Easter at the Holy Sepulchre

Traditional Easter ceremonies were held at the Holy Sepulchre on Sunday. Many gathered to engage in a holy experience with the hopes that there would be no violence on this holy day. Many thought that an attack was looming because of an assasination on a Hezbollah leader but festivities went off without a hitch. Friday the 15th was unique, in that three special religious events overlapped. The Christian day, Good Friday, the Jewish festival of Purim and the Muslim festival of Eid al-Adha (The Festival of Sacrifice) all fell on the same day this year. This was an interesting intersection of all three religious days.

Ceasefire in the Midst?

The BBC is reporting a possible ceasefire might be in the making. Egypt is claiming they are working toward a ceasefire between the two warring groups of Palestine and Israel. Egypt seems like they truly would like to aid in establishing a ceasefire between the Palestinians and Israel. President Hosni Mubarak seems to be cooperating and actually leading the way to a ceasefire. I believe and end to violence in the region would benefit all parties involved. There is one hitch, both sides are claiming that they will not stop fighting until the other group does. This is not a very good policy. It is an escapegoat for both parties blame the other group. At the end of the day, I really hope that Egypt is sincere in their efforts of establishing a cease-fire. I also hope that both groups will come to a consensus that killing just is not solving the problems in the region.

The Calm Before the Storm??

Reuters had a story yesterday where the headlines says it all, "Israeli army and Gaza militants in uneasy lull". (Reuters). One can imagine a war scene where the soldiers duck back into the foxhole in order to reload. Is this the calm before the storm or is there real peace on the horizon? We can only wait and see.

Terror in Jerusalem

The Los Angeles Times has reported the news concerning the recent shootings in Jerusalem. The world has been rocked, yet again, by the the news of a gunman who walked into a seminary in Jerusalem and killed eight students before he was shot and killed. There is no clear report of which group is claiming responsibility for the attack. Hamas has said they were in fact reposible. While on the contrary, a Lebanese group has said they were the perpetrators.

Regardless of who was responisble, the killings were a horrific reaction to the assassination of a Hezbollah operative. This again creates a large chasm in an already divided city. There will now be a thick black line dividing Israeli and Palestinian.

The Los Angeles Times also reported that many Israeli leaders are calling for restraint. They are asking Israeli students not to conduct violent acts against Palestinians. This is a testament to the ability of the Israeli people to refrain from violence and hope for justice. Others in the Zionist movement are claiming that the attacks are another example of oppression against Jews and must be stopped with the use of force. Along with the divide between Jews and Arabs there is a schism in the Israeli ranks. Olmert and Abbas are once again finding themselves in a very difficult position.

School shooting seems to be commonplace in many societies today. The U.S. has been raveged by a whole slew of attacks on both highschool and college campuses in the past five years. The level of terror that is piqued in a community by killing innocent young adults is overwhelming, this is exactly why this tactic is used.

The shootings in Jerusalem are a little bit different in that they are used by one group to prove a point to another group. Where as in the U.S. the attack is from one individual against a group or set of individuals. The Palestinians were making a point to ALL Israelis with this attack. I am a bit uneasy about the repercussions of the attacks. I think more blood will be shed on both sides. Both the Israelis and Palestinians are unwilling listen to eachother and the division is growing. Hopefully, with pressure from the global community, the violence can be stifled and peace negotiations can resume.

Condaleeza Rice to the Rescue?

BBC news has a story today in which President Mahmoud Abbas is asking for a calm to the violence in the region. Violence has escalated between both sides of the conflict this past week. A huge amount of Palestinian rockest have been flying into Israeli towns which in turn increased the amount of Israeli counterstrikes.

To say that the tensions are high is an understatement, but many leaders are calling for a calming period. Mahmoud Abbas is asking for the Palestinian people to stop the violence in order to open the door to peace talks. Really it seems that he is talking directly to the Hamas militants and other radicals who are perpetually fighting. Condoleezaa Rice has also made a trip to the region asking both sides to halt the violence and come to a peaceful agreement.

The leaders of Hamas still reject any agreement of a ceasefire because they claim Israel is reponsible for the violence. They still do not recognize the fact that their rocket attacks stir up violent responses from Israel. I think Condoleezza Rice and pressure from other countries for a peace agreement can help the situation.

Condaleeza Rice to the Rescue?

Threats Increase Tensions.

newsVOA.com had an interesting story about the recent attacks in Israel and Gaza today. The leaders of the militant group, Hamas, are threatening Israel with increased rocket attacks. Israel follows with the standard statement; Israel will do everything in their power to protect themselves.

