Summary:
Nothing is new about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the hatred that both groups have for the other. The nations are constantly fighting, despite attempts from the United Nations and surrounding countries to forage a longer-term ceasefire. Around 250 rockets were recently launched from the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip to Israel. In response, the Israeli Defense Force (IDF) carried out artillery and air strikes on approximately 120 Hamas-occupied locations. One rocket from the Gaza Strip killed an Israeli man after destroying that man’s house and spraying deadly shrapnel everywhere in a horrid display.
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| Palestinian Rockets intercepted by Israeli defense systems |
Unfortunately, that was not the only injury sustained due to these air strikes. Multiple other civilians on from both nations have died or been severely injured in attacks from both sides. Two Hamas militants were killed by the IDF’s response, and a mother and a baby were killed by a rocket with a questionable origin. The IDF says that this small family was killed by a Palestinian rocket that fell short of its target, while the Palestinian state believes they were killed by an Israeli rocket. This recent attack instigated by Palestinian forces was due to a tight Israeli blockade of the Gaza area that has led to economic hardship in Gaza. Israel says that this blockade is "necessary" in order for weapons to stop reaching the Gaza Strip. A Palestinian militant shot two IDF members near the border, and Israel responded with an air strike. The
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| An Israeli strike in Gaza |
Reaction:
When I scanned online news articles, searching for something to write my blog post, this one certainly did not catch my eye. Sadly, developments in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict are not abnormal. However, I thought that this story was more significant than average because of the fact that multiple helpless, innocent civilians were killed by the IDF or Hamas. Also, my hope is that this article serves as a reminder that in the world, there are tons of people living with uncertain futures in war-torn areas. There are the “haves,” the people with food, security, freedom, health, and peace, and there are the “have-nots” that may suffer daily and question where their next meal comes from. We, whether you like it or not, are the “haves” of the world.
Connection:
Quite obviously, this news story connects to our Israeli-Palestinian Conflict unit. As has been stated, this is nothing new, and although the world has made some progress toward peace, there is much work that needs to be done. The two nations are still fighting the war of their ancestors, and show no signs of stopping in the near future. The IDF and Hamas have both reached the point where innocence has been lost. Both are responsible for the tragedies due to the fighting, and blaming the other side for their actions (like this tweet below from will only escalate the conflict.
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| Results of an Israeli air strike in Gaza |
Questions:
- At this point in the Israeli Palestinian conflict, is it acceptable to kill civilians? Why or why not?
- Do you think the two nations will establish some sort of peace in our lifetimes? Why or why not?
- What should the US do to be a teammate in helping to install peace in the Middle East?
This formatting is a hot mess. Major apologies.
ReplyDeleteThe Iron Dome, Israel's prized missile defense system is surrounded by conspiracy. “James Acton, a missile defense expert at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace” said the effectiveness of the Iron Dome is unknown. There is a theory that Israel let some of the missiles in on purpose. Israel has a viable economy, better technology, and a stable government. However, Gaza is the victim on the world stage. They gain the support of countries who believe that Israel is bullying Gaza. This would lead Israel to try and gain support. It wants to be hurt as well. Israel cannot exist as only the bully. Israel needs to gain support too. Is it okay to kill civilians? The answer to that question is no and will always be no. Killing civilians erases humanity. It destroys honor. Even during conflict it is important to stick to moral values. In order for the US to help create peace in the Middle East they cannot take sides. Donald Trump has continually sided with Israel and Netanyahu rather than try to create peace. If the US wants to be a part of the peace process it needs to have its own morals that it will not infringe upon. The US needs to be willing to resist Netanyahu if it wants to make peace. Netanyahu does not want a peaceful solution. He gives the scraps to the Palestinians living in Israel and says that they should be thankful. Netanyahu acts as the savior of the Middle East even though he is an oppressor as well. The conflict between Israel and Palestine is not over. On the end date, I believe Elton John said it best.
