Louis Phlips: Blog 4

Radicalism is a big problem when it comes to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Not only will the conflict get more heated and will there more casualties if one has radicals on both sides, but it will also draw out and potentially destroy any hope for a solution to the conflict. Another big problem with radicalism is that it only portrays a distortion of the truth, often time based on negative stereotypes, and shows a small fraction of the full picture. Radicalism can be seen on both the Israeli, as well as the Palestinian side. The idea of radicalism bringing out negative stereotypes became quite clear on Monday, when we heard two members of the parents circle, a grassroots organization of Palestinians and Israelis who have lost family members due to the conflict, tell us their moving and emotional story.

Not only did we learn about their lives and the story of the loved ones they lost, but we also learned more about their opinion on the conflict. One of the statements that struck me was when one of the members referred to the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) as a terrorist organization. The man himself had served in the IDF, and sadly enough lost his daughter in a suicide attack. Understandably, he was quite emotional, angry and tried to make sense of the tragic loss of his daughter.

Members of the parents circle travel Israel, and go into schools to tell students their personal stories with the hope to show them that Palestinians and Jews are both affected by the conflict, and that they can have an open dialogue and hopefully one day live in peace. Going around, and labeling the  who IDF a terrorist organization, is highly counterproductive, and might alienate many Israeli youth; in fact, they probably stop paying attention at the very second that they hear the IDF being called a terrorist organization. These brave young men and women will put their life on the line to protect Israel, and should be treated respectfully and not be stereotyped.

 Most, if not all Jewish Israelis will serve in the IDF upon graduation of school, and I do not think that it is wise to approach them with this negative stereotype. By doing this, I believe that elements of the radical left, such as the speaker on Monday, is just as bad at the radical right-wing. He makes it very tough for most Israelis to listen to his argument, and alienates the public he intends to educate from the very beginning.