Middle East conflict: causes, contexts, and contemporary issues

Third Party Intervention in the Middle East

The headlines everyday report more violence in the Middle East than ever before. Television broadcasts offer viewers a barrage of suicide bombers, massacres, garden-variety atrocities of all types, and a group who hails themselves as "Freedom Fighters." With so many women, children, and others who do not support their position as victims, one must wonder for whose freedom do they fight? This conflict has been going on for many generations and with no real resolution, only a temporary lull in the fighting now and then.

The two sides of the conflict have been unable to resolve their differences to this point and the fighting and violence continues to escalate and involve more and more innocent victims. Due to their inability to resolve this conflict on their own, it is now necessary for third parties to intervene with solutions to end this senseless conflict, so that no more innocent lives are lost.

In an article in the Palestine Chronicle, Baroud Ramzy points out that the exact numbers of the dead are not even known. There are many who are missing or dead, and no one even has an accurate count any more. Estimates are somewhere between 2,000 and 4,000. These are the nameless, faceless dead of women and children who have vanished into the annals of history.

So how did this recent wave of violence escalate? Elias Tuma of Amin.org blames the leaders for failing to anticipate the others reactions. Tuma states, "Yasser Arafat bears a great responsibility for failing to anticipate how Ariel Sharon would react to terrorist activities and suicide bombers who were targeting civilians indiscriminately."(Tuma, amin.org). He also adds that Ariel Sharon is equally responsible for the deterioration of relations with the Palestinians as he gave the orders for the atrocities inflicted on the Palestinians.

An article in the Israeli Insider makes it clear that Sharon will not trust Arafat. President Bush reminds Sharon that even though he does not trust Arafat, he still must deal with him to be able to resolve this conflict in a way that will benefit all parties involved. ABC News has a synopsis of the two sides involved. This conflict has a long history over occupation of the area known as the "Fertile Crescent," however, ABC News is quick to point out that this most recent conflict is one between two clashing personalities. Both Sharon and Arafat grew up on the land that they now fight over. They have similar backgrounds involving participation in paramilitary groups at an early age. In 2002 Sharon claims to have direct evidence linking Arafat to the recent terrorism in the region, and now the world. It seems as if the conflict is no longer about principles, but more resembles two small boys fighting for control over the sand box.

BBC reporter Kathryn Westcott reports a chilling trend among young teens who emulate their elders and perform suicide bombings. The military action in the West Bank has had the effect that 600,000 children have been unable to attend school. Television propaganda enrages the children and they are now beginning to take part in the violence. We must remember that children learn more by our actions than our words and we can only blame ourselves when a 14-year-old runs into a crowded mall of other school children and pulls the pin on the grenade. Some so-called "Freedom Fighters" are even recruiting children to do their dirty work.

The Jerusalem Post echoes the same inability of the leaders to come to an agreement. Ariel Sharon now reports that he has indisputable evidence linking Arafat to the terrorism and that he will not deal with such as man. Arafat feels that he is being victimized. The World trade Organization, in general tried to stay out of personal conflicts between two countries, unless it sees that intervention would be in the best interest to the world at large.