Dina Karam's viewpoint ("Where is all this dark Israeli Hatred Coming from," 10/17) on the recent Israeli-Palestinian violence shows an inherent lack of understanding of the core social and religious conflict between the two cultures. While the violence that has occurred on both sides has been, and continues to be, deplorable, one must understand that Israel has as a nation and as a people been attacked physically and politically for centuries, and continues to be today.
From the time of the Diaspora centuries ago until 1948, Israel's future as a nation and a culture hung in the balance, as Jews were persecuted worldwide for their beliefs and practices. Nearly every generation of Jews during the past thousand years has seen persecution of one sort or another, whether it be in the form of mass genocide, forced conversion to Christianity, or societal prejudice. In many ways, the aggressive Israeli reaction to internal destabilizations, such as Palestinian riots, is a reflection upon their determination to preserve their homeland which should represent a peaceful refuge from anti-Semitism, in the face of constant challenges to its borders and way of life.
In this respect, Karam is incorrect in stating that "Israel is here to stay and the Arabs are not even challenging that anymore." The state of Israel as it exists today can by no means be assumed to be a stable and permanent fixture. The violence that has taken place within the last few weeks is appalling and is never the correct solution, but Israel's reaction and the ensuing escalation of violence is not a random "psyche of hatred," but rather an indication of the significant tension that has developed with two cultures and religions claiming the same homeland. It is worth noting that tension and violence between the Israeli and Palestinian cultures has existed for centuries, and while it was certainly exacerbated by the creation of an Israeli state in 1948, it is much more deeply rooted historically, religiously, and socially than that event.
However, that is not to say that the two religions and cultures are not capable of peacefully living and worshipping together; in fact, the opposite is the case for the majority of Jews and Arabs in the region. In the cases of both parties, it is mostly rogue individuals rather than state-sanctioned groups committing the truly extreme and uncalled-for acts of violence, as in the mob-instigated murder of the captured Israeli soldiers. It may take as many centuries to create a peaceful solution to the problem as it did to create it, but in the meantime the rest of the world must work to truly understand both cultures and the deep-seated cultural tensions that exist. We must believe that both cultures can work together to bring about stability and peace to the Middle East.
Matt Dysart is a freshman who has not yet chosen a major.
