All Things
An interesting question.
Hamas was elected by the people of Gaza to run its government. Israel believes that Hamas is a threat to its continued existence. It no doubt has good reasons for believing that. In light of this perceived threat, Israel waged a brief but very bloody war against Gaza last year, killing 1400 Palestinian civilians. Since Hamas won the election in 2005, Israel has blockaded Gaza and has controlled what sorts of goods will be allowed in. Israel believes itself to be justified by the threat Hamas constitutes and, all in all, the United States government -- whether under Bush or Obama -- agrees.
But now consider this analogy. Presidents Bush and Obama have been elected by the American people. Osama bin Laden believes that the US is a real threat to the Mideast, to Arab countries, their ways of running their lives, their values and their religion. There are good reasons to think that Osama bin Laden is right about the threat we constitute to his, conservative, views about Islamic culture and the role of the US in the Mideast. Israel believing that Hamas is a threat uses massive violence to try to unseat Hamas. Osama bin Laden, believing that the US is a threat, uses spectacular violence to try to undermine American power.
If those two actions are roughly parallel, why is Osama bin Laden a terrorist and the object of a seven-year manhunt while we support Israel with $3 billion a year of military aid?
-
War in Gaza Hamas in Gaza has lately sent many long-range missiles into Israel. Three Israelis were killed so far; Israeli reprisals have killed more than 70 Palestinians. The Israelis claim the right to self defense. US officials from the president...
- More Mysteries Of Us Policy In Israel
More mysteries of US policy in Israel. In the previous blog I suggest that that there was more than one face to US policy in Israel. While our government publicly criticizes the Israelis for planning construction of more Jewish housing in East Jerusalem,...
- Can Violence Bring Peace?
Israel and its US supporters defend Israel's recent attack on Gaza as self-defense. For a number of years, rockets have been regularly fired from Gaza into Southern Israel. There were not many casualties but the population of Israel was seriously...
- Gaza
The most common reaction to the warfare in Gaza is to blame one side or the other for the tremendous suffering imposed on the people of Gaza. The US government blames Hamas and thereby encourages Israel to continue bombing and killing. Others blame Israel...
- Terrorists And Patriots
Sometimes important lessons are contained in mere coincidences. On April 21st Massachusetts celebrated Patriot's Day with colorful reenactments of the Battle of Lexington, the first skirmish in the bitter Revolutionary War. British troops fought a...
All Things
An Interesting Question
An interesting question.
Hamas was elected by the people of Gaza to run its government. Israel believes that Hamas is a threat to its continued existence. It no doubt has good reasons for believing that. In light of this perceived threat, Israel waged a brief but very bloody war against Gaza last year, killing 1400 Palestinian civilians. Since Hamas won the election in 2005, Israel has blockaded Gaza and has controlled what sorts of goods will be allowed in. Israel believes itself to be justified by the threat Hamas constitutes and, all in all, the United States government -- whether under Bush or Obama -- agrees.
But now consider this analogy. Presidents Bush and Obama have been elected by the American people. Osama bin Laden believes that the US is a real threat to the Mideast, to Arab countries, their ways of running their lives, their values and their religion. There are good reasons to think that Osama bin Laden is right about the threat we constitute to his, conservative, views about Islamic culture and the role of the US in the Mideast. Israel believing that Hamas is a threat uses massive violence to try to unseat Hamas. Osama bin Laden, believing that the US is a threat, uses spectacular violence to try to undermine American power.
If those two actions are roughly parallel, why is Osama bin Laden a terrorist and the object of a seven-year manhunt while we support Israel with $3 billion a year of military aid?
-
War in Gaza Hamas in Gaza has lately sent many long-range missiles into Israel. Three Israelis were killed so far; Israeli reprisals have killed more than 70 Palestinians. The Israelis claim the right to self defense. US officials from the president...
- More Mysteries Of Us Policy In Israel
More mysteries of US policy in Israel. In the previous blog I suggest that that there was more than one face to US policy in Israel. While our government publicly criticizes the Israelis for planning construction of more Jewish housing in East Jerusalem,...
- Can Violence Bring Peace?
Israel and its US supporters defend Israel's recent attack on Gaza as self-defense. For a number of years, rockets have been regularly fired from Gaza into Southern Israel. There were not many casualties but the population of Israel was seriously...
- Gaza
The most common reaction to the warfare in Gaza is to blame one side or the other for the tremendous suffering imposed on the people of Gaza. The US government blames Hamas and thereby encourages Israel to continue bombing and killing. Others blame Israel...
- Terrorists And Patriots
Sometimes important lessons are contained in mere coincidences. On April 21st Massachusetts celebrated Patriot's Day with colorful reenactments of the Battle of Lexington, the first skirmish in the bitter Revolutionary War. British troops fought a...