legacy of hate
the middle east story
from 
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JoeUser Forums
The area termed as the Middle East is located on the crossroad of the trade routes between Asia, Europe and Africa and hence was of great economic, political and strategic significance. Within this region lies a stretch of land surrounded by Lebanon and Syria in the north, Jordan in the east, Egypt in the south and by the Mediterranean sea in the west: an area called the Holy Land. This area is of great religious significance to Jews, Muslims and Christians alike. During the latter half of the last century this region which is claimed by both the Israelis and the Palestinians has been the center of violence and bloodshed that continues till today. Let us take a brief look at the history of this region .
The Israelites were one of the earliest people to migrate to this region.The Baylonian Empire under Nebuchadnezzer conquered the Kingdom of Judah in 597 – 586 BC, and deported the middle and upper classes of the Jews to Babylonia , where they flourished. Decades later, the Jews in Babylonia were permitted to return to Israel. Their return reinforced the Jewish population which soon regained dominence of Israel and expanded significantly. In 539 BC the Babylonians were annexed by the Persians who in turn were driven out by Alexander the great. The Romans swept into the region in 63 AD. Under them the region was a hotbed of revolts which eventually led to the sacking of the city of Jerusalem after which the jews migrated and settled in Egypt, the Roman empire and in other parts of the Hellenistic world.
In the post biblical time this region changed hands several more times , at first it became a part of the Byzantine empire and in course of time became the aquisition of the first Islamic Caliphate. From then on till 1948 the region was under Islamic influence and under the administration of regional powers.
In 1071 the Seljuk Turks defeated the Byzantine army in the battle of Manzekert and gained control over a large part of West Asia which included Asia Minor and Palestine.
What followed was a period of violent bloodshed in the name of defending relegion and was termed as ‘The Crusades’ which swept into the Levant between 1095 to 1271. In course of the First Crusade the crusaders invaded the Levant sacking cities, killing,plundering,looting and raping on the way to Jerusalem where they indulged in a mass slaughter of Muslims and Jews. The Crusades serve as a classic example of how a group of Political and Relegious Elite could used relegious fervour of an illitrate and semi literate population to achieve their economic and political aims. The Crusades also had a deep impact on the perception of Christianity by the Muslims in the region which continues to a great extent to this day. The cross which was the most recognizable emblem of the Crusaders is to the Christians a symbol of love , sacrifice and salvation , but to the people inhabiting the region it became quite understandably an object of hate. These memories along with feelings of injustice and subordination generated by the American influence in the region has led to rise of anger and unrest amoung the people. Orthodox and fundamenalist elements of Islam with their ideas of violent agitation have thus gained a lot of popularity here. This is one of the root cause for the rise of terrorism in the region which the American government ,who have a direct or indirect role in most of the political and ecomonic problems and unrest in Asia , Africa and South America, are now carrying out a war against.
The Second World War saw the horrific extermination of millions of Jews at the hands of the Nazis. After the war the idea of the independent state for the Jews gained popularity.The creation of the State of Israel in the region in May 14,1948 with the end of the British Mandate was preceded by more than 50 years of efforts by Zionist leaders to establish a sovereign nation as a homeland for Jews. The State of Israel was created at the cost of the people who occupied the region for centuries and were now forced out of major parts of it. Angered by this the Syrian , Egyptian and Iraqi forces attacked Israel but were defeated due to the massive military support provided to Israel by the United States.The war created a large population of Palestinian Arab refugees who fled to the camps which were setup by the UN in neighbouring Arab states. With the exception of Jordan, the Arab countries generally refused to allow the Palestinians to settle outside the camps or to be granted citizenship. As a result, the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians continued to fester.
