Late Thursday night, during my occasional Student Life headline skim before bed, I noticed the bold accusation presented in Friday’s section that Ariel Sharon is a war criminal. As a staunch advocate of Israel, I was jarred by the headline, but as I read on, what truly surprised me was Taylor’s intention of starting yet another battle of rhetoric over who has wronged whom by doing what in the continuing conflict between Israelis and Palestinians. Though some of Taylor’s accusations beg for rebuttal, what’s more important than the specific arguments is throwing out politics by talking points and working to develop real solutions and understanding between Israelis, Palestinians and advocates on both sides.
In his efforts to convict Sharon as a war criminal, Taylor throws out any and all historical context; any country’s efforts during a military campaign could be portrayed as criminal, depending on how they’re framed. To say, as Taylor does, that this is what Sharon will be remembered for is similar to saying that Abraham Lincoln should be remembered for everyone who died in the Civil War, rather than the Emancipation Proclamation. Though Taylor is insistent upon calling Sharon “the Bulldozer,” one of Sharon’s most recent efforts has been to make sure Jewish settlers leave the Gaza Strip to help continue the peace process, which isn’t exactly the function of a bulldozer. (A mop, perhaps? A dustbuster?) Taylor’s most troubling accusation, however, comes when he blames Sharon himself for the multitude of problems facing Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, which Taylor would apparently rather still be under Israeli control. These issues exist, to be sure, but it is hardly the fault of Sharon; Palestinian leadership has been corrupt and ineffective for years, using money and resources meant for its people to pad its own high status. The proof for this is printed clearly on newspaper headlines and blogs around the world, announcing the recent victory of Hamas in Palestinian elections, not because most Palestinians agree with their extreme religious stance, but because they have promised to end the problems in leaderships that have plagued the Palestinians since Arafat.
The recent success of Hamas has also brought one of their key principles to the forefront of international attention: their insistence upon the destruction of the state of Israel. With groups like this, who have worked for decades now not to build lives of their own, but to actively fight against their neighbor, no matter what, it is easy to understand how violent military tactics may come into play. The bottom line is, you have your version of history, I have mine and everyone else has their own opinions about how things happened, who’s right, who’s wrong, etc. But more important than finding the ideal objective history (which simply does not exist) is moving on from the past to build a better future. Sharon himself is a perfect example of how one can move on from previous issues to work to build peace and security in a region marked by conflict. Even though Sharon used to be a divisive figure in Israeli politics because of his aggressive tendencies, over the past few years he has made more significant steps than any other recent Israeli leader to bring a livable situation to both Israelis and Palestinians. If you truly care about the region and its people, Mr. Taylor, you’ll wholeheartedly agree that that is the single most important thing: progress towards peace.
Both Israelis and Palestinians are at a historical crossroads, both in their internal governments and their interactions with each other. Though Taylor provided a detailed list of the various “atrocities” that Sharon has committed, arguing about events that span the past 50 years should not be the focus of discussion about Israel at this point. Far, far too many Israelis and Palestinians have died and there are people who can be faulted on both sides. But there are new and important developments on both sides now and moving forward should draw the attention of anyone with even a remote interest in the situation in Israel. Despite Taylor’s efforts to discredit a recent coma victim, Sharon is a hero, as is anyone who works as hard as he has to bring peace to such a troubled region. I am also looking forward to Taylor’s next piece, when he details the atrocities committed by Israel’s next potential partner for peace, Hamas; unfortunately, as Student Life submissions have a maximum of 800 words, it may need to be a series.
Matt is a senior in Arts & Sciences and a Forum editor.