the struggle

some might think it was inevitable that something would pop off in the middle east while we were living here. i didn't give it a second thought. but now, in the midst of growing political and emotional tension, i realize how wrong things are and how much things need to change. i want to describe the palestine/israel conflict with a parable (thanks to my brother's college experience):
the guys, being macho as they are, decide to play a prank on the girls in the dorm. 4 of them break into the girls' upstairs dormitory, shut off the power, disabling all alarm clock and light functions, barricaded the front and rear exits, and wrote a tauntingly playful message on the floor in shaving cream (such as "got you"). a good joke, which royally ticked off the girls, who didn't wake up on time for class and couldn't get out of the dorm after their late wake-up.
the girls, being irrational as they are, decide retaliation is necessary. they decided, however, to retaliate over thanksgiving break while all the guys were gone. they got into the guys' dormitory equipped with WMD's (syrup, rotten fish, and birdseed). they poured the syrup all over the couches and the kitchen floor and then threw birdseed on the syrup. they threw birdseed all over each room, including into cd players and anything else they could destroy. they put the fish in the small refrigerators in each room in order to royally stink up the dorm. they ruined the dorms.

the boys annoyed. the girls destroyed.

this is the essence of the current conflict in palestine. hamas has been annoying israel over the last 5-10 years with consistent long-distance missle attacks which have resulted in a few dozen israeli deaths. annoying. terrible. and uncalled for. yet, in some ways, as you read the history between these two groups of people, its somewhat understandable when you consider how small the gaza ghetto is (360 square km for 1.5 million palestinian citizens). hamas is represented by the guys in this parable.
israel, represented by the girls, have unleashed an over-the-top retaliation on the people of gaza, without regard for who is harmed in their attack. to date, more than 430 palestinians have been killed in airstrikes...compared to 4 israelis in the last 2 weeks. its senseless. its emotional. and its uncalled for.
let us not blindly support the girls because the boys are bad. the boys are bad. their leadership has no regard for their own people. but the girls are destroying everything because of a few boys annoying (and terrible) actions. this is serious, and it affects many jordanians that are children of palestinian refugees from the israeli occupations of the past. i sit here 90 miles away from gaza and i wish this world would somehow realize that war results in death, destruction, and problems. may we find a peaceable solution.

(i'm no expert, so if this annoys you for its simplicity, please forgive me...something needs to be said)