RE: Letter: The Israel-Palestine conflict is a humanitarian issue, Oct. 22-Nov. 4, p. 10
Haneen Al-hassoun began her letter regarding the Israel-Palestine conflict on a point that most people would agree with, that the violence currently occurring in the region is unsettling, and the situation in the West Bank is unsustainable for the Palestinians residing there. The problem is that the writer shifts the blame entirely on the Israeli leadership for these predicaments and further justifies the terrorist actions of those committing these heinous crimes.
Violence was incited from the very beginning by the leader of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, when he stated that Israel planned on taking complete control of Al-Aqsa Mosque (an ancient holy site for Jews and Muslims alike) and banning Palestinians from praying there. Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated numerous times that this is merely a rumour fabricated by the Palestinian leadership and that the status quo of Al-Aqsa would remain.
Abbas took the hostility up another notch by declaring in late September that Palestine would no longer be bound by the Oslo Accords, the 20-year-old agreement signed by both Israeli and Palestinian leadership that signalled a new beginning for the two nations. While it’s evident that neither side kept their end of the bargain, they were at least in agreement that the Oslo Accords were something that both sides should strive to honour.
Sadly, by declaring that the Palestinians now had no intention of honouring the Oslo Accords, he promoted terrorism and attacks against Israeli citizens, something that the Oslo Accords were created to prevent.
Since late September, several innocent Israeli soldiers and civilians have been killed and many injured by Palestinian terrorist attacks. These attacks cannot be justified under any circumstances. While Al-hassoun blames the Israeli presence in the West Bank for these attacks, they are being perpetuated by Palestinian terrorists throughout Israel.
The Palestinian leadership and the clerics residing in the West Bank have done nothing but incite hatred and violence against the state and inhabitants of Israel, with Abbas stating, “Each drop of blood that was spilled in Jerusalem is pure blood as long as it’s for the sake of Allah. Every shahid [martyr] will be in heaven and every wounded person will be rewarded, by Allah’s will.”
In an attempt to fan the flames of an already unsettling situation, Hamas, the internationally recognized terrorist organization and official government of Gaza has declared this to be an intifada (uprising) and have even begun distributing a video in which they encourage Palestinians to take up arms against Israeli civilians.
Al-hassoun wrote, “I don’t think the attacks on the Israeli settlers were to purposely inflict harm on these people.” But when a Palestinian woman rams her car into a crowded bus stop, it’s meant to inflict harm. When a Palestinian teenager runs after an Israeli child with a butcher’s knife in the streets of Jerusalem, it’s meant to inflict harm. When a Palestinian man hacks a rabbi to pieces with an axe, it’s meant to inflict harm.
This violence not only hurts innocent Israelis, but it hurts the Palestinian cause for statehood. It’s unlikely that Netanyahu will be negotiating a two-state solution with Abbas in the near future when it would be seen as rewarding terrorism.
The situation in the West Bank is complex and frustrating, but resorting to terror is not the answer. Holding your leaders accountable and forcing them to represent your wishes by going to the negotiating table is the solution to this violence. President Abbas must stop the incitement of violence, stop withholding the aid that the Israeli government gives to the Palestinians and stop lying to his people to further his agenda. It’s time for peace and it’s time for him to step up.
