Perceptions II: Letters in the Daily
A series of Letters to the Editor in the Daily Northwestern over the last few days have underscored some essential issues in the question of how different communities perceive reality. Two letters have appeared which accuse Israel of perpetuating crimes against the Palestinian people.
Okay, nothing new there. But the letters seem to be written in a reality before August 2005--neither makes any mention of the Gaza disengagement, of the political earthquake that has occurred in Israel since Ariel Sharon left the Likud in December 2005, or of the election in Israel in which the public voted for a Prime Minister committed to withdrawing Israelis from most of the West Bank by 2008.
When Nitesh Gandhi writes of the numbers of Israeli soldiers who have committed suicide in the last ten years, he doesn't take the next step and say: Yes, and this is why Israeli soceity has realized it's time to get out of the territories! Israelis are tired of sending their children to die for an ideology they no longer believe in, and a mission they no longer support. Hence Kadima, hence Olmert, hence the "Big Bang" of Israeli politics.
Okay, nothing new there. But the letters seem to be written in a reality before August 2005--neither makes any mention of the Gaza disengagement, of the political earthquake that has occurred in Israel since Ariel Sharon left the Likud in December 2005, or of the election in Israel in which the public voted for a Prime Minister committed to withdrawing Israelis from most of the West Bank by 2008.
When Nitesh Gandhi writes of the numbers of Israeli soldiers who have committed suicide in the last ten years, he doesn't take the next step and say: Yes, and this is why Israeli soceity has realized it's time to get out of the territories! Israelis are tired of sending their children to die for an ideology they no longer believe in, and a mission they no longer support. Hence Kadima, hence Olmert, hence the "Big Bang" of Israeli politics.
posted by Rabbi Josh Feigelson | 7:10 PM
1 Comments:
This "big bang" you speak of and the election of Prime Minister Olmert has done nothing to lessen the humanitarian crisis plaguing the Palestinian people. By refusing to recognize the Hamas led government, Prime Minister Olmert has in fact deepened this crisis since August 2005. He has denied to transfer the $55 million in tax-revenues Israel collects to the Palestinian government - the consequences of which have been dire. Over 165,000 Palestinians have lost their income over the past two months, which is roughly one third of all Palestinian households. Moreover, Israel military offensives have persisted even after the "political shakeup" you speak of. Since Israel began its withdrawal last September, violence in the Gaza Strip has remained a daily occurance. Suicide bombers have persisted since Olmert's takeover and Israel retribution has been as severe and swift as ever.
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