In 1967 Syria, Jordan and Egypt began to mass their troops on the Israeli border. Israel anticipating an assault struck first, taking the Arabs by surprise. In the six day war that followed Israel defeated the coalition and took control of the West Bank, the Sinai Peninsula, the Gaza strip and the Golan Heights. The Palestinians were now restricted to minuscule parts of their own country. This lead to increase of Palestinian resistance which gained structure under the PLO (Palestinian Liberation Organization) which was founded with the aim to create a Palestinian state. They began to use assassinations and terror strikes which led to counter strikes by Israel which were equally brutal. This violence and killing continued through the next two decades until the late 1980’s where the violence scaled new heights with the launch of the Intifada ( uprising) by the Palestinians. This campaign used mass demonstrations , riots, civil disobedience and terror tactics to stop the continuing occupation by Israel in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Israel on the other hand began to strike back with deadly force with its army often resorting to brutal tactics. Thousands were killed most of whom were Palestinians. The early 1990s’ saw a ray of hope for peace with the Oslo peace accord which resulted in the Declaration of principles which set the stage for the gradual transfer of power to the Palestinians. But the assassination of Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, a man dedicated to the peace process, by a right wing Jewish student who was opposed to the peace process marked beginning of decline of attempts for peace in the region. Prime Minister Netanyahu claimed to continue the implementation of the Oslo accord but his Prime Ministership saw a marked decline in the peace process. This situation persisted under the leadership of future prime ministers until it hit a new low with the election of Ariel Sharon who has strong right wing leanings.
Today the people in this region both Jews and Palestinians alike are sick of the violence and bloodshed and are living in perpetual fear of one another. The people in the Jewish settlements live in constant fear of terrorist strikes. The Palestinian youth are understandably outraged by their condition in their own country and their own helplessness . Seeing no means to take on a powerful oppressor they use themselves as weapons of destruction. The Israeli army has also intensified its offensive often resorting to brutal tactics. Whichever the case , it is the common people both in both Israel and Palestine who are being killed even as we read this .
About fifty-five years have passed since the beginning of this struggle and as we take stock of the situation we realize that very little has been achieved towards peace and reconciliation. Efforts have to made on both sides , especially by the Israelis , if lasting peace is to be achieved .I hate to be a pessimist but by the stance of adopted by the leadership of both sides peaceful co-existence does not seem possible in the near future.
My only prayer is Insha Allah and Lord willing ,this madness may end and both Arabs and Jews live in peace and harmony.
The Israelites were one of the earliest people to migrate to this region.The Baylonian Empire under Nebuchadnezzer conquered the Kingdom of Judah in 597 – 586 BC, and deported the middle and upper classes of the Jews to Babylonia , where they flourished. Decades later, the Jews in Babylonia were permitted to return to Israel. Their return reinforced the Jewish population which soon regained dominence of Israel and expanded significantly. In 539 BC the Babylonians were annexed by the Persians who in turn were driven out by Alexander the great. The Romans swept into the region in 63 AD. Under them the region was a hotbed of revolts which eventually led to the sacking of the city of Jerusalem after which the jews migrated and settled in Egypt, the Roman empire and in other parts of the Hellenistic world.
In the post biblical time this region changed hands several more times , at first it became a part of the Byzantine empire and in course of time became the aquisition of the first Islamic Caliphate. From then on till 1948 the region was under Islamic influence and under the administration of regional powers.
In 1071 the Seljuk Turks defeated the Byzantine army in the battle of Manzekert and gained control over a large part of West Asia which included Asia Minor and Palestine.
