If the organizers of the Gaza War Protests in Vancouver write on their website … But the deadly siege was not enough to satisfy Israel’s hunger for Palestinian blood, you can be sure their motivation is NOT peace, nor the welfare of Gazan children. Open hearted good people everywhere, appalled by the images of bombs dropping on innocent children in Gaza, enraged by military machines wreaking havoc on humanity, and driven by the frustration of feeling powerless and the human need to DO something, are -by the thousands -joining online protests as well as demonstrations. Problematic by far, is the emotional bandwagon that turns cries for justice into cries for revenge, cries for peace into cries for delegitimization and demonization. Does burning the Israeli flag at demonstrations have a more enlightened mindset than Israeli youth burning an Arab teen to death, both in the name of justice? The pain of Israelis and Palestinians is intertwined, and the first cannot cease as long as the other continues. Delegitimizing one side does NOTHING to help the problem. Only when BOTH sides needs are recognised by the other side can things progress. If you are choosing sides you are part of the problem. A Win - Win (non-adversarial) context is the ONLY context that can work. If you really want peace - you have to stick up for BOTH sides winning. With one exception: This does not include the aggressive 13 Century fanatic elements in this world that want to impose their way on everybody. They have to be recognized for where theyre at: Hamas is as much a freedom movement as ISIS and Al Qaida and Boko Harum are. Dealing with those demagogic elements in our world of today is a difficult and complex problem, and those elements are stalking the Middle East and Europe and coming soon to a North American city near you, With that distinction made - Its time to become bigger than choosing one side over the other - and go for both sides of the Palestinian - Israeli conflict winning. ANY discussion which demonizes and deligitimses either side is part of the problem, in Israel and outside. If you have difficulty granting legitimization to Israels right to exist in peace, regardless of the images, regardless of the disproportionateness in power, regardless of the many many mistakes they have made, then you are part of the problem. If you think Israelis arent people like you and me you are part of the problem. There is a strong and widespread peace / anti-war movement in Israel, Arabs and Jews together, advocating for a win win. Get hip to the emotional propaganda machine wanting you to choose sides, and take one step higher, and advocate for justice and peace for BOTH.
Posted on: Sat, 19 Jul 2014 21:42:41 +0000
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