Listen, I am not at all an expert about the Israel-Palestine conflict, nor will I profess to be. But I dunno, I feel like there really isn't much of a debate going on around here, nor a rational debate being played out on the national stage over a pretty serious political conflict.
I was recently at an immigration rally at UC Berkeley and just started to think at least a bit more about the left and how they approach it.
More on the flip.
So, at the rally, it was the usual consortium of people who were asking for amnesty and really just a greater appreciation of all types of immigrants (legal and illegal). But it wasn't only about immigration, as it was a joint rally by the "Students for Palestine". I wasn't completely sure why there was this joint rally going on, but it was apparently the anniversary of the
Deir Yasin Massacre, in which of about 100 people in Palestine. So, instead of holding separate rallies, they held one together. This made me a bit uncomfortable.
There were a bunch of people waving Palestinian flags and chanting "End the Occupation" whenever they would finish a different pro-immigration chant. In the crowd, there were a few guys waving an Israeli flag, visibly displeased by this effort. I talked to a couple of them and they were there to simply join the immigration rally and argue for better treatment of illegals and less criminalization. But, once the Palestine chants started happening, they felt a bit isolated, and there were a few semi-confrontations.
The speakers tried to justify the joint rally by mentioning how both issues are about the dehumanization of people. They also stated that this was about recognizing the struggle of indigenous people. Perhaps this did create some sort of a connection, but I was uncomfortable with how it divided a largely pro-immigration crowd (Israelis and other Jews are immigrants as well).
Overall, I am a strong believer in a two-state solution. I believe that both groups have legitimate claims of statehood and both have made their fair share of mistakes. With that said, I think it is important to support democracy as well.
But I have no emotional attachment to the issue. Nothing is vested for me. I want to see a two-state solution, yet I feel that on my part, I am far too ignorant of the history and passion that drives this conflict. Similarly, I think that I am far too hopeful in resolving what appears to be an endless conflict. People out there hate Palestinians, and others hate Israelis. I can only dream about a time when violence and oppression are no longer accepted tactics by either side.
With all of that said, I saw this article on Yahoo News. It talks about the "president" of Iran, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, calling Israel a permanent threat to the Middle East and that it is "heading toward annihilation". He had previously said that Isreal should be "whiped off the map". None of this is really that new to Middle East politics, but I am fearful that little will ever change - especially if Iran were ever to get the bomb.
So why did I write all of this incoherent babbling? Well, I want to hear from Daily Kossers on what they think, especially since I feel like Israel isn't really talked about all that often.