ReplyDeleteI think it's gonna be a long long time
'Till touch down brings me round again to find
I'm not the man they think I am at home
Oh no no no I'm a rocket man
Rocket man burning out his fuse up here alone
docs.google.com/document/d/1205l8IBEg-eeJ0zuIEXT0dXltjEtksbOqyWEcHN6CWo/edit?usp=sharing
It shouldn't ever be acceptable to kill civilians. Like you said, both parties are no longer innocent. We delved into possible solutions towards the I/P conflict, and as we saw, peace will not come easily for two sides who are unwilling to compromise. I don't see any easy way to achieve peace between these two nations. They will both have to sacrifice something they are unhappy about, but they need to realize it's for the possibility of peace. However, no side is willing to give anything up, so they respond with airstrikes, fighting, and ultimately violence towards the other side. I don't think the US's contribution will help the two nations establish peace, the US has already voiced its opinion regarding the Gaza strip, as well as provided aid for Israel. The US may help one side or the other, but that doesn't get us any closer to peace. It's just damage control, not a strive to achieve peaceful relations between the two nations. If they ever do end up respectful nations, and find a solution to their issues it won't be anytime soon by contributed violence from both sides.
ReplyDeleteIn any war where compromise must occur in order to resolve the problem for both sides, it is absolutely unacceptable to kill civilians, mostly because it opens the way for both sides of the war to continue killing civilians in response to each other. Over and over again in this class we have learned how attempting to "one-up" the other side in any conflict will only result in higher tensions and stakes. It's not likely that we will reach a compromise anytime soon, as all groups of the conflict are in very close proximity to each other and tensions are high, so all of Israel and Palestine is a powder keg ready to explode at any given moment. The best the US and the UN can do is to try and smooth out the tension between the two and then start negotiations for what the Palestinians and Israelis want and need to continue to be in close proximity.
ReplyDeleteIt should not ever be acceptable to kill civilians. Any ways, where would that bring the conflict? The answer... no where. This issue has persisted for generations, and killing others will only add to the violence, rather than help bring peace. I do not believe peace will be established. I talked about this during the Israeli Palestinian Socratic Seminar, and I'd like to bring it up again that there have been around 6 major peace attempts. These have taken place over the past few decades and there has been no major progress made whatsoever, despite many offers to the Palestinians to create a two state solution. This issue is really rooted in the stubbornness of the Palestinians, and their inability to recognize Israel as a legitimate state. This has lead them to resort to committing violent attacks such as the ones described in this article, rather than working to compromise and create a peaceful solution to this conflict.
ReplyDeleteClearly in any situation such as war it is never right to kill civilians. It has been reported that the new count of rockets launched from the Gaza Strip is now numbered to about 600 and maybe even higher which sparked a large counter strike from Israel. (https://www.npr.org/2019/05/05/720452125/netanyahu-orders-continued-pounding-in-gaza-as-600-rockets-fired-into-israel) Currently in this conflict civilians are constantly caught in the crossfire due to the proximity of both parties. Civilians should never be the ones getting hurt but that cannot always be prevented. Especially a confrontation like this doesn’t give much hope for peace in the future as it seems violence has only been escalating. To make peace between both sides need to see each others point of views instead of just aniealiting the other side and blaming them for being the sole reason for the conflict. If the US and other countries really want to assist in making peace they shouldn’t take sides in the conflict but just help in making both sides compromise with one another. At the moment it doesn’t look like the conflict will end soon but if both sides work towards peace anything can happen.
ReplyDeleteI think that in any situation, killing civilians is a big no. Even though there is a huge conflict between both groups, they should try to limit the amount of deaths and injuries to civilians. I think that it will take a long time before this issue will be resolved. As we look at what we have been learning in history class, this problem has lasted for a very long time. I think that the U.S. should not do anything and let this issue resolve on its on. The reason why is because if the U.S. got involved, it could cause more issues than a solution. however I think that the U.S. should make a little refuge to protect civilians while tensions ease over time. (https://www.npr.org/2019/05/05/720452125/netanyahu-orders-continued-pounding-in-gaza-as-600-rockets-fired-into-israel)
ReplyDeleteI believe that there should never be a point where it is acceptable to kill civilians. Many civilians just want peace and should not have to be sacrificed because two countries are not getting along. The countries have no right targeting civilians because they are most likely innocent and are killed for no good reason. It will take many years and maybe even more civilian lives sacrificed before the two nations will establish peace. However I do think it is possible for the two nations to become peaceful and will no longer have to go through this war. I truly think that right now the US can not help install peace in the Middle East since tensions are so high and if the US try to help the ending result may not be what they want. I think for now it is best if the US stays out of it until tensions die down a bit.
