The Crisis of Israel - Unresolved Dilemmas

Following the conflict between Israel and Palestine from the outside, is a heartbreaking and weird activity. It is heartbreaking because the Palestinians have been and are being forced from their land and their homes by the Israelis. It is hearbreaking because injustice and violence against the Palestinians are committed on a daily basis by the Isrelis. It is heartbreaking because a nation is routinely bombed and infrastucture detroyed whenever Israel chooses. It is hearbreaking because a nation which was founded in order to give the Jewish people a safe haven, is basing its existence on making life for Palestinians unsafe. It is hearbreaking that Israel treats Paestinians as second class citizens within their borders and operate Open-Air-Prisons on the West Bank and in Gaza. It is weird because Israel arrogantly assumes they have the defining power. It is even weirder because all this could not have been possible without the support of North America and Europe.

For years talks and efforts have circled around the two state solution based on the borders of 1967. Israel and Palestine have taken part in sundry negotiations. At the same time Israel has steadfastly stolen Palestinian land, and illegally built settlements there. The lesson learnt is that Israel as a nation is totally unrelieable. Furthermore Israels appetite is gluttenous, and Netanyahu announced that 3000 new housing units would be built on Paletinian land shortly after Palestine was accepted as a state by the UNGA the 29^th of November 2012.

Treating the Palestinians as a problem and as "the other" have been a chosen media strategy by the Israelis. By so doing Israel is creating a picture of the Palestinians as faceless without a personal identity. And from what time and age do we recognize this?
Israel has consistently and tenachiously occupied Palestinian territory during the 20^th century, and has blackmailed and silenced critics from European nations by referring to Holocaust. Another false argument has been their being the only democracy in the region. Democracy for whom, one might ask? And the tactic has worked, but nowadays the patience with Israel´s aggressive and supressive policy is wearing thin in many countries, not to mention the unanimous condemnation from the Arab and Muslim countries in Africa and the Middle East. But the USA is still describing their support of Israel as "rock solid". But even this may change in the future as the demography and the economy of the nation change.

And why is all this a dilemma for the Israelis? I venture the following:

• Their democratic dilemma: Maintaining a democracy for Israel while denying Palestinians on the West Bank and Gaza to build likewise institutions. The bombing of civilian targets in Gaza and opposition to the establishing of a Palestinian state are the most obvious examples.
  
• Their historical dilemma: The Israeli Government is acting as if they have a historical right to land in Palestine. Occupation of Palestinian land and confiscation of Palestinian homes are the most obvious examples
  
• Their moral dilemma: Putting Israeli interests above the intersts of the Palestinians
  
• Their psycological dilemma: Bringing up generation after generation living in conflict with their neighbours.
  
• Their economic dilemma: Ajusting their economy to accomodate for war any time
  
• Their military dilemma: When will their war machine stagnate or become inferior to their neighbours´
  
• Their demografic dilemma: Being outnumbered by the Arab population in the region
  
• Their diplomatic dilemma: Losing friends
  
  

The list of dilemmas could be made more extensive, but it is long enough to highlight the problems Israel is facing today. With so many problems at hand one should think Israel would be interested in finding solutions that would ease their everyday life and give their population and neighbours hope of a better future.

An irrefutable fact is that Israel has not been able to live in peace with it´s neighbours and has led a policy that has fostered frustration and aggression from the Palestinians. Their "Iron Fist" has been brutal, and their occupation strategy a catastrophy for the Palestinians and in my opinion also for the Israelis. By choosing continuous military and structural aggression every time, the Israelis have estranged themselves from other options. And there are in fact other options, not easy ones, but ranging from accepting the Palestinians as having equal rights to sorting out how a dignified co-existence for both peoples can be realised.