A discussion on the Israeli-Palestinian war – and another perspective.
The Israeli–Palestinian war has been ongoing for over 65+ years (from 1947/1948). But the war between the Jews and Arabs in that area went for many years and centuries before that. This blog article is not to discuss who is right or wrong – or the history of this ongoing conflict.
Recent horrific events, which are just a repeating pattern of the violence and hate between the 2 sides, are just a small pin-point in the long history of the war. I’m not going to propose a solution for this dilemma, but instead bring it back so that we can reflect.
Recent horrific events, which are just a repeating pattern of the violence and hate between the 2 sides, are just a small pin-point in the long history of the war. I’m not going to propose a solution for this dilemma, but instead bring it back so that we can reflect.
Firstly, what happened? If you are not up to date (because it has been very poorly covered by the media): 3 Israeli teens were kidnapped while hitchhiking and then shot to death. Israeli army & government recorded the phone call where they heard the shots, but covered it up to the masses.
This has made it hard to fully determine who the kidnappers were because of the delays and secrecy but the source has been linked back to Palestinian army terrorists (Hamas). It also seemed to justify in Israel's eyes to initiate army invasion into West Bank (Palestine), where they could raid and detain Palestinians (women and children included). Key suspected terrorist houses were detonated, a common form of punishment whether the family had anything to do with it or not.
More horrifying, weeks later after the original event, 3 Israeli extremists abducted a Palestinian boy (16) and beat him up, then burnt him to death in the Jerusalem Forest. Autopsies indicate that he was still alive when burnt. In the meantime, rockets are still being fired from both sides. Arab-based towns in Israel are being subjected to stoning and attacks.
This has been an ongoing saga throughout the Israeli-Palestinian war, with little episodes of peace. You can find a timeline of the war here. And here's a great article with an overview of what's happened, the how's & why.
This has made it hard to fully determine who the kidnappers were because of the delays and secrecy but the source has been linked back to Palestinian army terrorists (Hamas). It also seemed to justify in Israel's eyes to initiate army invasion into West Bank (Palestine), where they could raid and detain Palestinians (women and children included). Key suspected terrorist houses were detonated, a common form of punishment whether the family had anything to do with it or not.
More horrifying, weeks later after the original event, 3 Israeli extremists abducted a Palestinian boy (16) and beat him up, then burnt him to death in the Jerusalem Forest. Autopsies indicate that he was still alive when burnt. In the meantime, rockets are still being fired from both sides. Arab-based towns in Israel are being subjected to stoning and attacks.
This has been an ongoing saga throughout the Israeli-Palestinian war, with little episodes of peace. You can find a timeline of the war here. And here's a great article with an overview of what's happened, the how's & why.
What is obvious is that each attack is a retaliation of the previous attack. Each death to counter the last death.
An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth...?
I’m sure that many of the civilians (non-army, non-government, non-terrorists) in both countries just want it all to be over – just want their families to be safe again.
Powerlessness begets powerlessness.
Why do you think the Israel government and army need to resort to such tactics? Because, deep down, the army, the government and the radicals are feeling powerless. They cannot have the whole land of Jerusalem or other areas they deem as Israel back. They feel slighted by the years of attack that they have experienced, but never feel compensated for it. Collusion and blame are common expressions of feeling powerless. To combat this feeling, they channel their hatred, resorting to using power and force.
The Palestinian government and army radicals are the same. They also claim Jerusalem and areas of Israel as theirs. Sometimes they start the attacks, other times they are retaliating from Israel attacks. But by far, their side has experienced more deaths over the past 15 years, mostly innocent civilians. Their deep hatred stems from feeling powerless as well.
This feud has been going on for so long, through the centuries, nobody can remember who started what. It’s the civilians and the children who suffer.
And the rest of the world also feels powerless to create peace between them.
When you think about the cause of the Israel-Palestinian war, you realise that it started after a time where there was mass movements of Jews out of Europe (Zionism) due to the ethnic cleansing by Hitler during WWII. And what caused Hitler to go on his rampage? The idea that Jews were the cause of Germany's economic crisis and powerlessness after losing in WWI.
Powerlessness begets powerlessness begets powerlessness begets powerlessness. It just keeps carrying on.
So, what do you do about it? The more focus on trying to fix this powerlessness (because we also don’t like to feel powerless as outsiders) – the more of the same reality gets created. Forgetting about it and sweeping under the carpet doesn’t help either.
The truth is that no matter what you do, you cannot make others change. You can force them to do what you want sometimes, but that just leads to more powerlessness and disempowerment. In you and them. You can be a facilitator of that change, but the truth is ultimately their change and growth is their own making.
The key is to start with yourself. To connect with your own sense of power.
The best relationship advice anyone ever gave me was from a powerful psychic reading many years ago. I was asking about my boyfriend at the time, and I asked her: “how can I help him deal with his issues?” And she paused for a second, as if listening to a higher wisdom and replied: “Just make yourself happy – that’s how you can help him best.”
