Ray Buursma: The choice belongs to Israel
A week ago, terrorists/freedom fighters (the term you pick depends on the side you support) launched deadly attacks against Israel. Israel was punched in the gut and is trying to recover. As of this writing, Israel’s government is still knitting a reaction. The government has already declared war on Hamas, a fruitless endeavor since Hamas is an organization, not a state. Israel will do much like America did against Al Qaeda — hunt the perpetrators of the attack. But victory will be unmeasurable when the opponent is a ghost. By the time of this column’s publication, further repercussions will probably be unfolding.
But Israel’s tit-for-tat really doesn’t matter. Not much anyway, for that’s what history demonstrates. Let’s examine the past.
England vs. Ireland. England vs. Scotland. Britain vs. Ireland. The Netherlands vs. Suriname. Spain vs. Mexico. The USA vs. Indians. France vs. IndoChina. The USA vs. Vietnam. South African whites vs. South African Blacks. The USSR vs. Afghanistan. The USA vs. Afghanistan. The USA vs. Iraq. Add a hundred more of these examples. They all involve a powerful nation or government subjugating a weaker land and its weaker people, or trying to do so.
Once in a great while, subjugation works. On such occasions, genocide is the goal, even when unofficial and unwritten, such as between America’s government of the 1800s and Native Americans.
Genocidal subjugation usually happens when the ratio of oppressors to oppressed is high, or when the oppressed are considered subhuman, such as the Jews were in Nazi Germany.
Most of the time, however, subjugation fails, eventually, for one of three reasons — either the powerful tire of the uprisings constantly inflicted upon them by the subjugated, or the powerful tire of the political ramifications wrought by other nations, or the powerful succumb to their consciences after continued ill treatment of the oppressed.
Israel is and will be no different.
For years Israel has used its strength to crush those it controls, take their land, and strengthen its position at the expense of those it subjugates. It controls Palestinian ports, entrances and exits into Palestinian territories, and most facets of Palestinian life. It bulldozes Palestinian homes at will, confiscates land in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, and builds settlements to solidify its claims to the confiscations.
Palestinians and others opposing Israel are no angels. They, too, have perpetrated horrible offenses against their subjugators.
Debates of atrocities and injustices will go on forever. So will debate concerning first cause for starting the violence. The Israelis did Z because the Palestinians did Y who reacted to action X after action W was inflicted.
Ultimately, all the wars and acts of subjugation can be traced to Israel’s origin as a modern nation, an action orchestrated by Britain which had conquered and then controlled Palestine. Look on a map and see what logical claim Britain had to create a new country. Buy that is neither here nor there. Both sides will point fingers at the other. The accusations and blame game will never end.
But the lessons of history teach us this. Even though Israel has greater power, it is destined to continue the same fate it has experienced for more than half a century. The Palestinians will rise up and strike whenever and wherever they can.
We know this because we’ve witnessed it time and again throughout history. Barring annihilation, the oppressed will battle the oppressor. They always do. When put under the boot, sooner or later they wriggle free and bite.
There are only two ways to end such madness. The least common is for the subjugated to prevail. Such revolutions seldom occur, but they do happen from time to time. America’s and Mexico’s revolutions are examples.
The second is for the powerful to institute justice and right the wrongs it imposed on the weaker. That is difficult, but we’ve witnessed it in South Africa’s apartheid situation, America’s push to end segregation and discrimination, the end of colonialism, and the end of military occupations. The greatest difficulty to accomplish this end is pride, for no nation or leader wants to be perceived as weak.
But know this. The Palestinians and their allies will fight however they can. They will die by the thousands, but they will take scores or even hundreds of Israelis with them. This scenario will continue until justice prevails.
The choice will be Israel’s to make.
— Community Columnist Ray Buursma is a resident of Holland. Contact him at writetoraybuursma@gmail.com.
This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: Ray Buursma: The choice belongs to Israel
