The Israel and Palestine Mess
Why most of the media sucks at giving this a fair view.
Any time people deny reality to push an agenda, people end up hurt.
In the political situation around Israel, we have political players who keep defining this conflict in terms that serve their interests or personal opinion. Ordinary citizens die because of that.
This article is not explaining this war or its history. It addresses the media and all the mindless shouting of social media commenters with fire in their eyes.
I. The wrongness
So let’s clear up some of the smoke.
Israel ≠ All Jews, Israel ≠ All its people, Hamas ≠ Palestine, Palestine ≠ all its people. Even Hames ≠ all terrorists (or rebels depending on your view).
Being against Israeli aggression and anti-Semitism are two very different things. Sadly many commenters posting anti-aggression posts on social media often get vocal support from people hating Jews. These haters have no clue. Speaking out against the aggression of a very powerful superior armed force transgressing international treaties and human rights also doesn’t mean supporting terror attacks by the other side, let alone calling Israel or Jews evil. For me, it’s logical the most powerful side should also behave with superior integrity and empathy. In this, the leaders of the state of Israel are failing terribly. Just the police invasion of a mosque on a holy day tramples also respect and humanity.
The wrongness is best explained by the brilliant Micheal Brooks (RIP). A video that has gone viral since the recent increase in violence.
II. What should be in the news.
Secondly, there’s a huge peace movement within Israel. They are not in the news, let alone asked for their opinion. Thus the word Israel gets to be similar with the aggressive government. That is exactly the insanity that warmongers prey on. When they say either Palestine or Israel, or whatever country, they talk like all their inhabitants are in a huge agreement of aggression towards the other. As a consequence, someone following such media must choose sides. Because too often one side is made all bad and the other all good. That muddles the truth and blinds people to real solutions, let alone honest dialogue.
In all wars, the majority of people want peace. Take the Pakistan vs. India tensions. Their governments drive the tension. But who knows about the huge cross-border friendship initiative by many citizens who deem the whole conflict ridiculous. Here’s a link to one such peace movement. Likewise, there are also many Israelis and Palestine friendships and peace initiatives, large and small. These are the actual backbone of hope and possibility for solutions. Netanyahu will not praise them, because then his own rhetoric “they are all dangerous” will falter. And the media loves explosions, not friendship tables because lack of sensation doesn’t draw enough viewers. Thus the media makes matters worse.
If the Israeli peace movements and initiatives, there are hundreds, would get worldwide attention and support, what would happen then, news media? Perhaps then Netanyahu’s logic would feel much more as absurd as it is.
III. The Idiocy of One Dimensionality
Anyone hating the Jews clearly has no idea how diverse they are. Yes, there is a tiny group of (rich) warmongers among them, yet the overwhelming majority wants peace, has opposing opinions, is as dumb about the conflict as everyone else, has or wants nothing to do with the conflict, let alone no influence whatsoever. They may be kids, many of whom have left religion behind, or serve humanity through essential jobs.
Now exchange the Jews in the text above for Palestine, Israelis, Americans, Russians, Chinese, or the nation or religion you belong to. etc. You get the idea. Having a one-dimensional view of some ‘others’ means you embraced propaganda others use to play you. Others will benefit from you believing their stories. They may even get you to die for that belief.
All this should open eyes to the fact that some leaders favour conflict or the dominance of certain powers of others. Often propaganda will get a large part of the population behind such ideas. And slowly people eating such propaganda can become willing to die for an idea. And enough shit happening between two different ideas, and soldiers must kill, so their fallen comrades did not die in vain. And a new cycle of violence is born. And many will stick to their convictions of hatred, while the voices of reason and humanity seem doused. Just wondering, how can we give voice to the voices of reason on both sides?
IV. Towards Healing
It took the Germans many years of concerted effort to leave the Second World War traumas behind. Leaders like Conrad Adenhaur, Willy Brandt did amazing work. And still, neo-nazis haunt the country preying on mistakes by their government they can exploit. The same actually wounds haunt Israel. We keep addressing the conflict political. A huge part is an extension of their WWII suffering. They so fear being controlled by others, they have become like their oppressors. They don’t heal the trauma but live it out on others. The first to ever tell me this was, by the way, an Israeli therapist, who abhors her countries’ treatment of the Palestinians.
