Pen Power

This is a blog dedicated to various essays and pieces of writting that I had done and feel to be important or worthy of being read. These essays touch on various social issues or are simply well done. I hope you enjoy what you read. Please feel free to comment, give suggestions or tell me your opinion on the topic discussed.

Eye to Eye: A Palestinian talking to Americans

I found this poem very well done and the message is a powerful oneso I decided to include it in my blog. Hope you like it.

Eye to Eye: A Palestinian talking to Americans

By Gihad Ali
8/21/03

Look into my eyesAnd tell me what you see
You don't see a damn thing,'cause you can't, until you try to relate to me.
You're blinded by our differences.
My life makes no sense to you.
I'm the persecuted Palestinian.
You are the American red, white and blue.
Each day you wake in tranquility.
No fears to cross your eyes.
Each day I wake in gratitude.
Thanking God he let me rise.Y
ou worry about your education
And the bills you have to pay.
I worry about my vulnerable lifeAnd if I'll survive another day.
Your biggest fear is getting ticketed
As you cruise your Cadillac.
My fear is that the tank that just left
Will turn around and come back.
American, do you realize,
That the taxes that you pay
Feed the forces that traumatize
My every living day?
The bulldozers and the tanks,
The gases and the guns,
The bombs that fall outside my door,
All due to American funds.
Yet do you know the truth
Of where your money goes?
Do you let your media deceive your mind?
Is this a truth that no one knows?
You blame me for defending myself
Against the ways of ZionistsI'm terrorized in my own land
And I'm the terrorist?
You think that you know all about terrorism
But you don't know it the way I do.
So let me define the term for you.
And teach you what you thought you knew.
I've known terrorism for quite some time,
Fifty- four years and more.
It's the fruitless garden uprooted in my yard.
It's the bulldozer in front of my door.
Terrorism breathes the air I breathe.
It's the checkpoint on my way to school.
It's the curfew that jails me in my own home,
And the penalties of breaking that curfew rule.
Terrorism is the robbery of my land.
And the torture of my mother.
The imprisonment of my innocent father.
The bullet in my baby brother.
So American, don't tell me you know about
The things I feel and see.
I'm terrorized in my own landAnd the blame is put on me.
But I will not rest, I shall never settle
For the injustice my people endure.
Palestine is OUR land and there we'll remain
Until the day OUR homeland is secure.
And if that time shall never come,
Then we will never see a day of peace.
I will not be thrown from my own home,
Nor will fight for justice cease.
And if I am killed, it will be Falasteen. (Palestine)
It's written on my breath.
So in your own patriotic words,
Give me liberty or give me death.

Womens Issues In Northern India

An Essay On The Dilemma Of Women’s Rights In India
Monet Tyler

Note: Over my first few days in India, something struck me, as very strange, something was unbalanced about the whole place. I was unable to quiet put my finger on it for some time until one day it hit me; there were hardly any women. I stopped on the busy street I had been walking down and looked about me. For every woman I saw, there were ten men about her. Where were they all? From this moment on I began to pay closer attention to the women that were not there. Over the next 3 months that I would spend in interacted with countless shop keepers, travelers, children and men, but I can not remember having a single meaningful conversation with an Indian women. They seemed to be invisible, always on the peripheral, watching from behind a vial, silently listening but rarely participating in discourse of any kind. Of course, there were exceptions to this, however the general feeling of the female community in India-especially in the rural and tribal communities-was that of transparency. The longer I remained in India, the more mysterious and intriguing these people seemed to me. Who are these women? What are their lives like? How is it I could live among them so long and yet be as ignorant about who they actually were as when I first stepped foot on Indian soil? Through some small research on my part, careful observation, simple conjecture and a very informative lecture I attended in Delhi by Jagari (a prominent women’s rights group in Delhi) I believed I have taken some small steps toward answering these questions. The issue of women’s rights in India is, as with everything in the country, complex and difficult to fully comprehend. The whole area of women’s rights is full of exceptions and contradictions and is steeped in several thousand years of history and tradition. The line between modern and traditional India is often hard to distinguish and because of this, it is difficult to get a complete picture of the society as a whole without in depth study. Although the this work is written from limited experience, many of the points in this paper are accurate and may help to both reveal and clarify the problems and challenges facing women in India today. Modern ideas and long held traditions seem to be in a constant battle with each other, perpetually vying for priority in the tumultuous and bustling country that is India. In this war, women -as so commonly is the case-are often caught in the crossfire. There are numerous issues being faced by Indian women because of this and there are countless factors that play into the way women are perceived in the society today. It helps our ability to understand these women if we put into perspective and understand the major factors that effects them and perpetuates the situation of oppression which they are living in.