One statement given by a Hamas leader opened my eyes today. It was a pathetic attempt to gain sympathy. On top of that, their ability to understand cause and effect is horribly deficient. Israel fires rockets AFTER Hamas kills innocent people. I do not understand why this fact is not apparent to the militant leaders of Hamas. If they would stop attacking Israel, Israel would stop attacking them, plain and simple.

Here is the statement by Hamas leadership: "So I think Israel tries to make Gaza sink in the ocean of blood and tears and suffering," said Hamas official Ghazi Hamad. "And maybe it tried to impose some collective punishment against [the] Palestinian people." (newsVOA.com)

This statement completely panders to emotion and sympathy. Hamas leaders are putting the Palestinians in harms way. They are the ones who, with their behavior and rhetoric, endanger the lives of innocent, moral, and good Palestinians. After firing this ridiculous rhetoric at the media, they then hide behind innocent people for camouflage. Their behavior is contemptible and immoral. These radically violent militants should be scorned by other people in their community. A little peer pressure goes a long way.

Can Peace be on the Horizon?

Just when we thought there may be a break through in peace negotiations, violence erupts. According to a report by Reuters, one Palestinian is dead after an Israeli soldier caught him planting a bomb. The Palestinian was shot and later died from wounds suffered in the attack.

One may ask, is peace even possible in an environment were violence is a daily occurence? For the most part it seems that Israeli forces are typically defending themselves from random bombings and missle attacks from Palestinian militants. If this is the case, then Isralie forces are justified in using force. Also, if Arab leaders truly do want a peace agreement, they must promote a hardline stance against the attacks of Palestinian miliatnts against Israel. Especially if the attacks are targeting innocent civilians.

If Palestinian militants believe they are justified in using force, then they should get in their military uniforms and fight for the country they desire. Instead they act like cowards and using terror tactics against innocent civilians.

Prejudice vs. Politics

When I read the words emitting from the leaders of Iran, Syria and other Arab countries, I cannot help thinking that these people are leading their countries with short sided prejudicial ideologies. They believe that they are the victims of a global conspiracy and that the world community is not willing to help them. Well, they are right. Countries like: Iran, North Korea, Syria, Lebanon, including many others like them, are not well-liked because they propagate violence. It's simple; the more violence a countries wields, the more civilized countries write them off as dangerous radicals.

The latest assassination in Syria was deemed to be conducted by a couple of Palestinians with no clear or apparent connection to Israel. There was no connection to the Israeli government and Israel denounced the attacks on numerous occasions. I think the burden of proof here lies on Syrian officials to show that Israel was involved. Even if they were, like I said in the previous article, Imad Mughniyah was a cold blooded murderer.

What is next- war? Will Lebanon declare war and attack Israel? They seem to be the puppet state of Syria and many inside Lebanon are not happy with the situation. Officials in Lebanon have even made some of their own people angry by spouting their war-charged rhetoric.

Peace should be on the minds of the Syrian government and others involved. The people in the Middle East are in dire need of peace. The countrysides of these nations are laden with rocket attacks by ignorant militants that are laying waste to innocent women and children, while the political elite remain unharmed. A renewed war between Lebanon, Syria, Hezbollah (with countries like Saudi Arabia, Yemen and Iran watching in the midst) and Israel can only produce a tremendous amount of suffering, and nothing else. No one will come out on top, or be declared the winner.

As the days go on, one can only hope that the rest of the global community, especially Russia, Egypt and other large countries in the region, try to solve this dilemma with peaceful diplomacy.

Can Assassination Be Moral?

The above picture is of a group that represents Hezbollah. The organization was founded in approximately 1982-1985 by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. The group was originally funded and backed by Iran as a contingent of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard. Hezbollah is a political, military and religious organization in Lebanon. The majority of members are Shia muslims and along with the establishment of an Islamic government in Lebanon, they call for the destruction of Israel.

The group has grown from a single military force to having control of radio stations, providing social reform programs and seats in the Lebanese government. They claim that Israel is ulitmately an unlawful entity and should not exist.

The picture above should bring back memories of Anti-Semitism in Eastern Europe, especially in Germany. Hezbollah is described by many as a terrorist organization with an agenda to completely destroy all Israelis.

Tuesday night, Imad Mughniyeh, a top leader of Hezbollah was killed in a car bombing in Damascus. No one has claimed reponsibility for the bombing as of yet, but some Syrian officials are claiming that it is the work of Israel. Obviously Syria, who is aligned with countries, like Iran, and organizations, like Hamas, would blaim Israel. Israel is the enemy and to be blamed for everything in the eyes of these fundamentalists.

Could Israel be innoncent? Could one who is sick of watching these terrorist organizations, like Hezbollah, have lashed out in an act of vigilantism. These two explanations do seem possible. On the other hand if it was Israel or another country who assassinated this man; was the action morally justified?

