I spent last weekend in the West Bank in Israel, in a small settlement called Ateret just outside of Ramallah. About a kilometer out of town, as I worked to return to Jerusalem, I saw obvious marks of burning tires from the weekend before. I was going back to school on Monday as opposed to Sunday night because the settlement had been locked down. No one was allowed in, no one was allowed out.
A lot has been said, and a lot more can be said, about the current discord in Israel. Some have called the situation "unrest," some say "riots," others have gone so far as to say that it is the beginning of a war. Whatever you call it, there is a lot of anger on both sides, and a lot of finger pointing.
Let's start with the facts. Thursday afternoon, Israeli right-wing party member and probable candidate for prime minister Ariel Sharon visited the site in Jerusalem that is known as Haram Al-Sharif to Muslims and the Temple Mount to Jews. Protests began soon after. The Old City of Jerusalem was shut down due to riots and stone throwing on Friday. Fighting began in disputed areas, and has since moved within the "Green Line," Israel's 1948 borders. Live ammunition has been exchanged on both sides. Many roads remain closed. At least 55 people have been killed with more than 1,000 wounded. Those are the facts. Period.
Most blame for the whole balagan (Hebrew for chaos, mess, and nonsense) has been put on Ariel Sharon. However, I can't believe that the entire thing is his fault. Yes, what Sharon did was a dumb move, but it was a politically calculated one. He had his reasons and although I don't agree with them, he was not trying to start this. At most, he has indirect responsibility. True, maybe Sharon shouldn't have gone to the Temple Mount, but that doesn't mean that his visit should have instigated Palestinians to throw rocks and bottles and take up arms against the Israel Defense Force. That neither side is without fault has to be realized first and foremost.
Israel is receiving a hefty dose of international criticism for its reactions to violent Palestinian protests, especially when it comes to its usage of weapons against civilians. Yes, it is true that recently Israel has employed helicopter gunships and has even said that, if necessary, it will bring out tanks to stifle rioters. However, as one Israeli sergeant said, "There is no arms agreement."
One of the recent times that the gunships were used was to stop snipers from firing at an army base from an abandoned army tower. The policy of the Israeli government is, and always was, that in order to protect its citizens, it will use any amount of force necessary. No matter how much certain groups would prefer it, there is no way that Israel is merely going to allow snipers to fire on its citizens without striking back, using whatever means available.
Now, I'm not glad that people were killed. I, along with most of the world, was shocked and saddened when I heard about the children who have been killed. Obviously, this was revolting. However, the question can be raised about what the children were doing there in the first place.
The most widely reported story has been about the twelve-year old who was shot while he and his father hid behind a barrel. However, new evidence has since emerged that reveals that the child was throwing rocks, and that his father was there to get him away. In fact, much evidence has come out in general about children being on the front line.
"If I had 20 children, I would send them all down (to fight). I wouldn't spare any of them," said Taman Sabeh, a Palestinian quoted by the Associated Press. "We're not scared of death."
I'm not saying that the death of children is good, but before one heavily criticizes Israel for killing children, one has to look at all sides of the issue.
There are currently fires raging in Northern Israel allegedly started by Arab arsonists. Fighting is going on right now throughout the country. An Israeli man was shot at point-blank range and killed when he stopped his car to change a tire. A school bus filled with children was shot at, but luckily no one was hurt. Soldiers have been randomly attacked and killed throughout the land and at holy sites. Unfortunately, the world media hasn't reported the majority of these incidents, so many people remain uninformed.
Yes, there have been problems in the past about human rights violations, and that history has stirred up new feelings about the Israeli military establishment. However, this is not one of those instances. That's what people must realize. No matter what you want to call it, these are certainly real battles. People are dying and being injured on both sides.
All of this started with rock throwing, but has since escalated. Both sides have guns now, and both sides are using them. The reasons for the usage are still up in the air, but until the facts are straightened out, neither side can be allowed to receive the whole of the blame. Until the facts get straightened out, all we can hope for is an end to the violence, and some quiet peace.
Howard Wolke is a junior majoring in comparative religion and history. He is currently studying in Jerusalem.