To understand women’s place in Indian society, it is necessary to understand the family system that has developed there over the last several thousand years and which is still the foundation of the society to date. Americans society and Indian society generally approach marriage, children and the concept of a family unit quiet differently. In India, a joint family system is the usual procedure and arranged marriages are a common practiced. When I a women and man marry, it is rarely based on love, although ideally it will develop into love over time. As Americans we find it hard to understand why a person would marry for any reason other then mutual affection and love but it is seen differently my many people. The main purpose of marriage in India seems to be to create a family, establish a secure place in the community and uphold family honor and traditions. The parents arrange most marriages either through acquaintances, a matchmaker, or occasionally by the offspring, provided the each spouse is approved beforehand by the parents. After marriage, the wife is expected to join her husband in his household and merge with his family. The son of a family usually remains in his parents household throughout life and thus, his wife does not only join him, but also his parents and other family members in her new home. The son is expected to care for his parents as they grow older and, when he marries, his wife also takes a portion of that responsibility. When a woman leaves her home to join her husband’s household, she is more or less expected to forget her family, and devote her time to caring for her husband, their children and his parents. Because of the fact that the son is the main provider of an aging parent, most often prefer sons and many women either choose, or are forced to continue baring children until they have produced a male. This, along with low education and lack of birth control results in families averaging 7-8 children per women, which has greatly contributed to the poverty and over population problems India faces today. The wives in-laws have-depending on the family- a huge influence over the life of that women and can expert strong pressure on her to have more children, stay in an abusive relationship, keep silent about violence or infidelity or otherwise compromise her values in order to uphold the respect of her husband. Since she has basically given up her own family, a married woman usually has no place to turn if she finds herself in a dangerous or unhappy marriage. If a women attempts to return to her own family after marriage, it is seen as shameful and she will often be taken back to her husband or turned away. With little education, job opportunities or family support, women usually have no choice but to take the hand dealt them. Honor and tradition plays a huge role in Indian society and because of this, many problems go unseen and are commonly ignored by the people. Rape, although rarely reported, is a huge problem in India according to Jagori, one of India’s most prominent women’s protection agencies in India. If a women is raped, the blame is placed on her and she is seen as a shame and disgrace to her family. It is seen that in some way, a women who is raped was somehow “asking for it” and because of this, women rarely report it to the authorities. In the few cases where rape is reported, little is done about it and prosecution of a rapist is even less common then the reporting of one. Corruption in the all male police force and an inefficient and unreliable justice system leaves almost no hope of justice. Marital rape is also not recognized in India and there is no law against a husband forcing himself upon a woman if he happens to be her husband. The male population of the country seems to feel an entitlement to women, as if they have some right as males to sexually harass women both foreign and local females. The lack of respect and complete acceptance of abuse, harassment both physical and verbal and sexual assault by Indian men is alarming. They seem to view women as sex objects and servants instead of friends, coworkers and equals. According to Jagori, child marriage is also common in many rural and tribal areas of India and girls are commonly promised to a husband as early as 1 year old. Sexual relationships with a girl under the age of 16 is legally considered rape, however, marriage is legal under the age of 16 if parents agree upon it. If a child who has been married by her parents has sexual relations with her husband while under age it is not considered rape, thus enabling the exploitation of young children while giving them no legal recourse. Dowry is another tradition that, although outlawed, is commonly practiced and remains a major motivation for many marriages. Lack of delivery or dissatisfaction of the dowry can result in abuse of the women, beatings and in extreme cases murder and mutilation. The most famous of these incidences are of the dowry killings and mutilations. In these cases, dissatisfied husbands throw boiling oil in the faces of their new brides or stabbed them to death, delivering the women’s bodies to their families. Of course these are extreme cases and are not commonplace however they are a symptom of a certain lack of respect toward women and idea held by many men that women are dispensable, and of a lower breed then men.Unlike America, religion and caste has a huge influence over the lives of people in India. Shrines, temples and mosques are scattered about the cities and fragments of religion can be seen throughout the daily lives of these people. Religion carries with it its own set of prejudices, ideals and restrictions and often puts women at a disadvantage. Although Hinduism-the main religion of India- is more liberal then some religions and does not directly deny women rights specifically, Hinduism and Indian culture are inexplicitly entwined and the traditions of one and beliefs of the other overlap and intermingle until both are one and the same. As so often happens with religion and men, the rules have been made to suit the most powerful group, namely men and the majority ethnic group. The presents of Islam, although not nearly as prominent as Hinduism, also influences the way in which women are perceived and treated in the society. Islam, if followed incorrectly, is an incredibly oppressive belief system and is quiet a few steps behind Hinduism on the path toward equality for women. In both religions women are expected to dress in order not to evoke the attentions of the opposite sex. Instead of focusing on teaching the male half of the population manners and proper conduct, women are expected to modify their cloths, way of life, and mannerisms so that men will not be “incited with lust”. Hindus women generally wear a duppatta, a scarf like piece of cloth meant to cover the chest and hair while Muslim women must take it a step further and wear the Hijab, essentially hiding everything but their hands from the view of men.
COMMENT: If a man cant control himself at the sight of a women’s forearm, face, or shoulders, I say he has a problem…maybe they should do a little snip snip to help him control himself…. and further more…. if he cant control what’s in his pants…. he shouldn’t be bale to run a country!!!
Although many say the caste system is dead in India, it is by no means true. The caste system, although subdued, is still deeply rutted in Indian culture. If a women chooses to marry outside of her caste, say, a Brahman to an untouchable, she most likely would be disowned, beaten or even killed for her choice of husband. Interracial and inter religious marriages are also strongly discouraged in most households and income level plays a large part in which partners are available to a person. The Indian society as a whole is deeply racist and prefers white skin to dark. Look in any personals column in the papers and you will see “fair skinned” and “white” throughout the postings. The news reporters, politicians, and other persons of repute are unfailingly light skinned while the beggars and the untouchables who sleep on the street are almost entirely dark skinned. If a women is dark skinned, it is considered a shortcoming, while a light skinned women has greater value. These racist and bigoted ideals are a great hindrance for women of tribal groups, minorities and lower castes and many opportunities are denied them simply because of their gender and color. The government has attempted to address some of these problems in several ways. In response to the alarmingly steep rise in population over the years, the Indian government has attempted to put 2-child limits for couples in many areas. It failed miserably. The reason it failed was not because of a fundamental flaw in the concept of a family limit- the idea has shown to be a successful way to limit population growth in many countries, such as China-it unsuccessful because of the government’s failure to provide the basics necessities of life to these people before imposing this law upon them. More then 30% of India’s population lives in poverty and the gap between the rich and the poor is even wider. When a son is the only hope for parents to have security in their old age, they will have children until they get a son. If these people had some sort of security, steady work, and a chance to survive, they could consider new ideas and perhaps embrace more openly the idea of a small family. Unrest among minority groups, violence between religious fractions, oppressed castes and the migration or displaced peoples within India all play a role in the instability and suffering of women in children, and until the essential factors of food, water, health and peace are addressed, a 2 child family limit will never work and women will remain under the rule of a male dominated society. Almost every aspect of India and its people is complex and has many sides to it and the issue of women’s rights-or lack there of- is no exception. History has shown that in times of war, poverty and oppression, women and children are all to often the victims. Although India has a very long way to come in providing legal protection for women, making sex education, birth control and health services available and instilling in the society a basic respect and reverence for women, children and humanity alike, it is turning, slowly, in the right direction. The participation of women in politics and government offices is steadily increasing, the number of highly educated women in every field is continuing to rise and the seeds of equality for women in Indian society are beginning to take root. Through all the suffering, abuse, pain and loss there is always hope and if we can somehow share the hope we have discovered in our own country and make it available to the people who need it, perhaps the world can become just a little bit brighter because of it.

