Conflict escalates in Israel

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Hamas and Islamic radicals terrorize the Jewish state in the name of religion

Conflict in the Middle East is nothing new. In fact, turmoil seems indigenous to the entire region. While turmoil is no stranger to the Middle East, this latest outbreak of fighting has escalated to recognition on an international scale.

When the news of an Israeli offensive against Hamas, the militant Islamic fundamentalist group that governs the Gaza Strip, first surfaced, many of those who received the news had similar thoughts on their minds.

Israel and Palestine are always fighting, right? In which direction does the moral balance tip? Does the United States have a role to play in the matter?

First and foremost, I think it is important to decipher what has actually been happening. The outbreaks of violence seem to occur and reoccur in a vicious cycle. The cycle goes something like this: In efforts to push Israel back and gain land, Gaza and its Islamic militant leaders continue their war on the Israeli state, firing missiles across the border into farmland along the edge of the Gaza Strip. In self-defense, Israel retaliates.

Due to the fact that Israel’s defense and weaponry is much stronger than Gaza’s, its attacks inflict more significant damage. The rest of the world takes note of the damage that has occurred and begins to sympathize with Gaza and its Hamas leadership, ignorantly asking what Hamas could have done to deserve such a violent response.

As a result of the large number of casualties, Hamas sees fit to commence another offensive against its Israeli neighbors, and the cycle continues. A firsthand witness best described the current environment in the area.

“In recent years, we’ve been having these kinds of attacks on average every two years,” Maya Nayeh, an Israeli living in a city bordering Gaza, told a USA Today correspondent. “The area is dry like thistles — you just need to throw a match and everything is ablaze.”

After long, and often seemingly pointless, wars across the globe, and especially in the Middle East, the last thing the American people are eagerly waiting to take part in is another war. In fact, I am sure the vast majority of the American people would rather avoid war at all costs.

I do believe that it is important that we, as a nation, do our best in our words and actions to convey the truth of what is really happening. I think that in the most basic response to the problem, we need to stand by Israel and its right to defend itself. It is ridiculous for nations around the world to demand that Israel stand idly by as the anti-Semitic Hamas government attacks them.

While the governments of both nations are caught in the vicious cycle of war and turmoil with no one coming out a clear winner of the conflict, there is a significant group that can be identified as the loser.

“The leaders on both sides will probably each declare victory, while the people on each side do not feel like they are victors at all,” former Israeli Army Colonel Miri Eisin told a Washington Post correspondent.

Unfortunately, in a time of great tension in the Middle East, these comments are all too true. The citizens of both regions are paying the price for the turmoil between the two governments, and paying it with their lives. While an unsteady ceasefire has been established, it does not come without a price. Due to the initial hate-fueled attacks of Hamas and the justifiable response by the Israeli government, in the last two months, well over 2,000 people have lost their lives.

I think it is important that the government and people of the United States work in this time of momentary calm to not only ensure that this number of causalities rises no higher, but also to pledge our full support to a region that has known nothing but turmoil for a long time.

According to Business Insider, the U.S. will be giving Israel $3.15 billion in aid from 2013 to 2018. While our financial support is of great value, the U.S.
government should be an outward and adamant supporter of the Jewish state. A time and chance has come for us to be known not as a nation of war, but as one of love, peace and rebuilding. Now, more than ever, we must remain unwavering in our commitment to Israel.