SOME PALESTINIANS seem content to sacrifice their children for a political cause. In a twisted irony, many are willing to have their children fall as martyrs in order to achieve a lasting Palestinian state. The expediency with which these Palestinians treat their children as weapons is an example of some of the most appalling and disturbing behavior in the world today.
On July 8, an 11-year-old Palestinian boy was shot dead by Israeli soldiers. Palestinian leaders expressed their usual outrage and condemned Israel. Abdel Razek Majaidie, head of Palestinian security in Gaza, characterized the incident as "another crime" committed by Israel. The boy was killed and two other young boys were injured when Israeli troops fired into the Raffah refugee camp in Gaza. Once again, it seemed the Israelis were attacking innocent Palestinians, and children no less.
This is what the Palestinian Liberation Organization would want onlookers to believe. Unfortunately, they are not as candid about the fact that protestors had been throwing grenades and firebombs at the Israeli military post bordering the refuge camp throughout the day, as was reported by CNN.com. The boy that was killed was completely innocent, as were his two friends who were injured. The death of such a young child is a tragedy. Israel must be much more careful in its retaliatory actions if it wants to convince the world of its supposed non-aggressive intentions.
Despite the hatred between the Israelis and Palestinians, it seems unfathomable that Israeli soldiers would shoot innocent children on purpose. But they did, and Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon should look into the issue and find out who was at fault.
The Palestinian position is far murkier. What was going through the mind of the Palestinian protestors who were shooting at Israeli soldiers? The reaction of the Israelis was perfectly reasonable and would be accepted in a similar situation in the United States. If a group of people shot at police officers or army personnel, they would be fired back upon. Did the Palestinians really think that nothing would happen if they attacked an Israeli army post? They should have anticipated that their actions would be reciprocated.
The attitude of many Palestinians has been that Israel is the aggressor and that Palestinians must fight back to preserve their territory and independence. It appears Palestinians believe that any attacks that they commit simply are a reaction to past Israeli aggression, and that nothing but violence can be used as the catalyst to a lasting and just peace. While there may be many things wrong with this line of thinking, such as the perpetual circle of violence that results, it has been a method used time and time again by self-described revolutionaries.
Palestinian children often are thrown unwittingly into this conflict. No one in the refugee camp cared about the lives of these children. If they did, then they would have refrained from firing at the Israelis, since it would be sure to lead to a reaction. Also, the children killed and injured were outside playing. If there were some urgent issue that caused the Palestinian aggression, why were the children allowed to be in the line of fire?
Many Palestinian children have been killed in far less innocent ways than the ones in the refugee camp. According to a U.S. News and World Report piece from Nov. 11, Palestinian authorities typically get teen-age boys to throw stones at Israeli troops during protest. The Israeli army, admittedly not the most understanding or patient in the world, sometimes fires back at the protestors. These teens are then made to be martyrs. The Palestinians then release a statement charging that the Israeli will pay for this, and the cycle of violence continues. But what about the children?
What type of parent would let his child risk his own life? Some parents are wary about their children dating. Palestinian parents are allowing their children to be sacrificed for the greater good of the people.
We should also take notice that, in most cases, it is the children of poor Palestinians who are sacrificed. The Palestinian leaders who are calling the shots are protective of their children. They allow peasants to give up theirs, CNN.com reported.
Why are these children throwing stones rather than going to school? The Palestinian leader who finally achieves peace in the region is likely to be an educated diplomat, not an illiterate one who started out as a protestor throwing stones and rose through the ranks.
Both Israel and Palestine are at fault in at least some way for these events, which routinely occur in the Middle East. But children are children, no matter what ethnicity they are or what their parents believe in. If the fighting must continue, which it need not, leave the children out of it.
(Harris Freier is a Cavalier Daily columnist. He can be reached at hfreier@cavalierdaily.com.)
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