Another Jewish Israeli friend told me, “We should stop this faulted story, that we’re the chosen people. It hinders our learning and lets us hurt others.” And another told me every time he tries to get funding to include Arab Israelis into projects the government is less eager with funding. The many Israelis who want peace and equal treatment are swept away by aggressive propaganda. Compare them to the normal Germans who hated the rise of Nazism. These are the actual people who need leaders like Biden to step up for them. Sadly Biden doesn’t seem to know the difference between Israel and their government. Also, the war industry gains by the conflict. “More Iron Curtain? We’ll help.”
After the murder of Rabin, by a Jewish zealot, sadly the voice of fanatism gained influence, rather than that the legacy of Rabin was strengthened. The world has the choice to believe a president surrounded by corruption and trampling rights of many individuals, or choose the road Rabin laid out. The world has the choice to listen to the voices of might or personal experiences from both sides. The voice of this former Israeli soldier is essential in this, he says the Palestinians have the right to resist, by exposing his own side's wrongdoings. All news footage showing crying children and victims should tell you stopping this should take precedence. And no, I don’t support Hamas, but do understand a people seeking a way to struggle against the aggressive push of a corrupt regime.
Netanyahu = aggressor crossing the line and those supporting him, make matters worse.
V. The Right Thing
We act very often tribally. Us vs Them. Yet we also know that many global achievements and or problems can only be solved by international collaborations. And we know many people are many are opener to strangers than the Us vs. Them theory keeps telling us. How else can millions of tourists travel the world, people travel amidst former enemies, or party together at festivals. Only propaganda stories building on the terrible actions of a few can reignite the hate. So what creates tribal violence and how to really stop it?
Understand this: one guy with a gun, can kill peace for many. Thus the many must work harder to keep the peace, not believe the shooter nor his haters.
As long as profits outweigh support for peace there’s little chance it’ll ever happen. In this case, the USA could have already years ago threatened to not keep arming the Israelis when they didn’t treat all their own and the Palestinians much better, more equal. So governments should also scrutinise the arms industries much more and put integrity over profits. And you the people should hold them accountable for that. We see the profit drive crime destroying nature everywhere. Thus acting against it, is in everyone’s best interests, except those profiting from the continuation of the suffering of others.
As long as we keep treating a huge diversity of people as all the same, we’ll be trapped in ‘Us vs. Them’ thinking. Always search the internet for the voices missing in the news. And distrust powerful leaders talking in a reasonable tone why violence is the only option. Distrust people triggering your distrust of specific groups. (hahaha, but yes, even me, because there are also good leaders. .. I hope.) Do side with those who are denied access to clean water, food, safety, and or good housing. Yes, I’m most often with the underdogs, as long as they demand fair treatment and not splinter groups spreading hate.
As long as we keep our eyes open and embrace critical thinking towards the media. As the interests and logic of most media often enlarge conflict we must be on our guard. They want sensation, friction, fierce debates, sell agendas, please advertisers, and or confirm your bubble to keep you coming back. And they simplify reality by default. Enlarge your own knowledge through a whole systems perspective, consequences for everyday people like you, and basically help the whole world to become a better place for all.
We only win, when everyone wins. The Marshall plan more than anything else helped Europe to have many years of peace. The only huge conflict was in the Balkans in the ’90s when many old wounds were opened by petty nationalist leaders seeking to profit from the conflicts. In recent research of Universal Basic Income to homeless people in Canada it turned out, it even saved the government money, for all the positive side effects it had. We should stop seeing some people as losers. We better embrace them as victims of a system we can change. We should treat them with abundance in mind and discover that integrity, friendship, gratitude, empathy, sharing do more for peace than arms, suppression and fear ever can. That is my hope and message.
Now check how many of the following tricks you recognise in this war.
