The Israeli-Palestinian Arab conflict has become increasingly more difficult to comprehend. Often terms are thrown around in the discourse that don’t accurately portray the current state of affairs. The phrases “pro-Israel” and “pro-Palestinian” are two of the most commonly used labels by activists and advocates passionate about the issues surrounding Israel, the Palestinian Arabs, and any potential for a peace negotiation. One is either “pro-Israel” or “pro-Palestinian;” as if this issue is a clear black and white matter. Yet the intentions of pro-Israel activists show that they are the ones who really pay attention to the future of both Israelis and Palestinian Arabs.
Caring about the future of the State of Israel and advocating for its stability and security does not make one oblivious nor unsympathetic to the Palestinian Arabs’ living conditions in Gaza and parts of Judea and Samaria. It is extremely important to realize that Palestinian Arabs are essentially prisoners under Hamas, a terrorist regime, which has controlled the residents of Gaza over the past 10 years, and the Palestinian Authority (PA), which masquerades itself as a “moderate” political group in Judea and Samaria. In reality, the PA incentivizes terror amongst its citizens and utilizes half of its foreign aid to pay terrorists and their families to kill innocent Israelis. Both regimes indoctrinate their residents to hate Jewish people and that it is their divine path to hurt and/or kill Israelis in the name of Allah. Hamas has summer camps which teach children every year how to use guns and terrorize Israelis, rather than play frisbee or eat hot dogs like regular camps a Westerner would expect to send his or her kids to.
It is Israel’s right and duty to first and foremost protect its citizens from terrorist attacks. Israelis are hit from Hamas rockets in Gaza, which up to 36% of the time actually wound Gazans instead, and stabbings and suicide bombers from Judea and Samaria intent on murdering Israelis. The physical protective measures that have been put in place between Gaza and Israel and Judea and Samaria and Israel are a direct response to the terror caused by the Palestinian Arabs in both areas. Since the erection of the security fence between Judea and Samaria and Israel, there has been a decline in terrorist attacks by more than 90%. Instead of looking inward and working on ways to build up their own communities, the Palestinian Arab leadership of Hamas and the PA have turned to terrorism and violence. This has benefitted no one and hurt everyone.
Young generations of Palestinian Arabs are continuously taught anti-Semitic propaganda. If the Palestinian Arab leadership were to end the inciteful education, then both Israelis and Palestinian Arabs would benefit from the decrease in violence. Perhaps the incentive to do so would come from the international community, or the Palestinian Arabs themselves, tired of lack of opportunity within the territories, decide to rebel against their own corrupt leaderships. They would no longer have to live under Palestinian Arab governments that are more interested in violence against Israel, than in furthering their own prosperity and legitimate peace. The Palestinian Arab leaderships in both Gaza and Judea and Samaria could pool their resources in stimulating their economies, instead of relying so heavily on Israeli and foreign aid, giving their citizens hope for a brighter future. Their leadership could show Israel they are able to maintain non-violence and eradicate hateful education in their regions. While this be may an ideal solution that pro-Israel activists would like to achieve, it would also benefit the Palestinian Arab community in return.
However, the so called “pro-Palestinian” activists do not approach the issue in the same manner. They are actually unhelpful in achieving their intended goal of freeing the Palestinian Arabs from their imprisonment under the Israelis. By not calling for the delegitimization of the terrorist group Hamas, or the hypocrisy delineated by the PA, pro-Palestinian advocates are only furthering their selfish agendas of placing the blame on the Israeli government. Those who truly care about the plight of the Palestinian Arabs must wake up and realize we are all on the same side; intent on delegitimizing and eradicating terror groups and ideologies that wreak havoc on both Israelis and Palestinians Arabs. If Israel had a legitimate partner in peace which cared about the value of life as much Israel does with regard to its citizens, then perhaps negotiations would have a better chance of success.