Andrew Lockard

Period 3

9/17/03

Problem:  Unresolved violence has continued to exist between Israelis and Palestinians for decades.

Since Biblical times, the lands currently in the nation of Israel, on the eastern end of the Mediterranean, have been in dispute between Muslims and Jews of the Middle East.  Thousands of years ago, the land was the homeland of the Jewish people, and Jewish settlements have existed there in varying degrees of power up unto present day.  Since about 600 AD to the early 1900s, however, the land was inhabited by Muslims, and they consider it to be holy land.  After Israel declared their independence 1948, they have had warring relations with their Middle Eastern neighbors.  The situation has only worsened over time, and some blame the rise in Islamic fundamentalism to the situation.  Several organizations, such as the PLO (Palestinian Liberation Organization), have been created with the sole intent of destroying the nation of Israel.  Violence has escalated in the past decade from a new, unorthodox form of warfare in terrorism; suicide bombings are beginning to take place almost daily in Israel and the current methods to obtain peace are failing.

            Peace methods currently in place have not been working.  The Bush Administration’s “road map to peace” has put America in a worse situation to fix the problem then where the Clinton administration left off four years ago.  In order to create a path towards peace, firstly, a cease of violence must be called.  In order for any level and negotiable peace talks to take place, there must not be violence provoking and influencing current peace talks.  Secondly, Israel must negotiate with Yasser Arafat.  Dealing with him is the most direct and probable way to stop any extremism or suicidal violence.  Thirdly, Israeli lands must be given up in order to establish an independent Palestinian state.  Obviously, violence is not going to be stopped unless Israel takes a more defensive or withdrawn position.  Lastly, peace must be established with other Middle Eastern nations, especially a new “democratic” Iraq, to ensure a more peaceful existence with neighbors and a guaranteed new beginning with neighbors that are currently bent on wiping them off of the planet.

            This is a serious issue that must take a higher priority in the Bush administration, who boasts promoting peace in the Middle East, while declaring the nations there part of the “axis of evil.”  Innocent human lives are lost daily because of long standing political grudges.  Tempers between cultures and nations flare back and forth, and wars are threatened.  Nuclear weapons are possessed and can be launched at the push of a button.  Hypocritical super-powers ignore terrorism where it’s at its worst and launch fool-hardy weapon chases that ultimately prove a minimal threat to us, and a greater threat to our allies.  The United States needs to defeat terrorism where it has been proven to be at its worst, and make it the highest priority on our “war on terrorism.”