Israel Must Move Beyond War
by Patricia DeGennaro
-USA-
Israel’s May 31, 2010 attack on the Freedom Flotilla in international waters garnered nothing more than global condemnation. The assault on six ships with approximately 700 activists carrying 10,000 tons of aid to the besieged Gaza strip is a shocking reminder that the Israeli government feels that the only way to continue the Palestinian occupation is with overwhelming military force.
After the signing of the Oslo Accords in 1993 a brief hope existed that Israel and an independent Palestine could coexist peacefully. The reality on the ground, however, quickly extinguished any optimism. Mutual recognition appeared to do little good and casualties on both sides continued to accumulate. The beginning of the second intifada in 2000 and the growing strength of the Islamic and more radical Hamas led to more Israeli casualties. But the numbers continue to be lopsided and far more Palestinians have been killed.
