Well, having now learnt something about the issue in general, we should look to the future and a possible solution to the Palestinian/Israeli conflict.
Many people advocate the two-state solution. However, it is my opinion that it will never work. First of all, such a thing would result in an apartheid state - Israel, the state for Jews - and secondly, there will continue to be a lot of controversy and disagreement because boundaries will constantly be disputed and both sides feel wronged. To separate the land into two, one side for a people claiming the land on questionable grounds, the other side for a people who belong to the land as a whole, is unjust. Besides, we've already seen what happens when a land is divided into two - look at Pakistan and India, who are constantly fighting over Kashmir, resulting in years of death and destruction. We simply cannot have that any longer, and we certainly cannot do that to Palestine.
My stance against Israel is not based on any hatred of Jews - simply put, I do not deny Jews the right to live in Palestine; but I DO deny them their claim that they have exclusive or superior right to the land (or parts of it) over the native inhabitants (whether they be Muslim, Jew, or Christian), that they have a right to rule the land by themselves.
I think that there should just be one state, governed by a government that includes Muslims, Jews, and Christians. That way each religion is represented and disagreements can be resolved peacefully. If anyone - Jews, Muslims, or Christians - wish to move to Palestinian, it will be an immigration issue for the government to deal with. Although there will certainly be a lot of issues to deal with, no doubt the region will be under scrutiny from the rest of the world, and hopefully if the UN can stand by as a mediator, things will eventually be resolved peacefully.
The first steps towards such a solution should be for all world leaders to get together, put aside their own agendas and prejudices, and declare their support of the one state solution. Israel should be ordered to disarm, and their weapons taken away or destroyed. The Palestinian resistance should also be made to understand that further violence would be counter-productive, and their weapons, too, should be taken away. Neither side should be allowed to have anything that would contribute to further violence. Next, the walls - literal and figurative - between Palestinians and Israelis need to be destroyed. Dialogue, which everyone agrees is vitally important, must begin: the opening of hearts and minds. Local leaders, in unison with world leaders, must stand up and support the one state solution, and use all their influence to calm their people down and start participating in the dialogue, and then, the rebuilding of their land.
This, I believe, is what needs to be done in order to bring an end to this conflict and ensure peace.
As for the situation today, I call upon everyone to help out in any way they can. Donate money to aid organizations; write letters to those in your government who can do something politically; attend protests (although in my opinion, these don't really do much in practical terms); do something!
Dialogue between both sides is sorely needed - but not just between the leaders (we've had plenty of that, and it's gotten little enough done, in my opinion), but between the people. The Palestinian people and the Israeli citizens must sit together and talk, to share their opinions and views, to really build bridges. For how will anything get done if they are kept separate, knowing each other only as 'the Others'? They must realize each others' humanity, and work towards a common goal - one state for all, where everyone, regardless of religion, can live together peacefully.
The world needs to wake up and see what is being done to the Palestinians at the hands of the Israelis. Land is being stolen, people are killed every day, innocents are thrown in prison - why? Because they dare to fight back against oppression and injustice. Even the UN has recognized Israel's crimes against the Palestinians, and issued many UN Resolutions against them (65) - but as yet, none have been enforced (keep in mind also that the U.S. is quick to veto UN resolutions against Israel), and so Israel's terrorism continues.
Please, please, please do what you can to end this conflict! Or, at the very least, do what you can to help the people. A dollar a day will do something and make a difference.
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