Part Three: No One Deserves This Fate

…continued from “Is Wealth A Crime?” (i.e. read the part(s) below first)

(I’m not going to spend too much time on this part since I covered the principle in the “Civilian Culpability” blog.)

Is it fair to hold the Palestinians responsible for all this? All they’ve ever known is war. Education and opportunity is not available to them like it is for Israelis; is it their fault they are sometimes misinformed? I don’t think there are very many Palestinians who really know the details of the deals that have been offered them (clearly defined land with autonomous government… it has come up more than once). They are too often used as a proxy by nations like Syria who wish to wage war on Israel without the consequences of a counter-attack. If you are confused and poorly informed, is it wrong to listen to those who help you most?

Although terrorism is unjust and wrong (I won’t bother explaining why, but leave a comment if you disagree, I’ll explain it) at least it gives them some hope and a small sense of power. It’s a reaction born of desperation. As for the suicide bombings, if there’s nothing left to live for it only makes sense to use your life to strike back at those you view as oppressors.

In response, countries provide aid packages. But this does nothing to improve the Palestinian psyche. It is absolutely necessary to keep the people alive, but it only perpetuates the circumstances since the Palestinians never get to “make it on their own.” These packages are band-aid solutions and we, as an international community, should feel great shame in our abandonment of a greater and more permanent solution. In responding in such a manner, we don’t just let down the Palestinians, we let down Israel too. There is more that one signature on the Balfour Declaration. Though the problems only rarely have an effect on us (9/11), in the name of justice and fairness, we should not act as though Israel is responsible for them.