Hassan al-Banna, founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, announced in 1948 that "If the Jewish State becomes a fact, [the Arabs] will drive the Jews who live in their midst into the sea."
Today, 60 years after the creation of Israel, there are still many Arab leaders who strongly object to its existence and are determined to destroy the Jewish State.
The Arab-Israeli war started as a result of the Arab resistance to the United Nations's decision to create a Jewish state and an Arab state in the holy land. Arab leaders rejected every plan that Great Britain and the United Nations offered to divide Palestine into two states (mind you, at the time, the term Palestine was merely a geographical reference; there was no Palestinian nation or country, and the land didn't belong to Arabs living in the region).
It seemed as if the battle of Arabs was based not on building an independent Arab state, but rather on preventing the creation of a Jewish state. After all, in the 1,400 years between the time Arabs started to populate Palestine and the establishment of a Jewish state, Arabs made no attempt to earn independence.
But immediately after the declaration of Israel's independence, this newborn country was attacked from all directions.
Since then, Israel has been fighting for its right to exist and for the safety of its citizens, including not only Jewish settlers and new Jewish immigrants, but all Christians, Arabs and Druze who lived and wanted to continue to live in the region. Israel granted them citizenship, and they enjoy religious and political freedom, unlike Palestinians living in Gaza under the control of Hamas.
This corrupt government uses human shields, launches rockets from the midst of the population and uses private homes, schools and hospitals to hide explosives and other weapons.
I am often confronted by the counterargument of the Israeli occupation and the oppression of the Palestinian people. This just brings me back to 1978 and the Camp David Accords, when the Egyptians promised to leave the Suez Canal open for Israeli ships. Israel returned the Sinai peninsula and a peace treaty was signed by both nations. In 2005, Israel gave away Gaza strip, and the following day rockets were launched at the southern Israeli town Sderot.
Now, after eight years of constant terrorism directed at Israeli civilians, during which more than 1,000 were killed and more than 7,000 injured, the Jewish state says, "Enough is enough!"
The real difference between the Israeli government and Hamas is that Israel doesn't intend to kill civilians. Hamas, on the other hand, targets Israeli citizens and does everything possible to increase the numbers of casualties on its side, so they can point their fingers and blame Israel for its cruelty.
People apparently forget that in order for the "human shield tactic" to work, one nation must be dealing with a humanitarian enemy who cares about the lives of citizens on both sides. Otherwise, Israel would have wiped Palestine off the face of the earth - precisely what Hamas wants to do to Israel.
I am not blind to the pain and suffering of the Palestinians in Gaza. As an Israeli who lived in the region for 17 years, I understand the horrible consequences this conflict has upon their lives. I have family and friends living near the border. I grieve for the hundreds of thousands children and innocent citizens who have lost their lives in this war.
I truly want peace between the two nations, but this will not be possible without a responsible government in Palestine. All of you who call to liberate Palestine, I call with you, "Liberate Palestine from Hamas!"
Bella Yashayev Issue date: 1/20/09 La Voz, De Anza.
