The South African Civil Society Information Service

All Adults Can and Must Practice Max Self-Restraint

>>"On 28 July 2014, Defence for Children International Palestine reported that the death toll for the children in Gaza was 200 and rising. However, in the past day or two, the world received news that Israel had bombed a United Nations school in Gaza killing 15 people, mostly women and children."

I think that fear, anger and hatred drives this never-ending conflict in Israel.

Armed attacks on civilians can never be condoned no matter who the perpetrators or what their motivations are. Choosing violence and counter-violence or armed retaliation is a conscious decision with serious consequences, after the fact, for all parties.

"Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms-to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one's own way."
--Dr Viktor E. Frankl, Man's Search for Meaning

The international community has a responsibility to stop and punish the brutal murder.

"Israel is currently attacking a population of 1.8 million that has no army, no navy, no air force, no mechanized military units, no command and control and no heavy artillery. Israel pretends that this indiscriminate slaughter is a war. But only the most self-deluded supporter of Israel is fooled. The rockets fired at Israel by Hamas—which is committing a war crime by launching those missiles against the Israeli population—are not remotely comparable to the 1,000-pound iron fragmentation bombs that have been dropped in large numbers on crowded Palestinian neighborhoods; the forced removal of some 300,000 Palestinians from their homes; the more than 160 reported dead - the U.N. estimates that 77 percent of those killed in Gaza have been civilians; the destruction of the basic infrastructure; the growing food and water shortages; and the massing of military forces for a possible major ground assault.

When all this does not work, when it becomes clear that the Palestinians once again have not become dormant and passive, Israel will take another step, more radical than the last. The "process of destruction" will be stopped only from outside Israel. Israel, captive to the process, is incapable of imposing self-restraint." Chris Hedges

I disagree. Only children cannot control their emotions. Self-restrain is rightfully expected from all adults. I cannot excuse anyone involved in this senseless and heart breaking ordeal. Lots of Palestinian and Israeli families have lost loved ones and are in grief. What are they doing to one another? Nothing good can come from this.

Who in the West or East, global north or global south with enough clout (read influence and power) can take the lead to convince Israel and Hamas to act as adults and caring parents and to practice self-restraint? That must pave the way for a lasting peace and that is possible. I will never accept the opposite.

Israel should have known by now that waging war against or persecuting a civilian population, negatively influences one's own resolve and the people that you supposedly serve and protect.

Ordinary Israeli people will have to follow the lead of the ordinary Americans that halted the killings by the US Army in Vietnam. Everyone, including the troops, become victims under these circumstances. And if Israelis neglect their duty they will have to individually and collectively face the fact that the over-reaction of their government on their behalf is a blemish on each and every Israeli. Not in my name. Never.

And the same applies to Hamas and the Palestinians they purportedly serve.

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