How Three Red Baloons And A Red Stroller Changed My Life

A Runaway Stroller and Three Red Baloons

Note: I did this my freshman year of high school and thought it was a horrible assignment...


On fall evening when my mother and father were strolling through the busy streets of the pik street market in seattle, a tramendussly event occured in my life. What was this event that effected the very course of my destiny? Well, let me explain. AT first glance it would appear to me trivial, almost totaly minisqual in fact but you will soon lean how a a runnaway stroller, three red baoons and a small toy plane changed the course of my life forever. As I was saying before, it was quite a pleasent day on a quite ordinary street when it happened. When I say ordinary, I mean ordinary in every way excluding the fact that it was my third birthday. My parents had decided to take me to the park which was my favorite place in the world. There was no where I would rather have been then in the cool grass watching the people walking by or near the small stream which flower through our local park throughing bred crums at the resident geese and puching around small toys over the ground. When we had done with the park, we praceeded to the pik street market which was a very busy and active place and had even more strange characters roming around then in most places in seattle. My mother was looking for s special typ of bread, the kind that looks like a braid and is used on special jewish holidays, when a man walked by. This man facinated me, no because of his extra ordinary high or the purble spiked hair which covered his head but because of the three big bright and red baloons which boobed obove his head. "Baloons for sale, baloons only $1.00 a pleice!" he cried out loudly as he walked by. I was thrilled. "What could these big red balls possibly be?" I wondered and leaned towand them in an attepmt to touch one when suddenly, it happend. Werrr, werrr went the wheels on my stroller as it took off down the slanted sidewalk. I was thrilled and payed no attention to the shriek from my mother or the yells from behind me. After all, I was headed straight for thoughs big bright baloons that I had wanted so much. Of course it could not last. About 3 minuts after my strolller decided to go on a stroll of its own, a fast jerk sent me flying and needless to say, desending with a awful "thud" face first on the pavment. When I could breath again, I inhaled to the full copacity of my lungs and let out the loudest, most ear splitting scream I could managed and did not stop for almost half an hour. My mother scupped me up and rushed me to the doctors which luckily was only a few blocks away. After waiting for what seemed like an eternity, we went into the doctors office and I soon forgot about my bruised nose when seeing all the pictures on the walls and the small basket of toys in the corner. After giving me some antiseptic cream and a " My Doctors Great" sticker, my mother and I were sent us on our marry way. On the way out of the doctors office, my mother bumped into a plump lady with a byellow summer dress on that had bright red flowers printed all over it. The moment I saw the red flowers I burst into tears andthrue myself down on the floor. When I looked up the lady with the flower dress was smilling down at me and I forgot my troubles alltoghether. My mother apologized and began to pull me behind her back to our car when the lady came up beside us. " Have I seen you before?" she inquired of my mother. After some thought, the two realize that they attended the same dall making class together and began to talk enthusiastically. This resulted in my mother inviting the lady , whos name turned out to be Rose, to dinner. Ever since then Rose has been as much a part of our family as me. Through two moves and several fail crises, Rose somehow managed t o stay in touch. Five years after the incident of the runnaway stroller, Rose and I decided to go to the circus one sunny weekend. As Rose did not want to go on many of the rides, and I wwas not yet tall enough, we decided to play some of the games and try to win something. I tried and tried but never succeedded in winning anything but a small bouncy ball and a small picture of the backstreet boys. I was devistated and began to cry. As we started out the gate toward how, we noticed one more game stand which had many small toys that you could win if only you got two balls in a fishbowl. I tried once, swice, three times, and...I won! The shop keeper handed me a small airplane with blue wings and painted fire on the tips. I was thrilled and treasured that plane more then any other toy. Soon after I won the plane we had show and tell day at our school and , of course, I took the plane. All the other kids wanted to play with it but I wouldnt so much as let them touch it. Just as I was about to put it away, another girl came over to me and told me to look inside her bag. I looked causiously and same another plan! Although this one ws purple and slightly smaller then mine, they were almost identical. She asked if I would like to come and play with her and bring my plane. The next week I went to her house and we became close friends. Over the next few years we did everything together and always played together at reses. I also became familier with her father who, as fait has it, was a pilot. I became facinated with anything and everything to do with flying. Soon My mother and I moved because of a job offer in central oregon. We came to sisters in 2001 and have been here ever since. When I learned there was to be an aviation class, I was thrilled and enrolled immediatly. In the aviation class was inspired greatly and am now considering a carreer in the Air force. That is why, because of a runaway stroller and three red baloons, I want to be in the airforce today.

