Jews on the Middle East Conflict

Cycle of Violence Ignores the Successes of History
Adam Daniels, Research Scientist, Woonsocket

Discuss this on the DMY Middle East Bulletin Board

I am conversant in Arabic. Sometimes I go to Arabic websites for national Arab papers. I stomach the lies, bad research, resurrected Nazi propaganda and hypocrisy and try to send letters advocating peaceful resistance. I tell them the Palestinians can't win this war with violence. They have to use peaceful resistance, such as what was used by Gandhi, King, and Mandela. These great men sacrificed themselves to the swords of the enemy to win moral victories that stand on their own.

Generally I get told that the righteousness of the Palestinian cause justifies whatever they do. This means that striking at children, women and the elderly is acceptable. Or I get told that the Israelis do the same. So this means that if the Israelis do it that makes it okay? Or sometimes I point out that the Palestinians are then fighting at the same level as the Israelis. Yet no one listens. Palestinian rallies are never complete without hordes of guns with tons of bullets fired into the air, replete with calls for violence and revenge.

Gandhi, King, and Mandela each understood that against a powerful and potentially violent oppressor, the worst thing you can do to the enemy is not fight. Imagine if you will, a hundred thousand Palestinians getting together and announcing they were going to march peacefully and unarmed to the Temple Mount. The International Red Cross could check every marcher to make sure they were unarmed. Imagine if stopped by the Israelis they sat down and announced a hunger strike. If the Israelis tried to move them, they would resist with just gentle words. If the Israelis forced them, the cameras would record it all. A hundred thousand martyrs who would fight with the sword of reason and the shield of conviction.

The dignity and poise of such an action works.

Gandhi, King, and Mandela.

That is the power of history. Yet no one listens and the blood continues to flow.