Where Does It All End?

If you thought things were bad in Gaza and Israel before, you ain't seen nothin' yet. On this, the thirteenth day of bombing of Gaza, the missiles continue to fly into Israel as well. And everyone, on both sides of the border, suffers. It has all gone from tragic to ridiculously painful to watch. Not only has Israel entered on the ground, seeking out Hamas strongholds and wiping them out, but today Lebanese Hezbollah has even gotten into the game, dropping bombs on northern Israel.

The potential for more escalation, destruction and death is increasing, and no one wants to talk. OK, the U.N. was given a three-hour window to deliver food and emergency supplies into Gaza. Three hours??? Ya gotta be kiddin' me.

Today, Israel fired mortars back into Lebanon, and the U.N. stopped its deliveries of food into Gaza because one of its truck drivers was killed in a bombing. As a friend once told me of his cancerous condition, "Man, this has really gotten out of hand."

What we've got here is a chicken and egg conundrum - a finger-pointing blame game without an end in sight. Hamas, Gaza's democratically elected government refuses Israel's right to exist and is deemed a terrorist organization. Israel is threatened and places a siege on Gaza to keep those threats from building and entering Israel. Everyone refuses to talk to Hamas, even though the Palestinians in Gaza suffer in abject poverty, and so Hamas shoot missiles Israel's way.

The Israelis won't lift the siege of Gaza that's been going on for many months. So, Hamas shoots more missiles over the border towards Israeli towns out of anger and spite. They say they won't stop bombing Israel until Israel lifts the siege, but Israel won't lift the siege until the missiles stop. And 'round and 'round it went until Israel got fed up thirteen days ago.

Voices have been raised around the world in protest from both sides - today in Philadelphia, for example, a pro-Israel demonstration took place in Center City. Over the past few days, anti-Israel demonstrations had occurred. Today, both sets of voices exchanged heated, verbal slogans. It all took place in, of all places, Love Park...

As I wrote several days ago, this is going to be a difficult and challenging situation for Barack Obama to resolve. George Bush has left him all kinds of 'gifts' to handle after January 20th, including this incredible mess in Gaza.

Tom Friedman emphasized in the New York Times that "Obama has to keep his eye on the prize. His goal — America’s goal — has to be a settlement in Gaza that eliminates the threat of Hamas rockets and opens Gaza economically to the world, under credible international supervision." Once this is all over and a treaty is signed, sealed and delivered, it's a win-win outcome - no rockets on Israel with the right to exist and trade and economic prosperity for Gaza. People see what needs to be done, but no one is doing it. They are literally shooting one another in the foot.

What dumbfounds naive little me is that the only way that this violence will be resolved is through negotiations. There must come a time when Israel and Hamas sit down and hammer out a formal, verifiable treaty. Unfortunately, due to anger, revenge, ego and political expediency such a dialogue may not happen for quite some time.

Nonetheless, there is progress that could be made right here at home. Voices from both sides must learn two things: first, that protest is important, but it won't end this war, and second, their own voices must not remove the humanity from one another lest there remain long-term bitterness.

Where does it all end? Instead of hurling ugly slogans and threats at one another, American Jews, Muslims and Arab Americans must learn to dialogue civilly among themselves. As Hesham Hassaballa stated, this is comprised of neither cushy compliments that only stroke the ego nor vindictive terminology that cuts and wounds. It is rather a "middle way" that elevates commonalities and historic bonds.

If such a path can be blazed here in America by those individuals of courage and good will, then perhaps one day far away from now, when a solid, long lasting treaty is finally forged between Israel and Hamas, all parties involved will find they have something uplifting and meaningful to celebrate: Peace.
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