The Israeli/Palestinian Conflict

Alejandro Ortiz 10D 5/30/13

“Human rights violations by Israeli forces in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT) have included, but are not limited to, home demolitions and the forced eviction of Palestinian families; punitive arrests, unfair trials, ill-treatment and torture of detainees and the use of excessive or lethal force to subdue nonviolent demonstrations as well as the use of restrictive legal means.” (amnestyinternational.org) This shows that the Israeli people were prepared to do anything- even drive people out of their homes in order to find a place in which they could live.The means in which their end is met have been outrageous. As long as the Israeli can gain from it, they are ready and willing to do whatever they must; even creating a corrupt society in which the legal system is strongly influenced by them. Now, that is not to say that every Israeli is a horrible individual as that would be untrue. The fact of the matter is this- the Israeli people as a group have taken advantage of the Palestinian. In fact, some of the Israeli people even side with the Palestinian.

    Sami Al Jundi, a Palestinian who opposed the Israeli occupation and went to the extent of terrorism. Though it may be true that terrorism is a terrible thing in which innocent individuals may be involved but it is also essential to know why terrorists such as this arise. After many years of imprisonment he may have come to make many Israeli friends and wished for nothing more than peace but that does not change reality. This conflict is an issue comprised of not only occupational issues but also the contradicting religions. These variables hold very powerful impacts on this conflict that have kept it alive for years. Variables such as depopulation. As Al Jundi's mother recollects “’Jewish soldiers came to the village that night and the next night. I was scared when I heard them patrolling outside my home. After three nights they called everyone to meet at the school.  ‘You have to leave the village’, the soldiers told us once we had gathered. ‘We are not able to protect you anymore. Go, prepare your clothes, and then return here to wait until we come.’” ( Al Jundi/Marlowe, 13) The Jewish soldiers kicked the Palestinians out of their land. The Jewish soldiers pretended to defend them when the whole time they were just unpopulating the land with a minimal amount of violence. The Jews had their eyes on the big fish, the Palestinian's land and they did what they had to do to get it; no matter what would become of the victims.

The horrors most certainly do NOT end with the depopulation of the populace. “Ahmed Qatamesh is a prisoner of conscience who is being detained solely for expressing non-violent political beliefs,.” said Amnesty International's Ann Harrison, deputy director of the Middle East and North Africa program. “His continued detention is arbitrary and he must be immediately and unconditionally released.Qatamesh is one of about 160 Palestinians currently held by Israel under administrative detention orders. These allow for indefinite detention on the basis of secret evidence that the military prosecution withholds from the detainee and their lawyer, denying detainees the basic right to defend themselves” Political leaders and civilians are not given even basic rights such as a means of legally defending themselves. This warped society has also twisted the system to its very core. There can be so much done to help the situation in Gaza yet people do nothing. Providing the people with basic rights such as defense is not impossible.

Alejandro Ortiz 10D

The Israeli/Palestinian Conflict

Abstract:Israeli and Palestinian people have been waging war for years. The occupation of Palestine has kept the two groups of people not only fighting for the reconquering of land but for the conquering of both of the group's holy land, Jerusalem. Now the people struggle to coexist in a land of hate and religious selfishness.

Bibliography:

Source 1 (JStor): Hillel Frisch and Schmuel Samuel,et al. “Religion, State,and the International system in the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict” International Political Science Review 25(1) 1-96 JStor. Web 24 May 2013 http://www.jstor.org/stable/1601623

Source 2 (online): The Organization of Amnesty“Israel/Palestinian Occupied Territories” amnestyusa.org 27 Febuary 2013: Web. 24 May 2013 http://www.amnestyusa.org/our-work/countries/middle-east-and-north-africa/israel-and-occupied-palestinian-territories

Source 3 (online): Suzanne Trimel “Israel must release Palestian Academic Detained Without Reason” amnesty.org 25 April 2013: Web. 24 May 2013 http://www.amnestyusa.org/news/press-releases/israel-must-release-palestinian-academic-detained-without-justification-0

Source 4 (print): Sami Al Jundi and Jen Marlowe The Hour of Sunlight, 116 East 16th Street 8th Floor, New York,NY 10003, Nation Books, 2011, Print