In The Dark

I wrote this after reading a book called The Mole People, which relays the reality of life and death for the thousands of homeless that frequent the tunnels under New York City, inspired this story. This is a fictional story, but the occurrences and conditions of the environment and character of this story are all too real for thousands of people.


The pain is what woke him. It pierced through his restless sleep and forced his half conscious mind back to reality. He tried to ignore it, hugging his dirty and torn pack close to his chest and rolling over in attempt to shake off whatever had woken him. Bernard wanted nothing less then to be brought back to reality, to feel the despair and emptiness of a life without hope. He had been on the streets for two years already, but it had only been six months since he first found his way through a crack in the sewage line, into the tunnels. Only six months in the tunnels and yet they had already taken from him his last and most precious belonging, they had taken his hope. The next time the pain was harder to ignore; he was jolted from his revelry when his body crashed against the hard concrete wall he had been sleeping beside as he felt another cruel blow hit its mark against his ribs. “ Get up, we are moving you out” shouted a male voice somewhere above him. Alarm started sifting through the haze in his brain and he haltingly rose to his feet. As his eyes began to focus in the dark of the tunnel he saw two police officers in navy blue uniforms in front of him, their pistils raised, their faces half filled with disgust, half with pity. Tyler, 2 “Get out, we are taking you to the shelter” The taller of the two officers demanded as he moved closer, raising his bludgeon in the threat of another blow. Bernard knew these men well; they had been after him ever since he moved down below. Twice he had been caught and sent to the murder house (shelters) and twice he had escaped back into the tunnels. He stood for a moment letting his mind clear, a moment to long. The police officer that had spoken to him moved forward with quick deliberate steps, bringing his hand up, and letting the bludgeon he held crack down across Bernard’s back. Bernard heard the crack of his ribs before the pain came, washing over him like a wave. Stumbling back, his knees buckled and he crumpled like a dirty rag doll against the hard cement of the tunnel wall. The officer buried the tip of his steal towed military boot against the boy’s back, legs, stomach and head for what seemed like an eternity. The agony soon turned into numbness, as one blow fallowed another and blended into each other until all that he was aware of was the thud, thud, thud of the boot as it struck his body. Before Bernard lost consciousness, he became aware that the thudding had ceased. Bernard raised his head and tried to see through the blood and dirt that covered his face. He thought he could make out a shadow beyond the head lamps worn by the officers but it vanished into the gloom before he could be sure. CRASH! A bottle slammed against the wall just 1 foot away from his head. “Damn! They are so damned quiet!” exclaimed one of the officers as they began to back away from where the bottle was thrown. A whistling sound filled the air as another bottle hurtled from the darkness toward the officers. Tyler, 3 They backed quicker, and soon vanished around one of the curves in the tunnel. Bernard could hear their footsteps fading as the two men made their way back into the world above ground. Before passing out, Bernard thought he saw a shape moving in the darkness, it was going deeper into the tunnels but perhaps it was only an illusion, in any case, he was to sick and tired to care. When Bernard awoke, he found himself lying in a pool of blood and vomit and, as always, surrounded in darkness. He attempted to rise, but his head spun and his battered body screamed in protest, so he laid still. For the next two days Bernard laid there, his stomach empty and his body shaking from his injuries and the lack of alcohol that was customarily surging through his body. His mind was tormented with the past as he lived his childhood over in over in his head. He never told anyone in the tunnels about his past, most people didn’t. That was the beautify of the streets, no one judged, everyone simply lived for the moment because none of them had a future and their pasts were what they had come there to escape. Survival was all that mattered on the streets and in the tunnels. Bernard tried never to think about his family, how his mother had been to addicted cocaine to care for him or his little sister, or to stop his stepfather from raping Bernard when he came home drunk at night. He tried not to think about the day when he found his mother dead from an overdose and he tried not to see the way his little sisters had looked when she was torn from his arms and taken to a foster home; but all this filled his mind as he lay there on the concrete floor of the tunnel. Tyler, 4 The heart rending sobs of his sister, the angry shouts of his stepfather and the pitiful moans of his mother echoed through his head. Silent tears stained the concrete and mixed with the vomit and blood that surrounded him. Soon, hunger drove him to movement. The angry growling from his stomach urged him to wake up, to move, to survive. Bernard slowly arouse, every movement reminding him of the beating he received two days before. He groped the walls of the tunnel, the smells of urine, garbage and everything that had been discarded by the people above mixed to create a stench that would cause most to become sick. Bernard however had become used to it, like all who lived in the tunnels, and he pressed on. Not toward the light of day, but deeper into the tunnels where it was safer then the streets or the entrance to the underground. Lack of food was not a problem, it was protection and acceptance that was hard to find on the streets. Bernard had run away from foster care and lived on the streets since he was 14 years old. A man took him in by the name of Squeeze, so named because of his ability to squeeze through small places. Squeeze had taken him in as his son and never touched him, which was an exception among the men Bernard had known on the street. Squeeze had died seven months ago from Aids, which was the reason Bernard had taken refuge in the tunnels. Bernard thought of Squeeze now, the closest thing he had ever had for a father, and missed him. A footstep broke the silence of the tunnel, and Bernard was jerked back to the present. He froze, sensing a presence near by. As he peered into the darkness, two black eyes glared out from the shadows. Tyler, 5 A man stepped forward, and it was immediately apparent that he was a threat. Bernard thought of running, but knew he was to weak to get far. The man was lanky, lean, and disheveled with a visible layer of filth coating his body and cloths. It was not this, however, that caused Bernard’s stomach to tighten, it his eyes. The cool black pupils darted back and forth, and the slight switch in his face made it apparent that he was either in the throws of a drug binge, mentally ill, or perhaps both. Bernard stumbled backward as the man approached. As he attempted to find his footing in the dark, his heel struck against something cold and metal. Electricity surged through Bernard’s body; he had hit an active subway rail. The third rail, that was the rail that delivered death. Bernard’s body writhed and made a shallow thud as it struck the floor twitchings lightly before lying still. The man who had been approaching him stood for a moment, and then vanished once again into the dark leaving behind him yet another casualty of Americas internal war, yet another story that will never be remembered.

