Lynch Me, I’m Blogging on Israel and Palestine
I’m about to voice an opinion which will probably get me lynched by both sides on this whole issue. Israel is acting despicably right now, but Palestine isn’t exactly an innocent actor. I always find that I can’t quite bring myself to join in with any of the popular actions on the issue. The positions are entirely polarised between those who seem to hate the state of Israel, and those who seem to hate Palestine. What is needed is for both sides to lay down their arms, sit down, and talk as equals.
I heard it mentioned on BBC Radio 4 that Israel was intending to continue its current actions until the infrastructure in Gaza was sufficiently weakened to prevent rocket attacks on Israeli targets. Given the way in which the attacks are carried out, I can’t see how Israel could possibly cease its operation until the entire infrastructure of Gaza is obliterated.
As with all parties, the Greens of England and Wales have a vigourous internal debate over the approach to the situation. Unfortunately it seems to be at a permanent deadlock between supporters of Palestine and supporters of Israel. Moves by either side are instantly derided by the other as being either anti-Semitic, or against the right of the Palestinian people to live in their homeland. Perhaps I shouldn’t air our dirty laundry like this on a public blog, but I’m tired of our failure to offer a third choice to the situation. We shouldn’t take either existing side. We should take the side of peace and co-operation. It seems to me to be a fact that the Palestinians will always want to live in Palestine, and the Israelis will always want to live in Israel. The only solution is for both peoples to accept this, and learn to live together peacefully.
Fundamentally this whole issue should be irrelevant. It is over who governs a land. Many places around the world have shown that diverse communities can live side by side, and share their government. Even where they can’t share a government, many states have shown that they can live, trade and co-operate with their diverse neighbours. And it is only through the actions of their citizens that this is possible.
As Greens, we should stop bickering over Israel versus Palestine, stop taking sides, and start using our voice to mobilise a force for peace and understanding between people.
Hi Tom
I'm certainly not going to lynch you but I disagree with your comment on the Green Party's position (in England and Wales anyway – I can't speak for Scotland). As a regular conference-goer and general activist, I would say the overwhelming position of Greens is to see the Palestinians as the primary victims of the current situation, whilst condemning violence on both sides. The contentious issue at the last conference was whether or not we should back the academic boycott, but this took nothing away from a consensual condemnation of the Israeli occupation and seige.