Isreaeli ’security wall’

I share the belief that we have to get Israel and Palestine to coexist peacefully in order to achieve any positive standing in the eyes of the Arab world. But instead of trying to make the two people live side by side in peace we are now taking sides with the Israelis almost exclusively.

Both sides have bombed and killed the other side. It’s impossible to argue one is exclusively in the right while the other is not. But I truly believe that the conflict can be solved. Clinton came really close, but then the matter was not pursued, in part because we had other priorities.

Now Israel is building a wall. Tuesday the General Assembly of the United Nations ruled the barrier which is currently built in part through Palestinian territory, is illegal. “The vote was passed with 150 in favour, 6 opposed and 10 abstentions.” (link) Of course the U.S. was one of the countries that opposed the ruling, essentially condoning building of the wall. Recently the International Court also ruled the so called barrier was illegal. Of course the U.S. is one of the few countries that is not member of the International Court.

It seems the U.S. has an identify crisis and is trying to have it both ways. We cannot say to the arab world “we come in peace,” yet support countries like Israel and invade others like Iraq (both against world opinion). Time to decide what we want, I guess.