ReplyDeleteI believe that in the I/P Conflict is not acceptable to kill civilians, but I disagree with my peers who believe that it is never acceptable to kill civilians. In our class we've learned about total war, when countries turn all of its citizens, industries, and economy to help their war efforts. This can be most easily seen during World War II, when the war was the driving force for many countries economies, industries, and politics. During World War II citizens were often a target. We all learned about Guernica and the horrors that its citizens experienced, but we also learned about how the US dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. In the case of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the bombing of civilians can be clearly justified. To begin, the citizens were warned beforehand by leaflets. Second, it was a show of force to Japan. Finally, this show of force may have saved the lives of a million US soldiers. Yes, nearly 200,000 people died, with many being civilians, but this act may have saved the lives of a million US soldiers. It was not wrong for our country to try and protect its soldiers. The United State's use of the atomic bomb and the civilian deaths that ensued, were justified. Frankly, it was a simple case of us or them and we were completely justified in choosing us. The citizens did contribute to Japan's war efforts by producing food and doing work and this indirectly led to the deaths of US soldiers, by supplying the Japanese army. Furthermore, Japan was preparing itself to defend their homeland and to do so they drastically increased the amount of people they could enlist. If the US didn't kill them then they would just be fighting them for real in a month. So, as the use of the atomic bomb shows, civilian deaths can be justified, but only in the most dire of situations.
ReplyDeleteSource: WWII Unit Packet
I believe it is never acceptable to kill civilians. The more people who are killed throughout the I/P conflict, the more hatred will manifest. As a result, events will occur like the artillery/air strikes. Harming innocent families is probably the worst result of violent actions. Even if your life is threatened, it's still not okay to kill the person. In self defense, you can use force without killing the person which is the best possible solution. As proven in the article, both sides had injured people due to the attack. The attacks committed by the IDF are unjust and shouldn't be followed through with in the first place. The only way to stop violence is to not use it in the first place.
ReplyDeleteI believe that these countries will have to do whatever they can to make peace, but that does not include killing innocent civilians through bombings. It is not morally acceptable to kill people, but when conflicts like these continue, some deaths are inevitable. The IDF and Hamas should not target civilians, but they also need to defend themselves. There is a fine line between doing too much and not doing enough, and both of these groups have to find a way to prove that they are still a threat without abusing their power. I doubt that peace will be reached in our lifetimes, although some sort of peace may be achieved. This is somewhat similar to the South African situation, because the current system has been in place for so long, it will take a while in order for things to change enough that there will be peace. I hope that the IDF and Hamas can reach some sort of agreement, although I don't believe it will happen due to what is occurring right now in the region. Honestly, I think that the U.S. should stop being involved in the region and let the two individual groups figure it out. The U.S. playing favorites with Israel is not helping the situation, and could be a major player in the reason why peace has not been achieved. Another reason that peace has not been reached is the actions of Israeli president, Netanyahu. He has repeatedly blamed Gaza for the conflict and has reacted by sending armed tanks and forces into the area. Many fear a ground invasion, which would only escalate the conflict and possibly lead to more civilian deaths.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/05/netanyahu-pledges-massive-strikes-gaza-death-toll-rises-190505084855397.html
You made an interesting point that you make about how the South African situation and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict relate. Although the Israeli Palestinian conflict has been happening for thousands of years more than the South African apartheid, it still sparks thought. All political agreements take time, but I personally think that the Israelis and Palestinians will never reach a peace agreement. There is simply too much hate and people holding firm, uncompromisable, unchangeable outlooks on the conflict. Right now, compromise is required to reach a peace deal, but both groups do not want to compromise to the extent that the other group wants them to. Not to be a pessimist, but I don't think the conflict will end anytime soon. I sure do hope they prove me wrong though.
