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RSS FeedShould Israel allow Gazans, fleeing Hamas rule, passage to sanctuary in the West Bank?
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Add to FavoritesOf course, endangered persons seeking to escape tyranny, discrimination and potential violence in the Gaza should be permitted safe passage to the West Bank in cooperation with authorities. Political asylum is a time-honored tradition of enlightened and free societies, so why wouldn't Israel want to have that type of story to tell the west about its commitment to the safety and welfare of Palestinians.
Israel is long over due in recognizing that it has an inherent responsibility also to protect the lives of Palestinians. That is required by the Charter of the UN, the International Declaration of Human Rights, International Law and also the spirit of the Bible. It is high time for Israel to start setting the example in deciding to value human life and offer safe haven, wherever practical. To do otherwise only tends to deepen the doubts among many in the west and elsewhere that Israel only cares about itself. It would be a sign of maturity for Israel to start taking principled stands in support of human rights for all.
The real issue, however, is the potential for de facto separate Palestinian states in Gaza and the West Bank, due to Hamas and Fatah, respectively being in the majority of those areas. It would be most unfortunate for cooperation between the two areas and the two parties to be compromised. Theoretically at least, all Hamas and all Fatah are Palestinians first and members of a political party second. However, the differences have been permitted to become all that matters. This can only be due to insufficient religiosity of many Palestinian leaders.
The trip to Mecca for the creation of a "Unity" government seems to be a distant memory. Much has happened since then, yet how can Muslims who pray 5 times a day in that direction allow themselves to be so misguided? Too often hotheads prevail and sacrifice the welfare of the people for political gain, no matter how short-sighted. Some day, I do believe that there will be far sighted leaders among Hamas to join those among Fatah. However, that is for the Palestinians to decide. Let's pray it happens sooner than later.
Learn more about this author, Robert C. Sage.
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The question should not be whether Israel should allow passage to the west bank, but should Israel allow passage through Israel.
Remembering that the people who elected Hamas elected a group that wanted the destruction of Israel, would it be wise to give these people passage through Israel?.......
For some strange oversight, people tend to forget Egypt's role and responsibility of and for all of this.....The Gaza was taken / won from the Egyptians and nobody else, but unfortunately modern day media tends not to remember this.
If anything, the Egyptians should allow the Gazans into Egypt and support them.
Why would anyone really consider they should go to the west bank?..the Gazans are not from the west bank nor is the west bank governed by the same authority .
If there is an argument for the Gazans to go to the west bank, then surely there is also the argument for them to be allowed free and peaceful existence in a further 70% of British mandated Palestine IE Jordan...but of course they would not want to go there as unlike the Israelis they do not have a western based conscious and would not think twice about killing them all...just like the present kings father did not so long ago...but obviously too long ago for the west to remember.
However hard it might seem, they should not be allowed through Israel.....do we really want to see another spread of Hamas/fatah fighting in the west bank also?...if this was to happen the scale of the fighting would be unprecedented. Israel would have to get involved due to the number of Jews living there which would further escalate the tension in the region.
Learn more about this author, Ayal Hayes.
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