Americas Support Of Israel Is Wrong

The Palestinian and Israeli Conflict In The Middle East
Why The United States Should Not Support Israel

A blind Palestinian man is led to the wall of his home, his wife in tears just 10 feet away. He is told to stand still while his body is blown to pieces by an American tank missile. Saleem Alrozo, a Palestinian refugee whom I interviewed during my research of this subject, told this story to me. “ When I imagine him standing in front of his house, unable to see, just waiting until finally he feels a tank missile destroy his body, that makes me so sorry.” Stories like this are an everyday occurrence in Palestine, which has been occupied by Israel for almost a century. Israeli forces have killed, beaten and slaughtered thousands of Palestinians during its existence and it has done this with weapons made and sold from the U.S.A.. Every time we pay our taxes, we are supporting the slaughter of Palestinian people. Almost 20% of all foreign aid from the U.S. is given to Israel and of the 20%, 80% goes toward the purchase of arms which are supplied by the U.S. as well [Institution For Southern Studies, pg 1]. The following paper will examine what the situation between Israel, Palestine, and the U.S.A. is, the history of the conflict and why the U.S. must stop giving military and financial aid to the Israeli government. In order to understand this conflict, it is important to understand the history behind it and from the information above you will better understand the following arguments. Tyler, 2 World War One was a time of great change in the Middle East. During the end of the war, the Ottoman Empire fell to European powers and the Middle Eastern territories were divided into zones of influence and were mandated between France and Britain. Lebanon and Syria were mandated to France while today’s Israel, Jordan, and the West Bank fell under British control. Because of the great dispossession of Jewish people during the war, there was a dramatic Zionist movement that developed in Europe, in which the Jewish people pushed for the creation and migration to a Jewish homeland. Although Britain had sought the support of the Arabs and supported their independence prior to the end of the war, in the end, Britain would turn their backs on their Arab allies and support the Zionist movement instead. Most Jews felt entailed to Palestine because of the beliefs that this land had been promised to them by God as a refuge from persecution and anti-Semitism. Viewing God as some sort of cosmic real estate agent, they claim that it is their right to return to the Promised Land regardless of the already existing Arab population. In 1917, Britain promised to assist the Jews in establishing a national homeland in what is known as the Balfour Declaration. At the time, there were around half a million Palestinians living in the Palestine area. Around 5% were Jews and 95% were Muslims. Mass immigration started to Palestine during the beginning of the 18th century and several violent clashes occurred between some Palestinians and the new Jewish immigrants. During the 1920’s and 30’s Jews began to form groups to fight for an independent Jewish country. Tyler, 3 The power of the Jews gradually increased as did Palestinian resistance which eventually erupted into open rebellion in 1935 when Palestinians attacked British forces which resulted in Palestine being split into three zones: an Arab zone, a Jewish zone, and a neutral zone. During and after World War Two, the influx of Zionist Jews increased drastically because of the slaughtering and persecution of Jews throughout Germany and the rest of Europe. In 1948 the British mandate of Palestine ended and a new Jewish country known as Israel was formed almost instantly. Within hours Arab countries sent support forces to attack Israel but were not successful and Israel claimed 77% of Palestinian territory as part of the new Jewish country. This would only increase the problems to be faced by the Jews and the issues of provision of education, housing, employment and welfare for the incoming Jews became a very difficult challenge [Metz, pg. 2]. The creation of Israel displaced around 725,000 Palestinians, which were prosecuted and cast out from their homeland. A year later the UN voted to accept Israel as a member. Arab heads of state established the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) in the effort to liberate Palestine from the Israeli government. However, tension remained high, war erupted in 1967 between Arab countries such as Egypt, Jordan, and Syria, and Israel in which East Jerusalem, the West Bank, The Golan Heights, The Gaza Strip and the Sinai Peninsula were occupied by Israel. This meant another 335,000 people became displaced and another 800,000 Palestinian Arabs being added to Israel’s population, just one example of the injustice of the Israeli occupation [Metz, pg.2]. Tyler, 4 There was also conflict between the PLO, Lebanon and Jordan that occurred during the 1960’s and 70’s, resulting in the loss of Egypt as an ally for the PLO and the establishment, and demolishment of a PLO base in Lebanon. Ten years after the base was established, Israel launched “Operation Peace For Galilee.” a full-scale attack on Lebanon, displacing thousands of refugees (again) and massacring more than 1,000 Palestinian citizens in Sabra and Chatila refugee camps in Beirut. Almost the entire military weaponry and financial support of this attack was funded by the U.S.A. which gave around 2 billion dollars each year in foreign aid to Israel during the 1980’s [Metz, pg 5]. The PLO base withdrew from Beirut and relocated to Tunis and began searching for a way to increase diplomatic relations with Israel. There would be an increase in economic activity in 1987, however, many Palestinians did not feel the benefits of this, and an Intifada, or uprising erupted in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. In reaction to the protests, the Israeli forces quickly began to enforce