Compromise is the key to a truce in the Middle East

Last week I saw the following headline on the New York Times Website, “From a Suicide Bomber’s Father, No Praise, JustGrief.”

I, a Jewish-American Iranian, was thrilled to see at least onePalestinian oppose suicide bombing. I know he is not alone.

Sabih Abu Saud’s father, Kabul, did not support hisson’s suicide, unlike most parents of these bombers. Kabuldissented and possibly started a new wave of understanding in theregion. He may be the first or one of many Palestinians who areagainst suicide bombing as an action for peace in the MiddleEast.

Israelis, Palestinians and their respective supporters need tostart thinking critically of themselves to find a solution to thesituation. If each side thought of itself half as critically astheir opponents, then they would be on the road to peace.

For Israelis and Palestinians a co-existent solution will onlycome after they realize their faults. Palestinians need toeliminate suicide bombing. There is no movement in the direction ofa resolution, only a cycle of death.

Each time a suicide occurs, Israeli forces typically retaliateby crushing the bomber’s family home or attempt toassassinate a member of the terrorist organization that suppliedthe bomb.

The Israeli army’s response is that crushing thebomber’s home is a form of punishment and a deterrent. It maybe a punishment, but it is definitely not a deterrent. If it were,then today, after many years of the bulldozing tactics, Israelwould not have suicide bombers on street corners.

Kabul said that his son chose to kill himself and no one else.He did not blame the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, the organizationthat provided the bomb, because Sabih was not forced to take it.Kabul also describes his son as a “good and quietboy.”

Sabih, 16, is thought to be one of the youngest suicide bombers.His uncle Nasser was a member of the organization and was killed byan Israeli raid in April. Sabih, who had his uncle’s pictureat the time of his own death, had plenty of motive for the horrificact. At the same time, he probably had lots of influence frommembers of the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades.

Hamas, Islamic Jihad and al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades are likecults; they brainwash people into peons. These terroristorganizations promise food and shelter to impoverished people andrequire one thing in return: kill themselves and take a fewIsraelis with them for the Palestinian brethren. Then they throw ina passage from the Koran, claim the interpretation meant thatMohammed said to do the act, and persuade the unsuspecting peon tofollow orders.

Palestinians need to fight back, not necessarily to Israelis butto their own people who manipulate them. Organization leadersincluding Yasser Arafat, will not have much to do if Palestiniansand Israelis have peace. These people thrive on the power they getfrom Palestinian poverty. Peace with Israelis will take away anycontrol, and they will be forced to make a real living. Most ofthese organizations are hijacking Islam and using what may be falseinterpretations to rule people.

A Hamas political leader, Abdel Aziz al-Rantissi, told the BBClast year that it is forbidden in their religion to recognizeIsrael, because they cannot give up a part of their land. Insteadthey can live side by side with Israel and make a truce, he said.Without recognizing Israel, a legitimate truce can not occur. Hamasdoes not get this or chooses not to.

In Hamas’ profile on the BBC Web site, it states thattheir long-term goal is to establish an Islamic state on all ofhistoric Palestine. Most of this land has been withinIsrael’s borders since 1948.

This is not to say Israel is completely innocent. While Jewsaround the world are justified in being passionate about theirhomeland, they should not close their eyes to wrong actions. Sinceits inception 55 years ago, Israel has been on both the defensiveand the offensive sides. For example, in 1982 Carl Bernsteinreported that then army commander Ariel Sharon and Prime MinisterMenachem Begin lied to the Israeli Parliament about sending troopsto Lebanon. Allegedly, Sharon and Begin not only wanted to removeterrorists on the Lebanese border but go on to the capital, Beirut.Israelis have to find a limit to their control of terrorism.

Terrorism is in no way a good thing, but fighting it sometimesremoves people’s civil liberties. Building a fence andincreasing checkpoints between Palestinian territories and Israeliones are not beneficial to anyone. Suicide bombers still getthrough many of these checkpoints, and they will search for ways toget over the fence.

Israel may have to do something it does not dare speak of— give parts of its territory with few Jewish settlers toPalestinians. Then Jews around the world must help these settlersrelocate and not become refugees.

Compromise may be the only way for Israelis and Palestinians tolive together side by side.