The Israeli Palestinian conflict

I have not previously written about the Israeli Palestinian conflict. This has mostly been because my personal research has focused on other issues. However, this is the only blog that I maintain and it is an issue about which I believe, sadly, many americans are misinformed. I would like to share what I have learned through my political studies and my perspective of living inside and outside of the United States.

We as Americans are deeply tied to this conflict through our taxes and our country's international policies. We have been so from the creation of the state of Israel in 1948.

In my opinion this conflict is not based upon religion. Yes, many Jewish and Muslim believers have very strong religious convictions about their right and destiny to live in this territory, however, the origin of the conflict is not religious: it is historical and political.

For the time being I would like to provide you with some links to sites that I think provide imporatant and unique information. From there I will continue in further posts to outline more of historical and political points.

First, it should be said that the war that is currently being waged between Israel and Hamas in Gaza is an abominable humanitarian crisis. We should all be doing everything possible (writing, calling, emailing on a daily basis our senators and representatives and Obama, going to rallies, informing others etc.) to bring a quick end to the violence that has already killed more than 1000 people within the last three weeks.

I would like to redirect you to a blog that I have linked to regularly on my blog - that of Laila El-Haddad, an American Palestinian who has family in Gaza. She writes about the situtaion on the ground for those living in Gaza and it is a perspective that is essential for us to keep in mind, especially as the Israeli government has refused, up until this point, to allow foreign journalists into the war zone, making it difficult to get a variety of perspectives of what life is like for civilians living there. Please know that this blog is quite realistic, specifically because of the humanitarian crisis currently occuring in Gaza.

Next, I have found a site, called http://www.ifamericansknew.org/, that I think does a good job of summing up many of the major issues surrounding the Palestinian Israeli conflict. I do not take responsibility for what is written on the site but I can say that their historical section matches quite well with what I have learned through my undergraduate and graduate studies in France and in the United States. There is a wealth of information and many links to other interesting and little seen perspectives (for example those of the men injured in the Israeli attack of the USS Liberty, or the perspective of Orthodox Jews who do not believe in zionism. These are both interesting, and most definitly controversial, perspectives. But I believe they are as important to examine as any other.

Lastly I encourage you to visit this site, Demand a Stance, dedicated to stopping the current violence in Gaza. It is a very easy tool that connects you instantly to a form allowing you to write to your political representatives (whether you are American, British, or Canadian). They did all the work for you - it could not be easier, they even provide you with a sample letter. Take the time to do this - contacting your representatives is an essential part of changing policy.


That's all for now. Please feel free to comment. I will continue to post on the Israeli Palestinian conflict and would like to answer any questions you have or provide more information on parts that are cloudy.