strict curfews and restrictions on the Palestinians, killing several citizens. Radical Islamic groups such as Hamas and Hizballa (Party Of God) were outlawed by Israel and 10-year jail sentences were set for any known members or supporters of these groups. Support for PLO officials in elections was also strongly prohibited and candidates were threatened by imprisonment. These violation of democratic values and abuse of the rights of free speech were conveniently overlooked by the greatest democratic nation in the world, the U.S., our government did nothing and continued support of Israel. Tyler, 5 The estimated cost to the to American taxpayers for the United States support of Israel to subdue the uprising was around $132 million per month [Metz. pg. 4-6]. The following year peace talks through the UN began. Five years later the Oslo Peace Accords were established in which the PLO and Israel recognized each other and established several conditions of peace such as the withdrawal of Israel from the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. During this time, hundreds of thousands of Jews were relocated to Israel from Russia and Europe, costing Israel billions of dollars, most of which came from U.S. sources. In 1996, the first ever-Palestinian elections were held in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, resulting in the election of Yassar Arafat. The peace process was slowed during this time as a result of the increased colonization of the West Bank and Gaza Strip by the Jews, the withdrawal of residency rights from many Palestinian citizens in these areas, and the closure of many roads which were needed for Palestinian workers to get to their jobs. The Palestinians gradually got poorer and the quality of the social situation of the people in Palestine decreased. With the start of a new century, years of peace talks and treaties had left Palestinians impoverished, with very few personal freedoms and lacking many of the basic human rights that we as Americans take for granted. In September of 2000, a new Intifada began after an unorthodox visit to the sacred mosque known as al-Haram al-Sharif by Israel’s soon to be Prime Minister, Ariel Sharon [eye to eye pg. 1-6]. Tyler, 6 Peace talks in the resent past have helped Palestine and Israel develop more friendly relations. However the problem is still far from over. The questions still remain of how the two countries are going to share the city of Jerusalem and how both Muslims and Jews will be allowed free worship while still respecting both people’s rights and beliefs. Our role as Americans is essential to the success of peace in this area of the Middle East. The U.S. has a crucial role in the Israeli Palestinian conflict and we as Americans have a responsibility to educate ourselves and do what is right to the best of our ability. Unless we change our policies today, history will keep repeating itself. Over 3 billion dollars in military and economic aid is given to Israel annually by the U.S. government, money we pay through our taxes and it is important that we be aware of where and who our money is going to, and what exactly they are doing with it. The U.S. has taken international criticism by standing by Israel regardless of its violations of international law or the ethical values it displays toward the Palestinians. You might think that U.S. aid to Israel would decrease as Israel gains independence and military strength but indeed this is not the case. In fact, almost the entire sum of aid given to Israel by America has been after Israel proved itself capable of defending itself against the Arab armies and capable of supporting itself. Our support for Israel is higher today than it was 25 years ago, even though Israel is the most powerful it has been in its history and it is doubtful that, if aid was cut off completely from the West, Israel would be under any more serious military threat then it is today. Tyler, 7 Each time Israel has demonstrated superior military power, the aid from the U.S. has sky rocketed. After the victory of Israel in 1967, aid was increased 450% and when the Israelis succeeded in defeating the Russian supplied armies, military aid again increased by a staggering 800%. Again aid increase after the 911 attacks on the U.S., suggesting that the stronger and more willing to share information and cooperate with the U.S. Israel is, the more aid it will receive [Zunes, pg. 1]. This clearly shows that Americas support is not merely to protect Israel militarily. There is no oil in Israel and obviously there is no moral reason to support the Israel occupation of Palestine. So why is America giving so much of its resources and military support to Israel? I never have gotten a clear answer, however I have a few ideas that may be plausible. In America’s support of Israel, it also gains the opportunity to advance its own political and strategically interests. Israel has usefully silenced many radical national movements in the Middle East, has kept Syria, an ally of Russia, under control for several years as well as having missiles that are fully capable of being aimed at Russian targets. An Israeli battlefield have also been an excellent testing ground for American arms and has provided American arms dealers with a large market which is of the biggest (along with oil) industries in the world. There have been many new arms created through the development of technology involving antiballistic defense systems and aircraft technology in co-operation with Israel. Israeli under cover agencies have provided information on various groups and in covert operations throughout the Middle East as well. Tyler, 8 The main reason the U.S. is supporting Israel would appear not to be out of concern for the Jews, but more out of a wish to remain militarily superior and politically in control. Even some of Mr. Bush’s own supporters have cautioned against supporting Israel too full heartedly, concerned that this might make relations with the rest of the Middle East more