One can think of many examples where an assassination would have eliminated much of the world's suffering. For example, could have the assassinations of people like: Adolf Hitler, Idi Amin Dada, Joseph Stalin led to less suffering in the world? Assassination is NOT the way to solve any problems, but in hindsight would the world have been inflicted by less suffering? We have the ability to view these examples because they are in the past, but could it have helped? I think assassination is not warranted and is a horrible policy, but it brings an important moral question to light. If a person is known to be a terrorist or one who has caused harm, what type of justice should they dealt?

There are a few questions one must ask themselves. Did this man really pose a threat to the ones around him? Was he really a leader of a terrorist oragnization? If the perpatrator was Arab, Syrian, or affiliated with a group ither than Israel, would the truth ever come out? The counrty of Syria is going to accuse their most hated enemy and escapegoat, the Israelis. Justice cannot be served in this fashion. The facts need to be weighed and justice should be served in an even handed attempt to stop terrorism in its tracks. Terrorism is the enemy.

The killing of "innoncent" people is where we need to focus our attention. Think about this question; would you be angry at the death of the person who raped your mother? Would you be mad that the person who slayed your brother, was found dead? This man was known to kill in cold blood. He led an organization that takes part in horrible terrorist actions. This type of evidence needs to be reviewed.

The political and religious rhetoric of one counrty to another needs to stop. Terrorism is a global problem and needs to be dealt with by the global communtiy.

Israel's Quick Response.

Israel is noted to be one of the most dynamic and highly trained airforces in the world. Israel used their airforce in retaliation today to a suicide attack in the city of Dimona conducted on Monday. The sucicide attack killed one woman and injured eleven others.

In response, Israel led air strikes on bases in southern Gaza. The strikes primarily targeted Hamas militant compounds east of Khan Yunis. According to CNN.com six Hamas militants were killed and ten others injured.

Once again, Hamas has created an uproar. I know I'm finger pointing, but up till this point things were relatively peaceful. Ok, maybe not peaceful, but how about free of murderous acts against innocent people. I know not every person who goes from country to country can be controlled but the suicide attack yesterday looks bad for Hamas.

Yes, it is plausible that the bombers could have acted on their own radical beliefs; but this type of ideology is then praised by the leaders of Hamas. This is where they go wrong. Instead of praising these murderous acts, the leaders of Hamas need to rail against attacks like the ones of suicide bombers.

The leadership of Hamas should take pages from the moral playbooks of people like: Ghandi, Martin Luther King Jr. and many others who advocated peaceful protests. By acting morally and not taking innoncent lives, terrorists might receive a legitimate seat at the table. Until then, other countries are protecting themselves against selfish terroristic behavior.

First Suicide Attack in a Year.

The picture above shows a man displaying a belt typically used by suicide bombers. What looks like a nickel and dime contraption that could be bought at a local electronics store, has proven to be deadly in Israel once again.

Dimona, Israel was rocked Monday by a suicide attack. The first attack in nearly a year. It seems, as reported by the New York Times, that a duo of suicide bombers made their way into a supermarket and leveled a horrible attack against innocent onlookers. The first suicide bomber was able to detonate his bomb which killed an Israeli woman and wounded 11 others. The second bomber was unable to detonate the bomb belt wrapped around his waist and was shot and killed by Israeli police.

Since the fall of the wall in Gaza, Israel has been nervous about attacks like this resurfacing. There is still no clear connection between the militant wing of Hamas and the bombings on Monday, some are even pointing fingers at a group affiliated with Fatah.

On one side, Abu Walid, the leader of the Al Aksa Martyrs Brigade militant group, which is affiliated with President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah party, has claimed responsibility. Though in a recent statement Abbas criticized Israel about its continued military actions against Palestinians, he has condemed this attack. Hamas, on the other hand, has deemed the attacks as, "a glorious act." (News VOA)

From my point of view, innocent lives were lost. Though there is little evidence for who pulled off the attacks, all groups should reflect on the horrific policy of suicide bombing. The acts are appaling and immoral; justified only by radical religious dogma. That is no way to gain recognition in hopes of creating a soveriegn state. This type of behavior turns people away.

Corruption Revealed: Smugglers foiled.

This story caught my eye and really showed me that the level of corruption in Gaza is extraordinarily high. According to Reuters, after the wall in Rafah was knocked down, smugglers who were once cashing in on exploiting the people of Gaza, were now out of a job.

Apparently for years, smugglers have been digging an enormous and elaborate system of tunnels which span from Gaza to Rafah Egypt. These tunnels are used to import goods, where smugglers can then charge the people of Gaza fixed prices due to their monopoly. Some of the statements of the smugglers are shocking. One smuggler even seemed disappointed as the breached hole in the Rafah wall would be bad for business.

