This article began as a comment in response to Gideon’s excellent reply to an article about Israel’s recent incursion into Gaza. The comment is here and I encourage you to read it. I feel Gideon’s comments about Palestinian avoidable mortality are worth thinking carefully about, especially since I’d been talking to Yaakov about Israel’s choices and tactics in response to Palestinian aggression.
Below is my comment, now cut and pasted as this article. It’s my point of view, but it’s a discussion not an answer. I feel overwhelmed by the complexity and history of the Israel Palestine conflict, and I invite suggestions, comments and criticism of what follows.
I’m a little uncomfortable comparing Israelis with Nazis, irrespective of numerical parallels, because it obscures the debate in such overwhelming emotion that it’s hard to get reason to penetrate. This can be a deliberate tactic, as when disingenuous claims of racism are made against anyone who disagrees with Israel’s policies towards Palestine.
I think it informs the debate in another way: there is an understandable reluctance in Israel to ever again be in a position of weakness, and this causes a really sad blindness to the consequences of Israeli policies on Palestinian people. Your brother and I went to the same high school, so you’re probably aware that intelligentsia (ha! I mean nerds, of course 
) like me therefore grew up in a sort of Jewish mini-society, although I wasn’t conscious of that at the time. My friends were Saul, Eschmann, Joske etc. There was an unquestioned support for the state of Israel, and I think this was and is common in Australia.
As a result of having in a way inherited much the same outlook as Israeli and Jewish American families, perhaps without the addition of personal danger (although these formative years included 1967 and 1973) I understand this blindness, or even sympathise with it. But it’s a disease which is rotting the heart of Israel. The numbers in your post make very clear the failure of conscience and morality of Israel toward a whole people whose welfare and livelihood is at least partly (and I would say more than partly) the responsibility of Israel.
This responsibility is shrugged off with:
- They did not accept the referendum in 1948.
- They attacked or threatend our security in 48, 56, 67, and 73.
- How can we help them when they want to wipe us out?
- If we help them all the money goes to weapons which are used against us.
I would say only one of these points deserves consideration. The first two are history. Apportioning blame is pointless, and most people would fight against disposession of their land. We now have the present: Israel is here to stay, and so are the Palestinians and all the complications, ill will, and historical grievances which go with it. A solution must be fair and positive in today’s world.
The third point is moot. Israel and the Palestinians must find a way to coexist, and this means that this attitude and even this policy must be changed – work to change it must come from both sides.
The fourth point is much less intransigent than it looks. Land, security, autonomy, healthcare, electricity, food, irrigation – none of these things are weapons and they are not easily spent on weapons. They can only buy goodwill.
Sorry to ramble. I’ve stopped myself making this into a post a few times when writing it… I don’t consider myself sufficiently knowlegable in this area to make an actual article.
Gideon your figures above are the heart of the matter. They represent an unreported festering disaster which prevents progress on both sides. Israel must face up to these numbers and do something about it if it wishes to have true security, rather than the false security of walls and weapons and cruelty.
I’m reminded of George Bush’s famous “Why do they hate us?” after 9/11. That, like the Israeli simplistic view of Palestinian terrorism constitutes a chosen blindness – a lie disguised as a question. The US is hated because it installs cruel robber-dictators around the world to prop up it’s commercial interests. Because it uses influence, corruption, and if necessary troops to exchange a few beads and blankets for resources and labour. Because “bringing freedom and democracy” has for 60 years been doublespeak hiding the creation of an empire.
Israel has portrayed itself, since the first Intifada, as the victim. As with the US this view can only be sustained by remaining blind to the other side of the story. This does not excuse the actions of terrorists – but that moral weight rests with them. The obligation of Israel and the US toward people affected by their policies remains, and it is exacerbated by the fact that having more capacity to effect change they have more responsibility to effect change.