difficult. Washington seems to be willing to support even the most cruel and inhuman governments if it gains strategic power in one way or another. This does not reflect the U.S. outward policies of justice, humanity, peace and equality that its people hold to be so essential in every aspect of life. True, the Jewish people have been persecuted and treated incredibly inhumanly throughout history, but does that mean that we should support the Jews in doing the same thing? Do the persecuted have the right to persecute? Or should their pain make them more aware of the pain felt by others [Zunes, pg. 3]? Now, let’s examine some of the reasons that the U.S. has no business supporting Israel with military and financial aid. Israel continually violates international law and is illegally occupying Palestinian territory. During 1967, East Jerusalem, the West Bank, the Golan Heights, the Gaza Strip and the Sinai Peninsula were occupied by Israel illegally. In the preceding years the UN passed Resolution 242 that required Israel to withdraw its forces and influence from these areas, which had been previously taken over. The UN has condemned Israel’s refusal to give up these lands and has made it very clear that Israel is in violation of international law. However Israel alone with the U.S. has ignored the repeated requests of the UN for Israel to withdraw. Tyler, 9 This is one of the largest obstacles to peace in the Middle East and has been the cause of dozens of innocent people being slaughtered on both sides. Israel is the only country in the Middle East to have nuclear power and refused to allow international inspectors to inspect its nuclear facilities (sound familiar?). This suggests a double standard. When Iraq’s leader Saddam Hussian refused to allow international inspectors into Iraq’s military facilities, the U.S. immediately became suspicious of “possible” weapons of mass destruction, but what about Israel? Why do we never wonder about the weapons that Israel has that actually do exist? The U.S. must adopt a more just system of international relations in which each country is judged and treated equally or the violence and distrust of the Arab people will never improve [Reese, pg.1-2]. Perhaps the most fundamental reason not to support Israel militarily is that Israel has repeatedly violated international human rights laws and left a legacy of cruelty and slaughter. Should a people striving for peace and equality among all people support a country with billions and billions of dollars and supply tanks and missiles that routinely massacre, slaughter and maim innocent civilians in their homes and on their streets? Israeli soldiers frequently destroy Palestinian homes, businesses and land. American made machineguns shoot children and families dead in their homes, torture and imprisonment are common without cause or a fair trial ever taking place. Racial and religious discrimination are sewn deep in the legal system and Palestinians are constantly denied much needed food and supplies by the Israeli government. Tyler, 10 Blockades prevent Palestinian workers from going to work, causing thousands and thousands of workers to lose their jobs, which often the most menial ones to begin with. Exports are banned from Palestine and 90% of workers are forced to travel to Jewish towns to obtain employment [Reese, 2]. When you pay your taxes, your helping pay for guns that are slaughtering innocent Palestinians and without that support, the war against them would not be possible. In September 1999 alone, the U.S. dumped over 3.6 billion dollars into the Israeli military. With the money that has gone into Israel we could have built 90,000 quality public schools or restored 90,000 waterworks or bridges or several other things that would greatly benefit our country. When you hear that Israeli soldiers have seized another Palestinian town, that tanks have been rolling through another refugee camp or Israeli soldiers have shot down another Palestinian child, remember that those guns are made and paid for by our government. Jets, AK47s, F-16’s, Black Hawks, Apaches, machine guns, mines, tank missiles, grenades and bombs, all paid for with our tax dollars, are being used to support a government that uses terror to silence its opponents and crush innocent Palestinian men, women and children in order for them to gain land, power and resources. Even if Palestinians have shown aggression (rightfully so), the responsibility lies on the shoulders of the stronger power. I remember watching boys on television throwing rocks at soldiers with bulletproof shields and AK47s and thinking, who is to blame here? Sure the kids are aggressors, but does that give the soldiers the right to fill their bodies with lead and beat them to death with batons? Tyler, 11 Who has the moral responsibility here? It was clear watching those kids, seeing the rocks against bullets, more then one hundred Palestinians dead and a mere 5 Israelis, this is a completely unequal battle [Watson, pg. 2]. During the infadah in the 1990’s there was a reported 878 Palestinian deaths, 30 more being shot by Israeli soldiers during the first three months of 1990. Even some soldiers in the Israeli armed forces found the activities taking place uncomfortable and cruel, especially when ordered to slaughter young children and women and elderly. Restrictions and punishments have been placed on various parts of territories that Israel has occupied. Some of these include the outlawing of unions for professional lawyers, doctors, etc., the closing of universities and schools for months at a time which included imprisonment for any in home instruction given to students, curfews lasting for days at a time occasionally forcing people to stay in their homes all together, electrical, water, communication and other services being cut. During 1989, “at least 244 houses had been destroyed, beatings and shootings had resulted in 795 deaths and more then 44,00 injuries by the end of 1989. Approximately 48,00 Palestinians had