Over the last few weeks, I have heard less and less about the naval blockade and how the world is finally willing to criticize Israel for its behaviour. It seems as though we have heard all of this before. Israel and Egypt managed to find a peaceful solution to their conflicts and they are an exception which proves a particular rule: you have to want peace in order to get it. They discovered that they could live with the other’s existence without it ruining their sense of self. The Palestinians and Israelis have had their treaties, but they have rarely been worth the paper they were scratched upon, and the recent decisions made by both governments will not help matters. There needs to be another solution that generates the desire for peace.
The key problem here is a lack of respect for the opinion of the world community. The United Nations has never been able to guarantee that innocent civilians will stop being bombed, killed and kidnapped by terrorist groups and occupying armies. Even the leaders of the aforementioned countries and political entities have found their authority questioned and denied by radical elements within. Ariel Sharon and Yasser Arafat both knew that their authority only reached as far as a code that could not affect the grudges held by their people. They could not hope to control the actions of certain soldiers or jihadists. The future of the present leaders of the more volatile areas of the Middle East promises more of the same instability.
Sounds bleak, doesn’t it? I must admit that there have been many times when I have just changed the channel when a newscaster makes any mention of Lebanon, Iraq, Israel, Hamas, Al-Qaida, jihad, and so forth. And I know that I am not alone. It is too tempting to change the record when it keeps playing the same tune. But all is not lost.
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Yeah, I can take it...