There has been, of late, a flood of events demanding attention. Incidents causing concern have been occurring all over the world, indeed they never cease; however, with the proliferation of the world wide web, television news networks and other digital outlets, information about world affairs does indeed inundate the brain.
I have no doubt that, across the world, various news channels have broadcast items about the continuing Middle East chaos. On the spot reporters will have given witness to what has been happening, and there will be a ton of visual imagery, along with political experts, historians and politicians expressing views. There will also have been leading figures from both sides exchanging opinions about why and how things are as they are, each blaming the other of provocation. I am sure this has been going on in every major news outlet in just about every country on the planet. There are 44 individual countries in Europe alone. Perhaps not all will have a general evening news broadcast summing up the local and international news of the day, but most will. That could mean at least 44 interviewees expressing opinion about the middle east and, perhaps some 40 odd Israeli diplomats and 40 odd Palestinian representatives will have stated their case. I would image the same can be said for the news channels in both North and South America. Various world leaders will also be asked to make statements. Various Foreign Office Departments have already issued press releases condemning violence and asking for calm to be restored.
So much talk, reasoned argument and analysis must surely have some effect. But it would appear not.
Last night’s Newsnight broadcast on BBC2 contained a segment with interviews, conducted by reporter Ms Emily Maitlis, of Mr Husam Zomlot, Palestinian Ambassador to the UK and Ms Tzipi Hotovely, Israeli Ambassador to the UK.
It was claimed they were sitting apart because of social distancing due to pandemic safeguards, but it became clear that neither would put up with sitting near the other. As Ms Maitlis moved from one interview to the other, it appeared as if she were going into a completely different room. Neither ambassador was shown in an all-encompassing shot. It was certainly better for the interviewer as otherwise the interview would have become a shouting match. It was not far off being that in any event.
My own assessment of the event, essentially tit for tat accusations of retribution and revenge, is that Mr Zomlot spoke of deep frustration and of ineffective coping with an Israeli Government’s obstinacy. What he was essentially saying was “What else can we do but strike back, as nothing else gets us anywhere, we can’t take any more of their crap and flaunting breach of United Nation directives”. Ms Hotovely was in the perpetual Israeli acting in self-defence mode, focusing on terrorist rockets, the reason for air strikes and denial that collateral damage was the Israeli Government’s responsibility. “We care about children” she claimed, despite the death of several from the retaliatory air strike. It was primitive you kill ours; we kill yours. Shame.
I must say that Ms Hotovely’s stubborn, blind and narrow performance was more depressing than Mr Zomlot’s emotional frustration. The ignorant arrogance of orthodox religion is what sparks and fuels the antagonism between the parties. The State of Israel must become the State of Israeli Citizens, and move away from aligning itself as a Jewish State. It must be beyond religion and be a people’s state. Only by removing religion from the equation will any progress be made in the Middle East. Let the Palestinian People be just that, Palestinians, either as full citizens of Israel, with all the protections and rights of Israeli Citizens, to participate in the Governance, economy, education and culture of an Israeli State, or be part of a Palestinian State of their own, on their own land, with all the rights State Citizenship can build and provide.
The Israeli government has been operating under a siege mentality since 1948. They have created a siege mentality within the Palestinian community. Please, grow up, open the windows and let the light in, and leave God alone. He doesn’t need anybody’s help.
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