DeleteI think the Israeli/ Palestinian conflict will not be resolved in our lifetime. It may take hundreds of years before people from both sides come to an agreement of peace. We have already talked about this in the I/P unit, but I still want to say that this conflict will take a long time to heal. All the hatred for one another from hundreds of years ago will still be there in hundreds of years from now. The question is, when will it stop? Since there clearly can't be a fair compromise between both groups, one will have to give up something that they cherish. That is just how compromises work, meeting in the middle. I personally think both groups will have to make big sacrifices to stop innocent civilians from getting killed and to have peace with one another.
ReplyDeleteI believe that it is unacceptable for civilians to be targeted in this conflict, and countries such as the US need to possibly pressure these two countries and try to ensure there is less violence. Civilians normally are completely innocent in these conflicts, and pose no threat to either side in the conflict. They should not be attacked, since it could lead to massive losses of lives of people who have most likely done nothing much to be attacked. It makes both sides lives much worse due to both attacking civilians. At the current rate, I believe this conflict will not be solved in our lifetimes. One previous try at helping the groups come to an agreement by Egypt shows that peace has not been going well in this conflict, since there have been these airstrikes after this agreement. (https://www.cnn.com/2019/05/05/middleeast/israel-airstrikes-gaza-rockets-intl/index.html) I believe that other countries should try to pressure the two groups into being willing to compromise and come to an agreement. Otherwise, it seems to me that both sides do not seem to want to compromise and the situation seems to be getting a little bit worse.
ReplyDeleteEventually in wars that involve one country taking over another, civilian casualties cannot be avoided. However, neither side in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is at the point where civilian casualties cannot be avoided. Under no circumstances should a rocket have hit a man's house in Israel. There is no reason for either side to target an innocent civilian and take their life. I do not think the two nations will be able to establish peace in our lifetimes because if they weren't able to over such a long time, why should they be able to now? Furthermore, they are literally fighting over full control for the same piece of land (Jerusalem). As they have never made a compromise for Jerusalem, it is unlikely that will change any time soon. This is especially because instead of trying to diminish the conflict, Hamas is only instigating further violence. Unfortunately, there is little the US can do in this kind of a situation. We could possibly offer extra compensation for one side giving up Jerusalem, but the cost would most likely take too much of a toll on the US to make that kind of a deal. The best thing the US can do right now is sadly to wait and try to prevent mass civilian death between the two sides (whether that be with military or medical aid on both sides).
ReplyDeleteI think that it is unacceptable to specifically target civilians, however it is almost impossible to avoid having any civilians being affected in a war. But from a military perspective, they might decide to target civilians as it would damage the other side's morale and some civilians could be considered a "threat" as some civilians have been attacking soldiers with whatever they could find in the vicinity. I think that some form of peace could be possible depending on the actions of third party countries. I think that at this point, the conflict would be almost unsolvable by just the two sides through diplomatic means. It would probably require some threat of violence in order to stop the war.
ReplyDeleteI think that killing innocents in any sort of conflict is terribly wrong. There are those who believe so much in a cause they're willing to die for it. And they should be given the chance to fight for it. But willing innocents, even for a cause you believe in is disgusting and terribly wrong. Not everyone on the opposing side means you harm. Good and bad are not black and white. There's a lot of grey area in everything, and that needs to be acknowledged. I can hope and even pray that the conflict will be resolved soon, but I don't think that will happen. From an outsider's perspective, it's easy to say that the two sides could simply talk about the conflict, try to to come to a compromise. But when something means that much to a person, it's hard to truly understand the other side of the conflict.
