12, July 2001 Middle East Bullies
The Middle East bullies are at it again! "Israeli tanks and bulldozers destroyed 10 buildings in Gaza" - only a few hours after bulldozers leveled 14 Palestinian homes under construction in the Palestinian refugee camp of Shuafat on the edge of Jerusalem. What does the Israeli government hope to accomplish by this wanton show of force? Predictably, the Palestinians reacted with increasing foreboding, anger, despair, and smoldering resentment It appears that Sharon is ratcheting up the attacks on the Palestinians in the hope of provoking a strong reaction. This will then give him reason for an all-out attack on the Palestinian Authority.
The obvious tilt of the US Administration in favor of the Israelis has only added to the anger of the Palestinians who no longer see the US acting as an honest broker. The Israeli people are suffering from a collective amnesia. Forgotten are the hard lessons of history. Forgotten are the centuries of persecution. The victims of aggression have become the aggressors. The Israelis, who have for centuries yearned for their homeland, finally accomplished their dream by displacing the Palestinians from their land by force. They should understand that the Palestinians share their desire for peace and a land they can call their own.
It is time that for our government to halt its billions of aid to the Israelis and behave as an honest broker.
