My God Can Beat Up Your God

First of all this author is not taking sides.

To be frank, I'm tired of the propagandist rhetoric from all involved parties. We see the film footage and still photographs pouring out of the Middle East on a daily basis. We witness images of dead and battered civilians, which consist mostly of women, children and the elderly. We see people, covered in blood and dust, screaming and crying over dead loved ones.

These people want peace and they deserve it. They're human. They're like you and me and they believe in the sanctity of life. It's just hard to see this through the bomb clouds and gun smoke. It's difficult to detect through the flag burning demonstrations. It's impossible to hear their message of peace over the seething, hollering masses when they take to the streets proclaiming 'Death to the Infidels!' while firing their guns into the air.

And we find ourselves wondering what possible reason these people could have to hate us so much. Israel's Ambassador to the United Nations, Dan Gillerman, was quoted as saying, "There will be peace when they love their children more than they hate us". That's a steamy load of self-serving bull crap. It's apparent to anyone that the woman with the tear stained face, howling in emotional agony and pulling her hair out as she throws herself on her dead offspring, she loves her child very much.

There is a root cause. The creation of the State of Israel after World War II was not exactly an instant hit with the Arab nations in the Middle East. Even less popular was Israel's decision in 1967 to pre-preemptively strike out at their new neighbours and to go so far as to occupy those lands.

But still, why do they hate us?

Political Injustice and Failed Diplomacy. That's what we're told. Our politicians are accused of showing favoritism to Israel. These Arab and predominately Muslim nations feel their rights and religion are being not only ignored, but strangled. And they're very angry about the whole thing. The more they get punished for their opinion the angrier they become. The angrier they become, the more it deepens their resolve. The more resolved they become, the more desperate they become. The more desperate they are, the more dangerous they become.

There's a pattern here. It's spiral shaped and it's going downward.

There is no question that Israel has the right to defend herself. But so also does every sovereign nation. And now everyone is justifying their actions under the mantra of the war on terrorism. Palestine and Lebanon are democratic countries and have voted in their favoured parties, which happen to include Hamas and Hezbollah. There is an unspoken dialogue of debate as to whether Hamas and Hezbollah are terrorists organizations.

Israel has been told they have justification for a response. But they were also warned by the United Nations to keep that response proportionate to the issue. The international community seems to feel that Israel has failed in this regard. And yet Israel continues. But after the Bush administration openly and successfully defied the United Nations admonishment to not invade Iraq, it stands to reason that Israel feels it can do the same.

All that said, the Hezbollah have manipulated this conflict willingly. This War At All Costs. And the Lebanese people are paying that cost by the hundreds. So have eleven innocent Canadians. One a U.N. Peacekeeper. The Hezbollah's hysterical demand for justice has dictated that the loss of innocents is an acceptable loss in the name of their cause. No matter how many. After all, they seek revenge in honour of their God and their brothers and sisters that have sacrificed their lives for Him. War is what they want, and war is what they're getting. War in the name of God and religious heritage.

The same heritage Israel claims to have.

My God can beat up your God.

Now all involved nations in the Middle East are calling for international intervention. They wish for international forces to go in and manage their conflict. Like it's somehow our problem they can't put their differences aside and learn to co-exist peacefully. Israel has made demands for a buffer zone along the Lebanese border, but it's highly doubtful Israel has considered having that buffer zone inside their own border.

Both groups are stubbornly and knowingly forcing an international conflict. Both sides are demanding we choose a side. We know Iran and Syria have already made their choices. And America's choice is as good as made. But what of the rest of the world's leaders? So far it's like they're walking on rocks to cross a crocodile pond.

Here's a solution: We put Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Sheik Hassan Nasrallah in a ring and let them duke it out.