Israelis Vs. Palestinians

Today we are well into the current strife between Israel and the Palestinian Authority. Each side dominated by an Old-School hard-liner .. Each side running on fears and past injustices. BOTH sides unsure of where to go or how to proceed without "Losing".

Unfortunately .. they don't seem to realize .. the longer this goes on the more they are already LOSING!

Life Goes On

Life goes on .. when we let it. Today, in this age of uncertain tomorrows, we all feel both helpless and needing to help. We look across the land to our brothers and sisters .. peoples faced with impossible questions that must be answered .. NOW! .. or else. To all those facing such impossible odds and insurmountable obstacles .. Remember life. Let it blossom. Let it grow. Choose life above all else. Above ALL else!

You can tear down a wall, crush a car .. or a people. You can blow a thousand hopes into nothingness with a single switch. But NEVER can you replace a life. Never. When it is gone there is no more life here. Perhaps, on the other side, there is more. I do not know. But I do know that the lives that are no more are missed. Mourned .. and needlessly so.

What has been spent in human suffering and blood has been wasted. For today we face no better an outlook than we did many years ago. I say it is time to stop wasting this precious resource of life. Stop it now. And let LIFE go on.

What Is Their Goal?

I am forced to look down the road .. into the future .. to help decide for myself how I should feel about both sides in this conflict.

I must state up front that I am employed by a company based in Israel. I am not Jewish, but I have always felt a certain kinship with Israel, no doubt fomented by my country's firm support for that State.

But even so, there appears to be no "Right" and plenty of "Wrong" in this conflict. Both sides seem "dirty" in some ways, and morally justified in others. So, I look instead at what each side wants to help me gain a foothold on this slippery slope of contention.

To my knowledge, Israel seeks only to free themselves from the random violence they have been subjected to. Mr. Sharon has no doubt instigated some of the current unrest by continuing to settle land within the Palestinian borders, but by-and-large his people do not seem to wish harm to the Palestinians .. only an end to the terror.

On the other hand, the stated goals of the Palestinian Authority is nothing less than the total destruction of the state of Israel and all of her inhabitants. They will not stand-down until the very last Israeli, and maybe the last Jew, is dead and buried beneath their feet.

One strives for peace .. one strives for destruction. Based on these precepts adopted by each "side" I can make no sound choice other than to side with Israel. Am I happy with what they are doing? No. Who could be? Never is the taking of life "right'. It may at times be the only choice. But it strikes me as rather asinine that either side could claim a moral justification for killing in this case.

How Does It End?

I don't know. In fact, I don't know of anyone that does know! If you do, or at least think you do, please write to me at lord_greydon@greyface.com and vent your soul .. or your spleen. I will do my best to post the rational comments here along with my own. Hey! Fair IS fair!

The opinions expressed here are solely my own and are not necessarily shared by all, or even by those that grant me this space to air them. If you have a problem with what I've said, wish to expand or dispute it, write to me at the above address.

An Alternate Opinion

The following opinion was submitted by Jonny Heilig. You may contact him via email at jonny@greyface.com

I agree with most of what you said, but I don't see how you can in good 
conscience, and knowing what you know, SIDE with Israel. Nor would I say 
it is right to side with Palestine. This conflict has reached 
astronomical proportions and is as severely convoluted (if not more so) 
as any other in history. As an American I sympathize with both sides and 
pray for an end to the violence that has only been growing more and more 
severe as time passes. But to side with one is to make an enemy of the 
other.

Our country's unshakably stern support for Israel has brought the horror 
to our own shores. The "project" of Israel is incredibly admirable, but 
I feel was doomed from the start. Our government has taken on a huge 
burden that benefits the country as a whole in practically no fathomable 
way. I feel the best solution we as a free nation can present to this 
ongoing war is to represent ourselves as a refuge rather than an ally. 
As I said before, to side with one is to make an enemy of the other, and 
how could we side with either after gaining knowledge of all the 
atrocities committed by both sides?

That is my view on the matter. I'm sure I don't know nearly as many of 
the details of the conflict as others, but I have my morals and my 
common sense, and that's what I'm going on. I don't hold this view with 
immovable conviction of course, but I think it's an argument that has 
high potential for benefiting all parties. I feel it is absolutely right 
to say that Peace is the only option if the two sides hope to stay 
intact for much longer. I'll keep praying.

Jonny Heilig

Yet Another Opinion

The following opinion was submitted to me via email by a person named dina. Please read it carefully, and ignore whatever superficial detractions there may be. This person expresses a clear and valid sentiment. After reprinting the full unedited text of the message, I will reply. I have also sent the same reply via email.

dear sir,

The only ppl who are suffring  are the palestinans ,no weapons to fight with ,all the arabs are affraid to interfear becaues of the usa standing behind israel,the only way its gona be 4 us arabs either to kill us all or we will keep on fighting with all we have until we take are land and  are honer back,im 23 years old , i saw all the things that  isrealis did to my ppl i dont even think that they can be humans there will never be a place in my heart to forgive and to forget , me and my generation we will learn and educat we will teach are children to be better so they can do what we couldnt until we becomea  storng arabic comunity and take are palistine back until that  happens we wont rest we wont live stop trying and we will never forget  , and thats a promis to israel from me and every arabic ,muslim or not ,no matter what happens or how much time passes by we will take are country back ,what goes around comes around.maybe that will answer some of ur questions sir .

My Reply

Dear Dina,

Yes, your words do indeed answer one question I had. The question was "What can make a person sacrifice their own precious existence ... for a simple idea."

I ask this question because there are so many examples of it. Americans, just as seemingly every other race on the Earth, celebrate times of death. Wars, catastrophes, disasters ... all become fixed in our history and our minds. We live with it our entire lives. Death everywhere we look. Everything dies. But when the reason for that death is a principle, an ideal ... we humans seem to assign even higher importance to it.

The words you speak are proud, brave, strong words. Words born of great conviction and belief. But they only lead to one conclusion. More death. More destruction. More of the pain and suffering that tear at the fabric of your home ... and your nation.

Dina, please, be the FIRST generation that surpasses the greatness of your ancestors. Be the first generation that learns and believes the truth ... that death and destruction do NOT build a better tomorrow, they only destroy its promise.

Darrius Greydon
lord_greydon@greyface.com