Violence begets violence as Gaza conflict rages on

WITH reference to “Israel’s ultimate goal the annihilation of Palestinians” April 2, 2024.

I would like to make a few points with regards to the above. After October 7 I have done much searching and reading to try to understand the conflict.

Some salient pieces I have come across include the following; Jews have lived in the land of Israel for nearly 4 000 years going back to the period of the Biblical patriarchs.

The story of Abraham begins when God tells him to leave his homeland and make a new home in the land of Cannan, which was later renamed Israel. So it would seem that Jewish people are not aliens in this piece of the earth.

Jerusalem was never the capital city of any Muslim rulers, nor was it the capital of the Ottomans or the Jordanians. The PLO’s founding document (the National Covenant of 1964) does not mention Jerusalem once.

The Arab/Israeli war of 1948 broke out when 5 Arab nations invaded the territory in the former Palestinian mandate following the announcement of the independence of the state of Israel.

The goal of the Arabs was initially to block the Partition Resolution and to prevent the establishment of the Jewish state. The Jews hoped to gain control over the territory allotted to them under the Partition Plan.

This is how it started … fast forward to 2000 -- the Israeli prime minister, Barak met with the PLO’s Arafat and Bill Clinton. Israel offered a peace proposal addressing all the obstacles, namely, a full sovereign independent state in the West Bank and Gaza, no settlements in Palestine and a split of Jerusalem giving Palestine a capital in east of the city. Arafat walked away…

In 2008, Palestine’s Abbas was offered a deal again by Israel (Olmert) , an independent state for Palestine, no occupation, no settlements and the capital East Jerusalem. Again the PLO refused…

It would seem therefore that the Oslo Accords failed because Palestine wants the river to the sea with no Jewish state. It begs the question , do all Palestinians want this or only the PLO, Hamas and the PIJ ?

During the 50 day war (2014) with Gaza , 4 500 rockets were launched and aimed at Israeli cities.

Air raid sirens sounded many times a day.

People lived in shelters with children traumatised. Israelis who were formerly liberal became hardened right wingers.

There is a memorial in Hebron for an Israeli baby, Shalhevet Pass, who was murdered by a sniper while her father was pushing her pram down a street. When they caught the sniper he confessed he was aiming at the baby. The baby’s father joined a group that planned an act of retribution … violence begets violence.

Any conflict resolution requires compromise on both sides.

At the moment there seems to be no sign of compromise.

ANNE OLVER | Cape Town