Something I dislike...Palestine & Israel take two

Actually, not just dislike - more like really, really abhor. When people who don't even know who you are attack you for your opinion.

Not only that - when they are too cowardly to do it in a public forum and so they privately send psuedo-scathing private messages to one's facebook account.

I'm sorry, but you are doing nothing to change my opinion or gain my respect. So long ago that I can't even remember how long ago it was...2007 as it turns out....I blogged about Palestine and Israel. Probably in response to some act of aggression that was happening at the time. Now, I don't claim to be an expert on the situation over there. In fact - I am probably anything but. However, I don't think it is possible for us to assign blame all over the place - especially when people's lives are being taken without their permission. Especially when childrens lives are at stake.

There are people all over the place who believe firmly in what they believe. The Palestinians and the Israelis both believe that they are entitled to the land of the Gaza strip. (Like I said, not an expert - correct me if I'm wrong!) But there are people involved here too. People who are losing their lives and families being torn apart - on both sides.

I am not - and I really want to stress this - not picking sides. All I am saying is that there is a point where enough is enough. Where compromise is always going to be the best option. This is one of those occasions. Yes, Elinor, Israel did give that land in Gaza to the Palestinians. You say "stupidly" and perhaps that may or may not be right. But that land originally belonged to the peoples in that area - the arabs who you claimed attacked Israel when they were still trying to get recognition as a "people".

So how can you say that these people are not a nation? Are not people but terrorists? Are all Palestinians terrorists? Israel have their own military that has caused it's fair share of terror. And if I remember correctly (5th form history is a long time ago now!) that land never originally belonged to Israel. They took it from other nations. Is it really a surprise when those people want their land back?

I'll admit that I am not there. I don't fully understand - and possibly will never fully understand. But don't you dare lecture me on my opinion. I'm not opposed to learning - but not when you seek to force your opinion on me. I have the right to study all sources of information and make a reasoned judgment. And I don't need you to judge me for that.

You say New Zealand would respond in the same way if a neighbouring country was attacking them? Yes, perhaps. (Although with our pathetic lack of air force we'd probably lose...hmm...) But this is more than just one nations greed and want. This is about hurts - real or imagined - that have gone back years and years and years. People who can't let go, who continue to hurt the innocent people around them and who have very little regard for human life if it doesn't suit their agenda. And that is on both sides.

So thank you for sharing your side of the story. But don't you think you might be the tiniest bit biased? After all, these people are in your country, attacking your family. And to you the loss of life on the other side is deserved because, hell, they did it first! But is that really the right attitude? If your attitude is the same as the majority of the Israelis (and I pray that it's not!) then I doubt we will ever see any resoultion to the middle east conflict in my lifetime, if ever. On some level people need to learn to forgive and to let go. They need to time to heal and rebuild their lives.

Your attitude won't let that happen because you see them as beneath you. They don't deserve to live but you do? They don't deserve a home, a land, a place that they belong - but you do?

Think about that...