ReplyDeleteIt is not acceptable to be killing civilians. The IDF and Hamas should not use violence, especially around innocent people. These attacks are injuring people and I don’t think that these nations with establish peace anytime soon. These nations have not made any progress towards peace, and since both sides have failed to reach a compromise, the conflict will not be solved. Since this conflict won’t be solved, I think it is unfair for the nations to be attacking people because if they continue to do this, more lives will be taken. Peace might come eventually, but that will have to take major sacrifice from both sides if they are willing to solve this conflict.
ReplyDeleteIt is never acceptable to kill civilians. Even though the Israel Palestine conflict has been going on for many years, and both sides are desperate for an end, killing civilians is not the correct method. Although it can demoralize the enemy side, civilians are not involved in the conflict and are innocent. They've done nothing and should not be involved because of their government's decisions. I think eventually, peace will have to be made. No war lasts for eternity, and both sides will have to come to a consensus. Although it might take decades, I believe eventually peace will be made. I think the US should not be involved. It can increase tensions and result in major consequences.
ReplyDeleteI think it's rather sad the innocent civilians are being killed in this situation. It is never okay for a country to do that and causes the situation to be close to a total war, which has never ended well for countries as evidenced by our past history. Total war is a military tactic used to lessen the power of the opposing country, but that only creates a deeper hatred between the two countries. At this rate, due to the lack of true communication between the two states, there is a likely possibility that the Israel Palestinian conflict will last on for a long time. It will be hard for the United States to intervene at this point and from what we learned in history, it will likely become worse if they join again. The United States should definitely make sure to take preliminary steps and to remain rather neutral as to not ruin any more relationships.
ReplyDeleteI don't think it is acceptable to take anyone's live at any point no matter what conflict it is. After events like these I do hope that the two countries form an alliance to prevent putting the civilians at risk over sand over again. Instead of running in the streets trying to protect themselves from attacks children should receive a peaceful environment where they can utilize resources to build a bright future. I think US needs to make sure they encourage a peaceful and innovative future instead of trying to be more political and use their conflict to america's advantage. If the two don't want to have a meeting alone US can serve as a buffer and help form a peace treaty.
ReplyDelete- sanya buti
DeleteI don't think it's ever acceptable to kill civilians at any stage of a conflict no matter how deep it is. I think peace might be possible in the future but I only think that it will only be written on a piece of paper will truly be possible. I don't believe real peace will be achieved soon as small groups of each side such as Hamas keep pushing for their side to claim victory over the other. I think the U.S. should continue to push peace for both nations and help bring forth more treaties between both conflicting sides
ReplyDeleteI don't believe that any sort of peace will be established in our lifetime. As long as these strong ideas continue to populate generation to generation, there will always be violence. Murder is not justifiable. There's is no reason for the violence. That is why there are conference meetings, talks, documents, and agreements. They may not solve the issues permanently but they can provide some sort of assurance and relieve some of the violence. Overall, this is such a complex issue that has to be addressed non-violently. Violence will only ignite the fire that's been growing for so many centuries. What the U.S. needs to do is provide advice or support in the way to help suggest ways of resolving issues rather than get fully involved.
ReplyDeleteKayla Li
ReplyDeleteAt this point in the Israeli Palestine, it is never acceptable to kill civilians because they are not the individuals facilitating attacks or political moves. The officials and politicians as well as military are the people carrying out these doings and people not involved with the processes should not be the people paying the consequences. Also, I don't want to sound pessimistic but I don't believe that the two nations will establish peace within our life time. As observed in recent elections, people of both nations still abide by radical beliefs and refuse to stand in the middle ground. Another issue that prevents the problems from being solved is the Israeli settlements. Back in our projects, we all collectively agreed that the Israeli settlements were an infringement of the law and that they should be removed as soon as possible. What we failed to realize was that these settlements are established neighborhoods with public transportations, schools, hospitals, and town houses. It isn't some sort of tent city that we imagined. These communities are settled firmly in that territory and while international communities have expressed contempt for these settlements, there is really no reason why the settlements would be removed. Currently, the US gives Israel about $3 billion annually as a part of a major trade deal. These funds go into arms investments as well as establishing new neighborhoods. US influence in the middle east has not been very beneficial economically and tactic wise. I believe that the US has more important issues on the mainland that should be addressed before exerting energy on foreign policies.
