The roots of the Crisis (Palestinian/Israeli)

As I watch the news on the television and read the newspapers I find my self wondering, how people believe what is being reported about he Middle East and the crisis we are now watching unfold. Many republicans believe that the news is biased to the liberal point of view, but when it comes to reporting on the Middle East the word bias does not scratch the surface.

As a believer in the teachings of Christ, I have wondered why news reporters choose to highlight the tragedy of death of the tens of Israelis and barely mention the deaths of 1000+ Lebanese and Palestinian civilians. Our reporters go to the extent of defining the deaths of innocent Lebanese and Palestinian civilians as "collateral damage", or even a "necessary evil". When Israelis are killed it is an act of "terrorism" no mater if they where civilians or soldiers on the attack. As a Christian I find it hard to understand why we value the lives of Israelis above those of the Arabs.

Our media would have us believe that this Crisis was started by a group of Terrorist wanting to over through the mighty Israeli government and dispel the Jews to the sea.

What people certainly do not see is the root cause of the unrest. Justice!

As Americans, we are fond of our rights, our liberties and the fact that justice will be served to those who perpetrate crimes. However in the Middle East, Justice is nowhere to be found. Americans are never told that Palestinians have been suffering at the hands of Israelis since Israeli was founded in 1948 by a United Nations mandate which gave Palestinian lands to Jews who where fleeing from Germany.

The media never talks about the daily humiliation of checkpoints where fathers are made to dance naked in front of Israeli soldiers while their families are watching. The American public does not see the acres of land that are confiscated daily from poor Palestinian farmers to build a 25 foot high concrete prison wall that our media calls a good neighbor fence. Our media does not see the hundreds of Palestinian boys who are rounded up without cause, imprisoned, and interrogated by Israel every day. And Justice is never afforded to the families of Palestinians whom lost their lands, homes and children.

Our media only knows that Hezbollah has broken a UN resolution (1559). On the other hand, they never report on the 47 UN Security Council* resolutions that Israel is currently violating.

Our media never reports on the numerous Lebanese Hostages kidnapped from Lebanon and held for 20 plus years, in Israeli prisons (also a violation of the same UN resolution 1559). Nor do they report on daily low altitude supersonic air space violations that Lebanese have had to endure for the past 30 years.

If the American public ever saw the real story as much of the world sees from their media outlets, they would be horrified from the truth. Jesus never looked down at the unfortunate, the sick or the loathed. He understood the plight of people and so must we try to understand the plight of others.

If the world truly wants peace, we have to start looking at the causes of wars and unrest. We cannot continue to pin the balm on those damn unreasonable Arabs. Our world will never be safe unless we become just in our reporting and in our Policies.

*SC Res. 237 (June 14, 1967): Return of Palestinian inhabitants who fled from their homes.
SC Res. 242 (Nov. 22, 1967): Inadmissibility of the acquisition of territory by war and withdrawal of Israeli forces from
territories occupied in the conflicts.
SC Res. 252 (May 21, 1968): Rescind measures changing legal status of Jerusalem; end expropriation of land and
properties.
SC Res. 267 (July 3, 1969): Rescind measures changing legal status of Jerusalem.
SC Res. 271 (Sept. 15, 1969): Rescind measures on Jerusalem and observe provisions of Geneva Conventions and
international law governing military occupation.
SC Res. 298 (Sept. 25, 1971): Rescind measures on Jerusalem that change the status quo of the city.
SC Res. 338 (Oct. 22, 1973): Implement SC resolution 242 (1967) in all its parts.
SC Res. 368 (April 17, 1975): Israel must implement 242/338.
SC Res. 369 (May 28, 1974): Implement 242/338.
SC Res. 371 (July 24, 1975): Implement 242/338.
SC Res. 378 (Oct. 23, 1975): Implement 242/338.
SC Res. 390 (May 28, 1976): Implement 242/338.
SC Res. 396 (Oct. 22, 1976): Implement 242/338.
SC Res. 398 (Nov. 30, 1976): Implement 242/338.
SC Res. 420 (Nov. 30, 1977): Implement 242/338.
SC Res. 446 (March 22, 1979): Deplores failure of Israel to abide by 237 and 252; end settlement activities in the
occupied territories.
SC Res. 452 (July 20, 1979): End settlement activities in occupied territories including Jerusalem.
SC Res. 462 (March 1, 1980): Dismantle existing settlements.
SC Res. 465 March 22, 1982): Stop constructing settlements and dismantle existing settlements,
SC Res. 468 (May 8, 1980): Stop expulsions.
SC Res. 469 (May 20, 1980): Stop expulsions.
SC Res. 471 (June 5, 1980): Comply with Geneva Conventions; protect Palestinians, Israel must end its occupation of
the West Bank and Gaza.
SC Res. 476 (June 30, 1980): Comply with Geneva Conventions; occupation must end.
SC Res. 478 (Aug. 20, 1980): Declares new basic law for Jerusalem null and void.
SC Res. 484 (Dec.19, 1980): Those expelled must return.
SC Res. 592 (Dec. 8, 1986): Comply with Geneva Conventions.
SC Res. 607 (Jan. 5, 1988): Protect Palestinians.
SC Res. 608 (Jan. 14, 1988): No expulsions.
SC Res. 636 (July 6, 1989): No expulsions.
SC Res. 641 (Aug. 30, 1989): No expulsions.
SC Res. 672 (Oct. 12, 1990): Expresses alarm at killing of 20 Palestinians in Jerusalem; ending UN Mission.
SC Res. 673 (Oct. 24, 1990): Accept UN Mission.
SC Res. 681 (Dec. 20, 1990): Deplores expulsions.
SC Res. 694 (May 24, 1991): Stop expulsions.
SC Res. 726 (Jan. 6, 1992: Comply with Geneva Conventions; stop expulsions.
SC Res. 799 (Dec. 18, 1992): Stop expulsions.
SC Res. 904 (March 18, 1994): Protect Palestinians.
SC Res. 1073 (Sept. 28, 1996): Protect Palestinians.
SC Res. 1081 (Nov. 27, 1996): Implement 242/338.
SC Res. 1265 (Sept. 17, 1999): Implement Hague Conventions and Geneva Conventions.
SC Res. 1322 (Oct. 7, 2000): Condemns excessive force; comply with Geneva Conventions.
SC Res. 1397 (March 12, 2002): Implement Mitchell plan; calls for two-state solution.
SC Res. 1402 (March 30, 2002): Withdraw from Palestinian cities
SC Res. 1403 (April 4, 2002): Implement 1402.
SC Res. 1405 (April 19, 2002): Lift restrictions on Jenin; send fact-finding team.
SC Res. 1435 (Sept. 24, 2002): Withdraw immediately from Palestinian cities.