Not trusting Israel's government

I got an interesting email from a reader in Cleveland who said he is Jewish and wondered if I could answer some questions. It prompted me to write something which I felt I should share publicly as it reflects the current problems in bringing peace to the Middle East:

I don’t have much confidence in peace any more after the recent Israeli elections. I think we're headed for another painful round of violence and death sand conflict ... I used to think that Israel would really return land for peace and dismantle the settlements but now I know that Israel won't ... they gave up the Gaza because they never wanted it, just like the Sinai. But the West Bank is different and they haven't stopped stealing -- a harsh word but a fact -- stealing land that belongs to Christian and Muslims who are Arab ...

All I have seen is the continued expansion of the settlements throughout, even during the peace process. I always believed that despite this land greed, a peace accord or negotiations would stop it. But deep down, I don't think the Jewish people want to stop the land grab ... there are so few voices pressuring Israel to stop grabbing land and expanding the settlements

So, the only choice left is the one the extremists have been arguing with me on my side about for years ... violence and resistance and conflict is the only way to stop Israel from expanding ... and eventually, the Arabs will win but it will be a scorched Earth scenario that will be terrible for both.

Should it be terrible for only one side, the Arabs, who are argued to turn away from "fighting for what is yours" ... or should it be terrible for both?

I was surprised that Israel would attack the Gaza Strip after Hamas implemented the cease-fire. The facts show Hamas stopped firing rockets in June-Nov. 4, election day in the US. The few rockets fired (15? in the three months) were fired by extremists responding to Israel's killing of their members during that same period in the West Bank.

You know, I don't think most Israelis care to look at facts or really care to see what they are doing. I hate the word apartheid, but I think it may in fact apply to the Israeli policies in the West Bank when it comes to land confiscation, the expulsion of Arabs who are Christian and Muslims from around places like East Jerusalem ... I don't know what else to call it.

And, the Wall, which is built NOT on the Green Line, but rather inside Palestinian lands in the West Bank, surrounded every single water well in the West Bank, is also a part of that land grab, not a means of implementing security. Build it on YOUR land in Israel, on the Green Line. Why won't they? Because deep down Israel is not happy with what they have and compromise is not compromise at all but a stalling mechanism so they can continue to keep the region in "controlled pandemonium" and continue to annex Palestinian lands, expel Christian and Muslim Arabs and do what they have always wanted to do.

Sorry that I can't be more encouraging
Ray Hanania
www.TheMediaOasis.com