Hope turns Upside Down as Israel Continues Brutal Tactics

It seems like not that long ago I was talking about diplomatic emissaries shuttling between East and West Jerusalem. Talks of peace and stability, a chance for the Palestinian people to live with freedom and dignity, a Nobel Peace Prize and hopes for a brighter future were being touted by everyone from Haaretz and Jerusalem Post opinion editors to W himself. We had promises after promises, lies after lies, talking about removing roadblocks, ending abductions, and leaving settlements. It seemed like we had traveled a long way but yet, here we are again, same old story different day. Israel continues to drag it's feet, hoping for a deal in principle with no timeline and no actions. We have seen this ploy before, it is just peace in principal, not in reality, not in action.

What Israel wants to do is draw attention from its apartheid regime, a regime that was suffering terribly from boycotts, withdrawal of investment, and International publicity about the atrocities they are committing daily against the Palestinian people. Just like after 9/11, the Israeli's jumped aboard the bandwagon to draw attention from what is truly going on in the occupied territories. They lied to the American public by telling them that they are on our side and they are also fighting this terrible war on fundamental Islam. However, in reality, they are the purveyors of terror themselves, sponsored by the state, and admitted to by most of Israel's Prime Ministers from David Ben Gurion to Yitzhak Shamir. What they also fail to tell you, is Israeli foreign policy decisions to annex more and more land that belongs to Muslim Arabs is what started the war with Islam, and American support for the terrorist government in Israel continues to feed the hatred of Muslims throughout the world.

Once again, Israel lied to us to divert attention from the truth. They told us if they had a partner for peace, there would be peace. There is no peace, even though the Palestinian government and it's leaders have begged for timetables and actions, the same timetables and actions that General Dayton called for Israel to implement several months ago. However, Israel just refuses. It refuses to stop abductions, it refuses to remove roadblocks, it refuses to dismantle the wall, and mostly, it refuses to stop killing Palestinian women and children. We as Americans should be horrified by what is occurring, but yet we turn a blind eye to children shot in the head, to women and children raped and tortured in Israeli prisons, we turn a blind eye to starving children and women giving birth on the street at checkpoints, because it is justified in a war on terror? How can committing these acts, true terrorism in action, be justified as fighting terror? We are lying to the world, but mostly, how long are we going to lie to ourselves and pretend this isn't happening? How long is the average American going to pretend he does not have the blood of women and children on their hands, and continue to fund the terrorist government of Israel?

I wrote in an article not too long ago that Israel had one chance, one chance for peace, and this is it. Since peace is obviously not an option, this was my prediction of future events, some which are already coming true.

(Israel will) Continue it's abductions, assassinations, checkpoints, roadblocks, abuses, atrocities and inhumane treatment of the Palestinians. This will only weaken the existing government, restrict its ability to reign in armed militias, develop more hatred and animosity towards the Israeli's and strengthen other, more militant groups in the area. Whether it be Hamas, Hezbollah, Islamic Jihad or some new militant group, it will only lead to additional destabilization of the region. Of course, Israel has always wanted the region to be destabilized, so it can use brutality to insure its security. In such a scenario, the government of Abbas would fall, another more militant group would gain power and the West Bank, like Gaza, will turn into a firing range with missiles in one direction and artillery, helicopter gunships and jet fighters, coming from the other. In addition, as the technology increases within the Palestinian territories, as Iran gets a stronger grip on the area, the Qassam rockets will turn into Katuysha rockets. Ranges will increase, accuracy will increase and rockets will be fired from Gaza, the West Bank and Lebanon. Israeli forces could not and can not stop rocket attacks from any of these areas. They couldn't do it during the Lebanon war, they can't do it now from Gaza and if the West Bank was added to that, there is not much of Israel left that could not be hit from rocket fire, including Tel Aviv. A grim future for Israel, that is for sure.

At this point in time, the Palestinians want peace, a state, and a future or like in Gaza they will turn to the powers that seem to be working in that direction by using terror as a weapon. The time has come for Israel to make a decision. Any half-measures, lagging, wasting time, or indecision on the part of the Israeli's at this juncture, will ensure that this option is initiated. Time is of the essence for the Israeli's and while they sit and debate, while they chart a course of action, while they meet with country after country, the clock is ticking. The resolution is as clear as it has been for decades, and Israel has only muddied the waters by increasing settlers, settlements, constructing the wall, and annexing land. Had they abided by UN resolution and the International Court of Justice, like every respectable country in the world, they wouldn't have to make these hard choices. They made their own grave by violating International law, and now they are going to have to live with the dismantling of their poor decisions.


As if to prove my point, here are today's articles concerning Israeli actions in the West Bank:

Israeli forces kidnap 3 Palestinians from Qalqilia, one from Hebron, two from Bethlehem

For the second day the army continues to attack Nablus, killing one

Israeli border police attack and injure two Shepherds near Jerusalem

Applied Research Institute: 28.5% more land cut off by Wall

Two days after attacking him, Israeli soldiers kidnap a Palestinian child north of Jerusalem

Unfortunately, what Israel continues to fail to realize is that it's time is up. Most members of the Fatah party, the party that Israel chose as a peace partner, are calling for a boycott of the Middle East Peace Conference in November. Saudi Arabia and Egypt have already told Israel once, stop the ongoing incursions and allow freedom of travel in the West Bank and stop invading and assaulting Syria and Lebanon, or they will not attend. The only people at the conference are going to be Bush, Rice, Ohlmert and Livni. These are not the people I would want trying to ensure peace and stability anywhere in the world.

The other most important things, the thing that is the scariest for Israel, is that Hamas is not losing power, but as a result of Israel's refusal to strengthen Fatah, by failing to implement actions, they are becoming stronger. Islamic Jihad, the purveyors of most rocket attacks are viewed as freedom fighters. Hamas and Islamic Jihad are fighting to get what Israel promised and failed to deliver to the West Bank. This only empowers the more radical groups within the Palestinian community. The average Palestinian will gladly accept any proposals for peace and live within those agreements, however, if they are going to suffer through occupation, brutality, theft, rape and murder then they have no choice but to fight back and those groups who have the ability to fight back are those that the Israelis and Americans do not want in power, but are the Palestinians last resort for freedom and dignity. Why do Americans embrace quotes such as "Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!"...American Revolutionary Patrick Henry. Yet when Palestinians embrace this ideology, we condemn them, but we make heroes of those Americans and Israelis who express the same desire for freedom.

Of course, we only speak of truth, peace and democracy, we certainly don't live it. We failed to recognize the lawfully elected government of Palestine, totally disregarding democracy and one man, one vote. We continue to lie to the world about what is occurring and has occurred in the occupied territories, and we continue to embrace Israel, a state whose leaders have for decades have sworn to the destruction of the entire Palestinian culture, and have embarked on terrorist acts, weapons of mass destruction, torture and extra-judicial assassinations.

When we speak of truth, justice, democracy, and mostly hope, Israel and the United States can no longer be seriously considered as any part of that discussion and the Palestinians are now suffering from their lies and deception, and we, as a free America, will be next.