Part Seven: Why Do We Hesitate?

…continued from “Some Possible Steps For A Solution?” (i.e. read the part(s) below first)

I’m curious about what makes westerners willing to act so coldly to Palestinians. Christianized western states have a tradition of generosity and the people living in them are normally quite willing to share their resources in charitable contributions; and yet we seem perfectly willing to ignore the suffering among the common Middle-Eastern states. Why do we seem to find it more congenial to keep them down instead of helping them up? Part of this sentiment may have originated from a traditional connection we have to the state of Israel. While Christians believe the Jews are a bit confused, both groups are supposed to be praying to the same God. Furthermore, it’s no secret that the bible predicts perpetual conflict in the area. So if you really believe the pursuit of peace is hopeless, why even make the effort? But this sort of belief cannot inform political policy. Even if we believe efforts in the pursuit of stability are futile, it is completely unfair to behave as though this justifies not trying.

But this is not a sufficient explanation since we are largely a secular society. It could be the mere fact that Israel appeals to our western sensibilities since they share many of our attitudes. I think Israel’s response to terror coincides with how we (like to) imagine we would respond in a similar circumstance. Conversely, religion in Palestine (and other Muslim countries) is much closer to the surface and we perceive this as regressive since we believe our own scientific morality is more evolved. However, whether this belief is enlightened or misinformed it should not affect our treatment of Palestine. Even if our society is better than theirs this is no justification for poor treatment. We owe compassion and support because Palestinians are human; they are entitled to all the rights and privileges that go along with it.