Israel-Palestine

The rough copy of the op-ed I am working on...

Would you sit by?

Russell Witham
Senior Staff Columnist

On Sep. 11th, 2001 at 8:46 a.m., American Airlines Flight 11 crashed into the North Tower of the World Trade Center.

In the following hours, a stunned American public watched as iconic symbols of our nation fell to rubble.

We stared in disbelief at the headlines the following morning, more than 9,000 of our friends, loved ones, and countrymen had been killed or injured.

The following week President Bush addressed our grieving nation, “Our enemy is a radical network of terrorists, and every government that supports them … They will hand over the terrorists, or they will share in their fate.”

Sound familiar? It should. Israel is being threatened by a terrorist organization which does not acknowledge their right to exist. Not unlike al-Qaida, the Islamic Resistance Movement has befriended those who would seek Israel’s destruction – for one, a nuclear capable Iran.

Over the past eight years, the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) has launched thousands of rockets into Southern Israel – with the primary intent of killing and terrorizing innocent Israeli citizens.

As Travis Seymour, junior in international studies, informed us in Tuesday’s Technician, “[under international law] Israel has the right and obligation to protect its citizens from these attacks.”

Israel has responded with slow but forceful movements, killing and injuring well over 5,000 people in the three weeks of fighting. In many cases, the gunfire has caused the injury and death of noncombatants – including women and children.

Mariem Masmoudi, junior in political science, wrote on Tuesday, “Hamas militants comprise a small percentage of the many people [who have been affected].”

If this is truly the case, if Hamas does not represent the sentiments of Palestinians. Then kick the militants out of Gaza – push them into the streets where Israel may arrest them for their crimes of terrorism. This would save many innocent lives and ensure that those culpable for the crimes are apprehended.

Julie Abdelrahman, junior in textile and apparel management, said that she is proud to, “be from a nation that will never give up and never surrender.” Additionally saying, “This is not about Hamas … the Palestinian people are fighting for freedom, as once did the American people.”

Maybe Ms. Abdelrahman is recalling a different struggle than I. But according to my texts, the American Continental Army fought the British in an effort to defend the ideals of the American people, not to us them as human shields.

Has Israel been equitable in its policies which have crushed the Palestinian economy and closed Gaza off from the world? No. The Israeli Government could have done much more to encourage peace.

But the completely uncontrolled rocket attacks of Hamas into Israel are nothing short of terrorism and should be treated as such. Israel has a right and obligation to continue operations until they can ensure that Hamas is forever put to rest.

When the military wing of Hamas no longer operates, Israel in union with the United Nations should help to establish a state under the provisions of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The establishment of a sovereign state where every Palestinian has the right to life, liberty, security and freedom of passage to other nations – Israel not withstanding.

Until then, the actions of Hamas will continue to cause the destruction of Gaza and the death of its people.

How many more Palestinians must die for Hamas?