Give Peace a Chance.

It has been quite sometime since I have written on this blog, but I have not forgotten the importance of the issues. Since I have written last we have a new President, Mr. Barak Obama, and a new approach to dealing with other issues around the world. It is a moderate and evenhanded approach, just what the Middle East needs. Obama is equipped with pragmatic ideas about resolution and conflict management and I think he will be an asset to achieving peace in the Arab / Israeli conflict. I know...I know...easier said than done.

He has appointed a few new names to address this problem. First we have a new secretary of state, Hillary Clinton and we can be assured that her ideas are aligned with her husband's, Bill Clinton. Mrs. Clinton will be very helpful in the region.

Secondly, there is a new diplomat on the scene, George Mitchell. I do not know much about him but from what I have read he is extraordinarily diplomatic and eager to help create peace in the region. Mitchell and the Clintons share similar ideas about how peace should be negotiated in the region.

I think overall the tides have turned in the Middle East with the new additions to the team. There is still one factor that is making this difficult, yes, the hard line Israelis and the hard headed Hamas. Neither group wants negotiate.

Hamas is a very ingrained part of the societal fabric of the region. Destroying them is just not an option. Just like eradicating Israel is off the table. However, since the last conflict, Hamas has been pushed against the ropes. I believe other Arab countries are getting tired of being alienated by Hamas' radical ideologies and losing support for the organization. Egypt and Syria are definitely becoming a slightly less supportive. Everyone is just getting sick of the embarrassment from this small group. The death and destruction they are churning out is becoming a bit much for some groups to swallow.

Now I'm not saying all other countries involved are innocent. Israel has in the past taken part in murder and mayhem. The U.S. is currently conducting a war that just did not need to take place, there were other options. The region has been stirred up and put into an unattended crockpot, left to burn.

I am glad to see Obama is working on a solution but his hands are tied when it comes to the actual negotiations. The rest is up to Israel and the divided governments of what would be Palestine. A middle of the road answer, that can please both sides of the argument, must be found. People's lives and peace in the region will not be attained if each side resorts to their hard line stance.

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?