Israeli government is in a quandary. It does not know how to react to the recent Palestinian suicide attack in Tel Aviv. The confusion on the part of Sharon has eroded Jewish confidence in him. The Tel Aviv suicide bomber has, in fact, exposed the inability of the Israeli government to protect its citizens against the sporadic outburst of a suppressed people’s desire for freedom. The blast also proved the inefficacy of a policy of might, repression and stark violation of human rights.
Sharon boasted that he would provide Israelis with total security. But despite all the advanced weaponry and the military might, the Israeli citizens live under the shadow of terror.
Cashing on the feeling of insecurity and fear among Jewish people, politicians always put security at the top of their agenda. Sharon’s policy of terrorizing Palestinian civilians, nevertheless, has convinced Israelis that a strategy based on unbridled repression and blood bath only endanger their security.
In a matter of months Sharon converted Palestine into an inferno killing hundreds of unarmed men, particularly children, pulled down homes, destroyed farms, polluted water sources and killed Palestinian security officials. Israel attacked the defenseless Palestinians with advanced US-made warplanes F16. All the death-spawning weapons of Jews could not deter the determination of the Palestinian people to fight for their basic rights.
What else did Sharon expect, or what did the people who voted him to power expect? The only thing Sharon could do for his people was to bring more death and add to Israelis fear of who would be the next victim of fearless warriors from the Palestinians.
Sharon had no answer to an Israeli woman who lost her son when she asked Sharon, during a visit to Aufra settlement close to Ramalla, in the company of top Israeli military commanders: “You promised us security. Now I have lost my son and two months ago my husband, what did you do to defend us?”
Sharon’s failure to bring peace by using force signals his imminent ouster from power. The press has already started expressing the Israeli’s discontent.
Deputy Speaker of the Knesset Naus Hezan wrote recently in Jerusalem Post that if Sharon couldn’t rule let him leave the job to others. Ha’artz wrote: “You cannot run away from the fact that settlers’ life has become extremely dangerous. Most of them do not know if they will return safe if they stepped out of their homes.”
In an article in Maariv, David Gold wrote: “The drawn-out war drains our power and weakens our determination. We are frustrated because we have been after the mirage of safety, and we are angry because our leaders promised us an end to the war and outside threats but all have now been proved to be false hopes.”
I would like to point out to the people of Israel that the history has proved again and again that no occupation force can dominate a people all the time and the suppressed people have finally won. Sharon will not remain in power for long and he will fall a victim to his own terrorist strategies.
Every man has the right to live in peace and with freedom. Israeli citizens, if they want to live peacefully and enjoy freedom, should grant the same rights to others and let them live in peace and with freedom.
They should also realize that the concept of the Promised Land is just a myth, the land of Palestine does not belong to Jews, it is the land of Arabs. If the Jews want to live there they should not deny others’ right for the same. The reality has always been bitter. Creation of an independent sovereign Palestinian state is the only guarantee for the safety and security for Israelis. Violence will only breed violence.