been arrested and imprisoned since the uprising began…. detention without charge…up to 12 months at a time…imposed on 7,900 Palestinians” according to an article written by Helen Metz. These un humanitarian activities that violate international law must be taken into account when considering the support we are giving to Israel and we must reflect on whether or not the motive for doing so is truly a noble or just one [Watson, pg. 5]. Tyler, 12 We must also consider our international image. Our support of Israel not only diminishes our image as a people and puts in question the credibility of our government; it also incites resentment throughout the Arab world. The human rights abuses and questionable honesty in its dealings in the Middle East creates an undercurrent of resentment and anger in the Muslim community throughout the world. In my interview with Mr. Alorzo, he made it more clear for me how the Muslims in the Middle East view use generally; “Mr. Bush supports terrorism.” He explains, “We view this as a holy war, not just an attack on Palestine, but an attack on Muslims and our way of life. This is a holey area, it is the land of rebirth and of the Night Journey of Mohammad, if Israel wants peace, they will have to live under an Islamic government.” Although I do not believe that would be the best way to achieve peace in the Middle East, I realized how deeply imbedded religion is in the conflict and how much more is needed to solve it then weapons. When I asked Mr. Alzoro what exactly Palestine wanted he replied, “We want the U.S.A. to use justice and fairness and to deal with us in the same way that they do Israel…till now they have only cared about the benefits of Israel and not the Arabs”. The U.S.’s actions in the Middle East can easily provoke more tragedies like that of September 11th. If we continue to support Israel the anti-American sentiments in Arab counties will only grow. By building a reputation of honesty and fairness in it’s dealing with the Middle East and Muslim communities, our country can best prevent terrorism in the world and encourage global stability. Tyler, 13 Shouldn’t the safety and welfare of the American people be the first priority of the U.S.? By supporting Israel we are only encouraging the formation of groups like Al Quieda and the Taliban. Last of all, I would like to point out that America’s military aid to Israel violates international law, which the U.S. expects other countries to obey. Americas Arms Export Control Act (AECA) strictly forbids any participating government from assisting another country militarily if that country has not obeyed the international human rights laws. The U.S. state department has clearly stated, “Israeli security units often used excessive force against Palestinian demonstrators including live fire…. impeded the prevision of medical assistance to Palestinian civilians by their strict enforcement of internal closures, which reportedly contributed to at least 32 deaths. Israeli security forces harassed and abused Palestinian pedestrians and drivers who were attempting to pass through the more then 130 Israeli controlled check points…” It doesn’t sound as though Israel is respecting the international human rights laws to me [Website, pg1-2]. The U.S. is fully aware of Israel’s violations but chooses to turn a blind eye, which completely destroys the U.S.’s credibility in the world and undermines everything that this country has worked and stood for during existence In conclusion, the U.S. supporting Israel is based on security and political interests. It is time that we stop considering politics, and start thinking about what is right. Tyler, 14 By continuing to arm Israel without taking notice of its faults our country is killing thousands of innocent people, and creating an environment for terror to continue in the Middle East. We may be able to overlook the truth, but the rest of the world is watching us and as a beacon for democracy and freedom, we have a moral duty to do what is right and set an example for the rest of the world to follow. If we wish to gain the respect of the Arab world and stop terrorism, we can start at home. Not only is this costing us money and resources that could be better spent at home, it is also costing human lives. We must take a look at the amount of arms sales our country promotes and ask ourselves if it is truly benefiting the world to dump machine guns and tanks into areas of conflict. The U.S. could start by using the influence its aid to Israel has created to strongly encourage a peace agreement between Palestine and Israel and to force Israel to reconsider its treatment of the Palestinian people. Steps toward the end of the occupation must be started and an unwavering commitment to peace must be established. With the full support of the U.S. toward peace instead of war, Israel and Palestine have hope of living in harmony together.

Work Cited
1.) Alrozo, Saleem, “Interview” 5/22/03 2.)
“Eye To Eye”, Palestinian History: a chronology http://193.129.255.93/eyetoeye.teachers/guidance/chron_right.html 3.)
“History Of Israel And Palestine” http://masada2000.org
Institution For Southern Studies, “United States Aid To Israel Fact Sheet” www.palestinianmonitor.org
Jensen, Robert, “United States Aid To Israel” www.palestinianmonitor.org
Metz, Helen “Israel’ May 2, 1990 http://lcweb2.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?frd/cstdy:@field(DOCID+il0011)
Reese, Charley “United States Aid To Israel”, October 10, 2001 www.palestinian monitor.org Tyler, 16 Work Cited Continued
The Current Crises In Israel And The Palestine Territories” http://193.129.255.93/eyetoeye/explore/crisis_begin.html
Watson, Gray “Thoughts, Israel vs. Palestine” May 5, 1999 http://256/gray/thoughts/2000/20001017
Website, “5 Reasons To Stop U.S. Military Aid To Israel” January, 14, 2003 www.palestinemonitor.org
Zunes, Stephen “Why The U.S. Supports Israel’, June 1, 2002 http://boycottisrael.org_zunes.htm

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