On War and Pizza

Well, well. I have two papers due tomorrow, so what better way to procrastinate than write about what's really on my mind...
Everyone I know it seems - right, left, Jewish, Christian, Atheist, Arab, French, Floridian, New Yorker, Hippie, Relatives and Strangers - all seem to want to (a) share their opinion about the war and (b) hear mine.
Well, mine changes from day to day, but why not put today's perspective into words.
I am scared, of course, about the response that I may get from this blog, or - worse yet - that I may down the line regret the very words I wrote. But doing things I might regret letter never stopped me in college, so why start now! Besides, risks have truly led to some of the best experiences of my life. So here goes.

Every day I get new information. Today, Israel was attacked again by three rockets from the north. I am praying that a war doesn't start on the northern front.
And then, on the other side, Israel made some grave decisions that I can't quite understand or place into my way of thinking. Cognitive Dissonance strikes again. Why, for example, did the Israeli Parliament ban 2 Arab parties from running in the next election? (A decision, which the ISRAELI Supreme Court will end up overturning, but still...) It strikes me as blatantly undemocratic, regardless of the inflammatory nature of some of the comments made by Arab ministers in the past few weeks. And why, I might add, is Israel using white phosphorus - a chemical that burns in contact with oxygen and whose use in civilian areas is banned?

That being said, I am supporting this war as a concept. I think Israel had and has a right to defend itself and respond to the thousands rockets that have fallen on us over the past 10 years. I also understand the decision of Hammas to fire qassam/grad rockets on us in response to the siege we've placed on the Palestinians living there. In 1967, when Egypt put a siege on us, we responded with violence. That's what countries do in order to defend themselves...

As far as the war is concerned...it's been a weird feeling for me - to be supportive of a war. The liberal inside me is screaming in confusion, but as I try and read, listen, and think about it from so many ways... well.
Basically I've come to this: Israel completely left Gaza 3 years ago - military and residents pulled out. Since then, Sderot and other southern cities and towns have been under constant threat of rocket fire. Israel has barely if at all responded to these attacks - something I think no other country would do. Even during the 6 month so-called cease fire, Gazan militants fired qassams at Israel. Right after the cease fire ended, we were hit with 70+ rockets in one day!
In a perfect world, we would all be able to sit around and have diplomatic conversations. I so wish it could be that way. But Hamas clearly calls for Israel's destruction - entirely - so what impetus do they have to talk to us? It is easy enough for them to stop the war and the siege. If they are concerned about their people, they can stop attacking us. Period. They'll get more water, supplies, trade, open borders - we could advance talks of statehood. But how can Israel open borders and lower our level of security when Israeli citizens are being attacked: randomly and regularly?
I do believe that the purpose of a government is to keep order and protect its citizens. For many years, the Israeli government has not been doing that for the residents of southern Israel. They have a responsibility to act. That's the way governments work, and sadly, in our current world, violence is the universal language.

Furthermore, I am frustrated, extremely, by the whole world's seeming obsession with this issue. Where is the anger. the interest. the obsession. when it comes to: Georgia? Darfur? Ivory Coast? Chechnya? Congo? Kurdistan?
The numbers here in Israel/Palestine are much less significant, and the situation so complex that even living here it is near-impossible to figure out what to believe. The protests against Israel in Europe seem to be so laced with cruelty, hatred, and a general disdain/regret for Israels very existence. I can understand why people who don't want Israel to exist would also be against this war... but for people with attachments here, I feel that ignoring the qassams amounts to an existential threat for this country.

All this being said - I am sad about the war. I am sad about children dying, about people having no where to go. The lack of supplies. (although we do have a THREE HOUR daily cease-fire to get aid into Gaza during which they continue to launch rockets at Israel)
I want it to end. today, if not so, then tomorrow. but I want the end to mean a real ceasefire. on both sides. My friend Emily put it best: "Everyone just wants to be able to go home at night and order a pizza."
May it be so...