Most American officials realize that Israel's struggle with Hamas is inherently different than the U.S. led war on terrorism. Al-Qaeda's disgust for Western culture is principally ideological (they prefer theocratic dictatorships our democratic systems that separate church and state), while Hamas' hatred stems from physical abuses that have taken place during decades of Israeli occupation. What has occurred during this 'occupation' that we always hear about but is rarely understood? First, Palestinians were tortured and stripped of all their basic human rights. Then Israel took away their dignity, destroyed their homes and economy, and usurped their lands.
In essence, present-day Israel has adopted a policy from the 1800's U.S. handbook on how to handle the 'Indian problem,' which parallels Governor Boggs' solution to the 'Mormon problem.' Unfortunately for the Palestinians, there is not a vast western frontier to which they can flee. Therefore, they have done what I hope any patriotic American would do -- defend their nation at all costs.
Sadly, 'at all costs' has retrogressed from conventional military force into the slaughtering of innocent Israeli citizens through suicide bombings. These bombings are deplorable, and there is no good argument to justify them as a legitimate military response. However, this should not prevent us from investigating the motives of people that will strap explosives to themselves to end as many lives as possible just to prove a point. When Al-Qaeda's point was made on 9/11, they made it known that they hate America because of what it stands for democracy and freedom. Hamas, on the other hand, was born as an organization to resist Israeli occupation. The underlying principles behind the waves of suicide bombings are ironically very American to bring freedom and justice to the Palestinian people.
This brings us back to last week's double-talk coming from the Whitehouse. Most administration officials understand the uniqueness of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, but they are hindered to act upon their conscience because of the ignorant American masses that see the Israeli cause and the American cause as one and the same.
Todd Erb
Glendale, Ariz.