Kelly Davies
Staff Writer
It is midsummer. You live in a narrow strip of land, a settler in a stateless limbo, part of a fierce battle that has raged for decades. The 26-mile stretch of land called the Gaza Strip has served as a breeding ground for violent opposition since Israel began supporting settlements in the Palestinian region following the Six Day War in 1967. You may just want a quiet life, living among the noise and chaos. Or you may want to fight for a cause, so much so that you’d die for it. And people have. That is why you are being asked to leave.
Last year, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon declared an Israeli pullout from the Gaza Strip in Palestine. Sharon announced the plan as a way to separate the Israelis and Palestinians after years of violence stemming from Israel’s occupation of Palestine’s land – the Strip. The plan began to take effect this August, with soldiers knocking on doors ordering more than 8,500 settlers out within 48 hours. It is a plan for peace.
Peace – is it possible for the Middle East? The region is rife with hate and deep-seated passion for beliefs that grow stronger in the face of turmoil. On one side, the Israelis believe their land is holy, a God-given dwelling as promised in biblical times. The region was supposed to become part of a Palestinian state created by the United Nations at the end of World War II. Arab leaders refused to comply and in 1948 launched an unsuccessful war to block the creation of Israel. During the war, Egypt took control of the Gaza Strip and Jordan took control of the West Bank. In 1967, Israel forced those countries to leave and took over both the Strip and the Bank. Since then, Israel has supported and funded Jewish settlements on those occupied lands. And they have paid dearly.
The Palestinians have been battling with Israel ever since. They say they believe the region is their rightful state, their homeland for thousands of years. Some Palestinians here said that they see the pullout as victory.
Many Palestinians have vowed to reclaim their homeland by any means. A violent faction called Hamas has launched rockets into those settlements, wreaking havoc but only strengthening the will of the attacked. It has been rumored that Palestine doesn’t acknowledge the Gaza Strip in children’s textbooks. The passionate beliefs start at an early age making the battle even harder to win.
So what else was Sharon supposed to do? He could have continued to support Israel, but he knew the violence would continue as well. His beliefs and the beliefs of his people are no doubt just as strong as Palestinians. He made the first move toward peace, whatever that means to the battle-torn region. Many Palestinians will not be satisfied until Sharon relinquishes all control of Gaza’s sea and air space. Whether more violence will ensue is uncertain.
What is certain is that if there will be hope for peace, both countries must be willing to work for it. The Palestinians will need to ensure that Hamas will not continue their bombings and rocket launchings. Israel must continue to negotiate a solution and do their best to ensure their plans are sincere. And what about the United States? Many say the United States should not involve itself in any further engagements, while others say the most powerful nation in the world must use that power to help countries seeking an end to chaos. At the least, some call for a coordinated strategy blessed by the president. Perhaps we should carry on the role as sympathetic observer to the situation. One thing is for sure, Gaza cannot continue to be used as a launch pad for terrorists to strike, because it won’t be long before the United States is paying dearly, too. Again.
It is not hard to see at least a flicker of sympathy for both sides – the number of Jewish settlers who have survived the lion’s den, so to speak, by being the only ones in Palestine; the Palestinians who seek independence. People on both sides shed tears. And some of you have, too, no doubt, at first sight of newspaper photographs showing crying men and women. If you have seen the pictures you might have been moved by the fiery eyes that stare deep into the soldier telling them to leave, their fists clenched tight, their shoulders pushed back. That should make me feel hatred, fear, and isolation, but instead I feel more certain that God put humans here to make a difference in His world.
For now, the settlers will move to greater Israel. Palestinians will get their state. The settlers will find new homes and new lives. I think peace is possible. I have to believe that if I believe in the power of humankind to overcome religious, political and other dividing differences. It will not come without sacrifice; it may not come without violence. Time will tell.
8-29-2005