Since the enforcement of a blockade by Israel against Gaza, the people of Gaza have been unable to gain access to certain products. The blockade has been enforced mainly because the Hamas- controlled government has engaged in violent military attacks on Israel. I would like to believe that the blockade is an effort to strangle the ability of Hamas militants to access weapons and ammunition, but the innocent people of Gaza are being heavily impacted. The blockade has actually punished the innocent people of Gaza by depleting the resources they desperately need. Despite the apparent suffering of their people, Hamas officials remain unwilling to compromise.

What is Hamas?

One may ask, what is Hamas? Or what does the organization really represent? I will try to give a brief explanation of the modern Hamas. This explanation is not to be confused with the sentiments of all Arabs. Instead I will be looking at the organization since the late 20th century.

Hamas is a fairly new organization. The name is an acronym derived from the words, "Harakat Al-Muqawama Al-Islamia" and typically understood to mean "zeal". The organization is ultimately an Islamic Resistance Movement. They are a fundamentalist and militant group that became active during the early stages of the Intifada. The group originally operated in the Gaza District along with Judea and Samaria.

Hamas was originally formed in 1987 by Sheikh Ahmed Yassin of the Gaza wing of the Muslim Brotherhood during the First Infitada. The group led by Yassin was a horribly violent group who targeted Israeli civilians, military and security forces with terrorist attacks. The purpose Yassin's group was stated in a charter (created 1988 which is still in effect) that calls for the destruction of Israel and to replace it with a Islamic Palestinian state.

The modern face of Hamas is seen as antisemitic and would like to take over the Gaza strip, the West banks, and all of Israel. Just recently, after the death of longtime PLO leader Yassir Arafat, Hamas has won more popularity and been elected into many political positions in Gaza. The elected Hamas officials have now resorted to being stubborn and insist that the only answer is jihad and the removal of Israel. The area known as the West Bank was under Hamas control but has recently changed to Fatah control. The West Bank is still working on trying to coerce the Gazan wing of Hamas to join them in a cease fire agreement. Hamas is now in control of Gaza. But does it represent a majority of Gaza, or even Arabs living in the region? By the looks of it, the fall of the Rafah wall showed that people were in dire need of essentials. The government of Gaza is not providing for its citizens. It is also under tremendous scrutiny from the global community.

As of now Mahmoud Abbas, who was initially elected to replace Arafat, and is a part of the opposing Fatah party, does not agree with the ideologies of Hamas. He is working diligently to have Hamas and the people in the Gaza district come together to create peace. But some can agree that Abbas' actions did not coincide with his words. Though Abbas had called for violence to end in 2005, he did not help disarm the militants involved. Since 2005 Abbas has tried to actively negotiate for Hamas to lay down their weapons and come to an agreement. Hamas is still unwilling.

Both groups, Fatah and Hamas are fighting over the same land. It kind of reminds me of when the south wanted to break away from the north. Both sides had demands and there was no wiggle room for compromise. Many people died because the leading officials at the time did not want to back down from their demands. With this in mind many people could have been spared if only they could have compromised peacefully. Israelis and Palestinians just need to compromise.

In the words of my favorite philosopher of the 20th century...

All we are saying is give peace a chance. -- John Lennon (1940-1980)

The wall came tumbling down.

Just recently, the wall between Egypt and Gaza was knocked down. Hamas militants claim that they were trying to "foil" an Israeli imposed blockade by blowing up the wall in Rafah in order to get essential products. When the wall fell there was a huge surge of people into Egypt searching for food water...and from my point of view, safety. Palestinians poured into Egypt and no one was willing to stop them. The police and border patrol agents stood by and watched. The excuse given by Hamas seems like they are simple blaming Israel as usual. But could their unwillingness to negotiate be a factor. I mean, why are the sanctions against Hamas put in place in the first place? Is Hamas really an organization fighting for the liberation of its people, the Palestinians. Or is Hamas a radical organization trying to spread their dangerous ideologies?

I have not heard any personal stories from people fleeing the Hamas controlled region of Gaza but I'm sure it is not a luxurious place to live. Hamas has in fact been recognized as a ruthless terrorist organization by many countries of the global community. Hamas does not recognize Israel as a country and it engages in violent acts against innocent people, the two actions together show their unwillingness to negotiate. Gaza seems to be the hot spot in the region. If only people were open to compromise, I think this would help ease the conflict. Yes, Hamas is fighting for the land they believe is their own, but can they stop the killing. Israel and the U. S. seem to be approaching Hamas with somewhat open eyes and ears but Hamas proves over and over to be hard headed and unwilling to compromise.

This maybe a naive perspective but someone has to give, in order for peace to prosper. The killing, threatening and outright violent acts just need to stop, on both sides of the conflict.