Sometimes, I will hear something about Israel and a question will pop into my head. I definitely do not know all the facts yet about what is happening today in the Middle-East and a friend of mine said that there is always two sides to a story. She said that if I want to argue for one side and be reasonable and factual with my arguments supporting my side, then I must know the other side's viewpoint and why they believe that they are factual in their arguments supporting their side. This made me step back and go 'hmm.' I did not even think about that. I just listened to my side's facts and not the other. That was very foolish of me, and I know I am not alone. Both sides have people who refused to listen to the other side's story and that is a problem if we are all seeking peace.
Well, one of the questions that popped in my head yesterday was about the truth of the Israeli soldiers at the borders guarding Israel from suicide bomber and snipers. Palestinians are accusing Israeli soldiers to torturing and killing innocent Palestine children around the border. This may be true because the Palestinians are setting up their missile offices in elementary schools or hospitals. I was confused at first why they would put all these innocent children in the danger zone, but soon I realized the truth. They surround themselves with children or the sick/elderly, because if Israel retaliates a missile sent from a kindergarten playground, then children die. This gives the Palestinians to strength to accuse Israel of killing innocent children for no reason. Therefore, Israel is being set up to look bad. This gives them the fuel to gain more Palestine people to hate Israel but it is with false and manipulative ways. Of course, I know war is never fair, but this just baffled me that Palestine would stoop so low as to willingly kill their own children.
During my research on the truth of this issue at the borders, I came across hundreds of articles against Israeli soldiers from people here in America. They do not even know the truth!! They only know what their foreign friends are telling them. Well, I also found a video of an Israeli soldier at the border giving some children some food. The child hugs him and this made me remember that children do not hate until they are taught to hate.
So, the lesson I learned was to always research both sides of the story before you create and opinion. Not everything you read is true or may be a deception of the truth so keep looking until you are completely positive on every angle of the topic. I now understand why the Palestinians hate Israel so much. Israel won land from a war many many years ago and Israel kept expanding, which shortened Palestine land. This, of course, angered them. Well, Israel has offered about 8 different peace treaties/agreements but they refused them all.
Israel is not respected as a state even though it is a democracy just like the United States. When Israel builds walls around their borders to protect their state from bombers, they are criticized; but when the US builds walls separating us from Mexico, it is called our border lines. This is just one example of how Israel is not respected in the Middle-East, and everyone out there wants them gone. This is a scary fact to know.
You can still be pro-Israel AND pro-Palestine. This just means you are pro-Peace! Pray for the peace in the Middle-East.
I apologize for the long post, but it has been awhile since the last post.
Click Here to see the video of the Israeli soldier giving food to the Palestine children.
Thank you,
Ashley J
