the truth to get out. What the example shows is that Israel is capable doing bad things and lie about it. They should not given unconditional trust. The recent situation of the UN school attack, for instance, where UN staffs said that there is no militants in the school so Israel claims without evidences cannot be believed.
2. Be open mind. Look out for a wider media (even the opposite side). It is the Internet time. You may find yourself knowing thing you may not never know. As most media are bias in some level, think carefully before deciding to believe or dis-believe them.
3. Be rational about the thing you see. Ask yourself how can someone scarify themselves just because of hate. Is there more reason for suicide bombers than just hate or religion different? It may but it may not. Consider what the other side done to them. Should they be angry if they land is taken and their life is ruin? Do they have right to protect themselves.
4. Credibility of the news source is important but the more important is the truth. Read news from the sources that you know to be bias to the opposite side. It may held some truth you may not know. If a serial killer tell you that the sun rise form the east, will you believe him? If Al-Jazeera tells you that Israel did something bad and CNN does not, don’t ignore that story. Looks more source for comparison or think if that story makes sense. If the story seems to hold some truth, ask yourself why CNN does not report that? Adjust credibility of all source constantly.
5. Nothing or no-one is perfect. Hamas have done some nasty stuff but that does not means that everything they do are wrong or everything Israel do are right. So do not assume based solely on the past record or other factor (just like political system or religion) (like “they are Muslim they must be the bad one.”).
6. No black and white. If you are right does not means that I am wrong. Both side can be right and both side can be wrong. Israel have right to defense themselves so those Palestinians. Hamas actually fire rockets to Israel (as you always see on TV) and Israel blockage and terrorize Palestinians for years (but you rally see it).
7. Be fair. Every life is equals. How can justify the death toll is 100 per 1 as self-defense? Someone punch me in the nose does not give me right to kill everyone in his family.
8. Be strict to law and moral. Even if consider without other reasons and assume that Israel is doing this by the means of self-defense against Hamas who apparently fire rockets at them just for fun. They still need to be criticized of violating international law because they do. For example, attacking UN, blockage of aids/media and other things. Collective punishment is clearly a war crime. These are the violation of international laws. Without keeping both parties’ behaviors in-check and let they get away with it. The problem will never ends as they will continue to do so and provoke the other side reactions in the process.
9. Do something. Once you open your eyes wider, re-shape your perspective and do something about it. Spread the words, boycott products, educates others, demonstrate or whatever you can do.
To me, I think … It is understandable for both side to be angry. Palestinians feels they were victimized and ignored. Israeli were attacked by rockets. However, since the taken of the land by Israel is the root of all this mess (they come to the land and takes what was previously own by others provoking the owner of the land anger first) and they are in much better off position as they get too much sympathy and supports from others (many of those they do no deserve or no-longer deserve). Israel should be the one who back down. Then, Palestinian should learn to forgive.
Just my opinion.
NawaMan
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