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Peace with Israel?

This is not my normal document type but while researching and writing “Crescent

Moon Rising” I have earnestly tried to understand at least the basic issuesthwarting peace involving those nations, religious leaders, groups and major

subgroups in the Mid-East. Yes, even the terrorist groups, which I define as those

who would settle for nothing less than the destruction of their enemy/enemies,religious or political. The reasoning and thoughts herein are mine alone and I take

no sides in the issues discussed.

I learned many, many things I had not known or thought about but I wassurprised when I tried to find common ground between the various peoples. I

began by asking what 3 things each grouping wanted most. What did Hamas

want? Hezbollah? The majority of Gaza's population? The Palestinian majority inthe West Bank? Their leaders? Where does the Israeli/Palestinian power sharing

stand in the West Bank? The Israeli West Bank and East Jerusalem settlers.. themilitant ones also? The Palestinians in Jordan and scattered elsewhere? Syria and

Iran? The people of Lebanon? Does Iraq have the time or energy to get involved?

Egypt, Turkey and Saudi Arabia, with all their behind-the-scenes activities. Andyes, what does the Israeli government want? The people of Israel: Jew, Muslim

and Christian? I saved for last, what does Great Britain want? What would theywant if almost 13,000 rockets and mortar shells had been launched, in the last 8

years, into southern England, about 70 kilometers south of London?

What did I find? I found Pride vs Pride; Anger and Revenge vs Anger and

Revenge; Hate vs Hate; Fear vs Fear; This is My Land vs This is My Land; I WantYou Gone (or dead) vs I Want You to Go Away (or die); I'm Oppressed vs I'm

Threatened; I Want to be the Major Power vs I Must Remain the Major Power;Rigidness and Militancy Confused with Religious Teaching vs Rigidness and

Militancy Confused with Religious Teaching; Pressures from the Outside vs

Pressures from the Outside and on and on, a maze of confusion where no one canfind the exit or even determine if one exists.

What did I not find? Actually one missing question rose to my mind above all the

confusion. Where are the 'Compelling Reasons' for the Palestinians and the

Israelis to seek peace? That is one (possibly THE one) of the overriding situationsof the region. Peace between them is a lever, from which a force of clarification

affecting many of the other issues could and should bring regional peace withIsrael much closer. Each side must have at least one 'Compelling Reason' to reach

a real, lasting peaceful accord. If only one side has a 'Compelling Reason', we

have a surrender. A fuming, distasteful, eventually unacceptable surrender whichwill later erupt in more violence, perhaps even stronger than before. If neither

the Palestinians nor the Israelis have a 'Compelling Reason', no peace process,plan, enumeration or design whether peaceful or violent can possibly succeed.

Why should it? There is no 'Compelling Reason' to even seriously consider it.

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That led me to two more questions. First, is it possible for Israel and/or thePalestinians to step back and find or recognize a 'Compelling Reason' to entertain

a real peace with all the outside pressures each is under? Second, is it possible

for the outside pressures to be withdrawn or at least severely curtailed and whatwould that entail? I know, that is two questions in one. Well, here are two more

questions that help answer the First and Second questions. Will Iran withdraw it's

support and pressures regarding Hamas and Hezbollah? Will the United Stateswithdraw it's support and pressures regarding Israel? Please note I did not

mention or in any way mean the withdrawal of defense for Hamas, Hezbollah orIsrael. If you need more to reach a conclusion on either First or Second question;

is it possible for the rest of the world to withdraw the pressures of their vestedinterests? Is it possible to give both the Palestinians and the Israelis some room

to find a clear breath and thoughts cleared of clutter?

Short of locking X number of Palestinians and X number of Israelis in a single

room and not opening the door until they either agree to a lasting peace or theyall die still adamant and the World realizes that nothing, absolutely nothing, can

resolve this situation in the foreseeable future; the search for the 'Compelling

Reasons' will have to be left to future generations. And the violence and thehatreds and all the rest of the maze of confusion has to to continue.. and the

children and the young just beginning their lives will continue to die. Let us allpray for the 'Compelling Reasons' to appear and soon.