It is not acceptable to kill civilians but as we have seen in history, casualties are hard to avoid and targeting civilians can be used as a tactic to demotivate the enemies. For example, the bombings of Dresden and the Blitz attacks on London during World War II made civilians on the home fronts participants of the war. The two nations may not establish peace in our lifetimes. The long history of conflict and hatred between these two groups of people overcomes any present attempts at peace. This fight has been resolved with a cease-fire (https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-48171804?intlink_from_url=https://www.bbc.com/news/topics/c0n74xlgg8rt/gaza-border-clashes&link_location=live-reporting-story) until a new strike starts it again and continues the violence. If the US wants to install peace it should be neutral and should avoid interfering in the conflict. Showing bias only hurts opportunities for peace.
ReplyDeleteI do not think that killing civilians as at all acceptable, even this far into the conflict. I think it is even making the possibility of a peaceful solution less and less likely to happen. We have learned over the course of the Israeli Palestinian conflict how civilians on both sides have opposed the conflict, whether because they despised the other country, or they just wanted the fighting and violence to be over. We learned how civilians did attack each other at one point or another, however it was not to the extreme of killing civilians with rockets. Since this act seems to be more direct and threatening, I believe they are farther from peace than before. They have come close to coming to a peaceful solution, but with present circumstances, tensions have skyrocketed. As a couple people have mentioned in comments above, targeting civilians was used all through history by government to gain more power over the other. This was demonstrated many times, including destroying London at one point. This obviously makes it more difficult to come to a peaceful solution, however I do hope that it can come to this eventually. I know the US has some thoughts about the conflict, and the recent change in which 'side' we support shifted with the new president. I believe that if the US was given the chance to assist in coming up with a peaceful solution we should, however I do not think we were really given that chance. Until tensions can decrease and civilians stop being targeted, I do not think a peaceful solution is in sight for the Israeli/Palestinian conflict just yet.
ReplyDeleteIt is entirely unacceptable to kill civilians in this conflict. Although the civilians are what perpetrate what the country does, the killing of them makes each side no better than simple terrorists. There most likely won't be a resolution by the end of our lifetime, because the anger each side has for the other is so strong, the chances of a resolution that both sides agree upon is slim to none. Just finding a resolution that both sides agree upon is difficult in and of itself, because one side wants what the other side can't give. The US should look into the history books and see who the land really belonged to in the past. The US shouldn't overtly support one side over the other, because it'll simply make the other side despise the US even more. Creating more hate will never bring an end to this conflict.
ReplyDelete-Rumi
I think any kind of civilian involvement in these attacks or in any types of conflict should be avoided. I think that anything directed at civilians needs to be labeled as an act of terrorism and should be taken very seriously. The possibility of peace exists but I don't think it will happen anytime soon based on the things we've learned in class and from the blog. The history of the conflict is very long and so it'll be difficult to resolve it in a way that both sides will be happy. I think that the US can do things to help but there isn't a way to tell how it could affect the situation because of the unpredictable nature of the conflict. I think that for the time being, there is no good way to resolve the issue without radical changes to mindsets on both sides of the argument which isn't likely.
ReplyDeleteObviously it is unacceptable to harm civilians during any time of conflict. This is a situation where neither side will initiate a complete war on one another, so the result are small attacks on the other side resulting the deaths of innocent people. As we've discussed in class, from a political standpoint, it is very hard to achieve peace. It especially doesn't help that instances of civilians being murder turn into each side blaming the other. The US obviously has the power to do something about the conflict but they are very limited in their actions. It seems that any actions made by the US can and will be interpreted by one of the sides as bias. One way that I believe the US can intervene is stop the use of inaccurate and unreliable long-ranged explosives to stop some of the harm done to civilians.
ReplyDelete