Drugi Izrael, druga Palestina
V vročih razpravah o izraelsko-palestinskem konfliktu nestrpen diskurz običajno vzpostavi dva monolitna bloka, izraelskega in palestinskega. V ameriških medijih je zgodba znana: svoobodoljubni Izraelci se branijo pred terorjem Palestincev. V Evropi je stvar malenkost boljša, ampak dejanja judovske države se še vedno obravnavajo v rokavicah, stvari se ne imenujejo s pravimi imeni.
Verjetno bo zato koga presenetilo, da tudi v samem Izraelu potekajo razprave o upravičenosti krvavih posredovanj izraelske vojske in o tem, ali ni morda prav okupacija tista, ki je Judom na glavo nakopala srd Palestincev. Te razprave so veliko bolj ostre kot npr. v Sloveniji. V enem izmed največjih in najbolj uglednih izraelskih časnikov Haaretz je komentator nedavno zapisal:
The unbridled aggression and brutality are justified as “exercising caution”: the frightening balance of blood – about 100 Palestinian dead for every Israeli killed, isn’t raising any questions, as if we’ve decided that their blood is worth one hundred times less than ours, in acknowledgement of our inherent racism.
Anyone who justifies this war also justifies all its crimes. Anyone who sees it as a defensive war must bear the moral responsibility for its consequences. Anyone who now encourages the politicians and the army to continue will also have to bear the mark of Cain that will be branded on his forehead after the war. All those who support the war also support the horror. Vir.
Na palestinski strani je situacija podobna. Ko so Izraelci tolkli po Arafatu, si ta ni mogel obetati podpore vseh Palestincev. Konec koncev so Palestinci Arafatov Fatah brcnili z oblasti in izvolili Hamas. Ampak še preden se je to zgodilo, je znotraj palestinskih krogov mrgolelo kritikov Arafata in njegove korumpirane druščine. Pokojni Edward Said je leta 2001 dejal takole:
The Palestinian people deserve better. We have to say clearly that with Arafat and company in command, there is no hope . . . What the Palestinians need are leaders who are really with and of their people, who are actually doing the resisting on the ground, not fat cigar-chomping bureaucrats bent on preserving their business deals and renewing their vip passes, who have lost all trace of decency or credibility . . . We need a united leadership capable of thinking, planning and taking decisions, rather than grovelling before the Pope or George Bush while the Israelis kill his people with impunity . . . The struggle for liberation from Israeli occupation is where every Palestinian worth anything now stands. Vir.