What followed was a period of violent bloodshed in the name of defending relegion and was termed as ‘The Crusades’ which swept into the Levant between 1095 to 1271. In course of the First Crusade the crusaders invaded the Levant sacking cities, killing,plundering,looting and raping on the way to Jerusalem where they indulged in a mass slaughter of Muslims and Jews. The Crusades serve as a classic example of how a group of Political and Relegious Elite could used relegious fervour of an illitrate and semi literate population to achieve their economic and political aims. The Crusades also had a deep impact on the perception of Christianity by the Muslims in the region which continues to a great extent to this day. The cross which was the most recognizable emblem of the Crusaders is to the Christians a symbol of love , sacrifice and salvation , but to the people inhabiting the region it became quite understandably an object of hate. These memories along with feelings of injustice and subordination generated by the American influence in the region has led to rise of anger and unrest amoung the people. Orthodox and fundamenalist elements of Islam with their ideas of violent agitation have thus gained a lot of popularity here. This is one of the root cause for the rise of terrorism in the region which the American government ,who have a direct or indirect role in most of the political and ecomonic problems and unrest in Asia , Africa and South America, are now carrying out a war against.
The Second World War saw the horrific extermination of millions of Jews at the hands of the Nazis. After the war the idea of the independent state for the Jews gained popularity.The creation of the State of Israel in the region in May 14,1948 with the end of the British Mandate was preceded by more than 50 years of efforts by Zionist leaders to establish a sovereign nation as a homeland for Jews. The State of Israel was created at the cost of the people who occupied the region for centuries and were now forced out of major parts of it. Angered by this the Syrian , Egyptian and Iraqi forces attacked Israel but were defeated due to the massive military support provided to Israel by the United States.The war created a large population of Palestinian Arab refugees who fled to the camps which were setup by the UN in neighbouring Arab states. With the exception of Jordan, the Arab countries generally refused to allow the Palestinians to settle outside the camps or to be granted citizenship. As a result, the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians continued to fester.
In 1967 Syria, Jordan and Egypt began to mass their troops on the Israeli border. Israel anticipating an assault struck first, taking the Arabs by surprise. In the six day war that followed Israel defeated the coalition and took control of the West Bank, the Sinai Peninsula, the Gaza strip and the Golan Heights. The Palestinians were now restricted to minuscule parts of their own country. This lead to increase of Palestinian resistance which gained structure under the PLO (Palestinian Liberation Organization) which was founded with the aim to create a Palestinian state. They began to use assassinations and terror strikes which led to counter strikes by Israel which were equally brutal. This violence and killing continued through the next two decades until the late 1980’s where the violence scaled new heights with the launch of the Intifada ( uprising) by the Palestinians. This campaign used mass demonstrations , riots, civil disobedience and terror tactics to stop the continuing occupation by Israel in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Israel on the other hand began to strike back with deadly force with its army often resorting to brutal tactics. Thousands were killed most of whom were Palestinians. The early 1990s’ saw a ray of hope for peace with the Oslo peace accord which resulted in the Declaration of principles which set the stage for the gradual transfer of power to the Palestinians. But the assassination of Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, a man dedicated to the peace process, by a right wing Jewish student who was opposed to the peace process marked beginning of decline of attempts for peace in the region. Prime Minister Netanyahu claimed to continue the implementation of the Oslo accord but his Prime Ministership saw a marked decline in the peace process. This situation persisted under the leadership of future prime ministers until it hit a new low with the election of Ariel Sharon who has strong right wing leanings.
Today the people in this region both Jews and Palestinians alike are sick of the violence and bloodshed and are living in perpetual fear of one another. The people in the Jewish settlements live in constant fear of terrorist strikes. The Palestinian youth are understandably outraged by their condition in their own country and their own helplessness . Seeing no means to take on a powerful oppressor they use themselves as weapons of destruction. The Israeli army has also intensified its offensive often resorting to brutal tactics. Whichever the case , it is the common people both in both Israel and Palestine who are being killed even as we read this .
About fifty-five years have passed since the beginning of this struggle and as we take stock of the situation we realize that very little has been achieved towards peace and reconciliation. Efforts have to made on both sides , especially by the Israelis , if lasting peace is to be achieved .I hate to be a pessimist but by the stance of adopted by the leadership of both sides peaceful co-existence does not seem possible in the near future.
My only prayer is Insha Allah and Lord willing ,this madness may end and both Arabs and Jews live in peace and harmony.