The biggest difference you make is in yourself. No-one else can do that more powerfully than you.
Do something that will truly make you happy. That’s how you give yourself true empowerment. By following your heart, by intending self-empowerment, by giving to yourself moments of timeless connection and bliss – you are changing your world. For some dramatically, for other just a gentle shift.
And by changing your own cosmos, you create a change in the cosmos of those who come into contact with you. It may be something you say, your behaviour, the change in your energy – you might make them blissfully happy, resentfully resistant or they may not ever be aware of your influence – but something changes.
And you don’t need to control the outcome. Actually, you don’t even have to think about others. By controlling the outcome, you fall out of heart energy. Trying to control can often be a compensation for feeling powerless or not trusting the process.
Your heart has the most magnificent electromagnetic energy of your whole body. And your heart energy can create amazing connections to everything throughout time and space. Your heart connects to the whole picture, the greater picture.
Self-empowerment begets self-empowerment. It brings inspiration and makes people start to question areas/attitudes in their life that no longer serve them.
It may be true for your heart to take some action for peace in the Israeli-Palestinian war, or any other war or cause, or it may be true for you to do nothing. People spend all their time doing what they think is right – not necessarily what is true. Look at what’s happening in Israel and Palestine.
What I’ve learnt over the years is that when in conflict with others – come back to yourself. What do I want? What would I love? It has almost nothing to do with others. This may sound self-centred, it probably is. But when I shift something inside myself, make myself happy, empower myself, connect with my heart – others change around me.
I change, and then my world changes.
An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth...?
I’m sure that many of the civilians (non-army, non-government, non-terrorists) in both countries just want it all to be over – just want their families to be safe again.
Powerlessness begets powerlessness.
Why do you think the Israel government and army need to resort to such tactics? Because, deep down, the army, the government and the radicals are feeling powerless. They cannot have the whole land of Jerusalem or other areas they deem as Israel back. They feel slighted by the years of attack that they have experienced, but never feel compensated for it. Collusion and blame are common expressions of feeling powerless. To combat this feeling, they channel their hatred, resorting to using power and force.
The Palestinian government and army radicals are the same. They also claim Jerusalem and areas of Israel as theirs. Sometimes they start the attacks, other times they are retaliating from Israel attacks. But by far, their side has experienced more deaths over the past 15 years, mostly innocent civilians. Their deep hatred stems from feeling powerless as well.
This feud has been going on for so long, through the centuries, nobody can remember who started what. It’s the civilians and the children who suffer.
And the rest of the world also feels powerless to create peace between them.
When you think about the cause of the Israel-Palestinian war, you realise that it started after a time where there was mass movements of Jews out of Europe (Zionism) due to the ethnic cleansing by Hitler during WWII. And what caused Hitler to go on his rampage? The idea that Jews were the cause of Germany's economic crisis and powerlessness after losing in WWI.
Powerlessness begets powerlessness begets powerlessness begets powerlessness. It just keeps carrying on.
So, what do you do about it? The more focus on trying to fix this powerlessness (because we also don’t like to feel powerless as outsiders) – the more of the same reality gets created. Forgetting about it and sweeping under the carpet doesn’t help either.
The truth is that no matter what you do, you cannot make others change. You can force them to do what you want sometimes, but that just leads to more powerlessness and disempowerment. In you and them. You can be a facilitator of that change, but the truth is ultimately their change and growth is their own making.
The key is to start with yourself. To connect with your own sense of power.
The best relationship advice anyone ever gave me was from a powerful psychic reading many years ago. I was asking about my boyfriend at the time, and I asked her: “how can I help him deal with his issues?” And she paused for a second, as if listening to a higher wisdom and replied: “Just make yourself happy – that’s how you can help him best.”
The biggest difference you make is in yourself. No-one else can do that more powerfully than you.
Do something that will truly make you happy. That’s how you give yourself true empowerment. By following your heart, by intending self-empowerment, by giving to yourself moments of timeless connection and bliss – you are changing your world. For some dramatically, for other just a gentle shift.
And by changing your own cosmos, you create a change in the cosmos of those who come into contact with you. It may be something you say, your behaviour, the change in your energy – you might make them blissfully happy, resentfully resistant or they may not ever be aware of your influence – but something changes.
And you don’t need to control the outcome. Actually, you don’t even have to think about others. By controlling the outcome, you fall out of heart energy. Trying to control can often be a compensation for feeling powerless or not trusting the process.
Your heart has the most magnificent electromagnetic energy of your whole body. And your heart energy can create amazing connections to everything throughout time and space. Your heart connects to the whole picture, the greater picture.
Self-empowerment begets self-empowerment. It brings inspiration and makes people start to question areas/attitudes in their life that no longer serve them.
It may be true for your heart to take some action for peace in the Israeli-Palestinian war, or any other war or cause, or it may be true for you to do nothing. People spend all their time doing what they think is right – not necessarily what is true. Look at what’s happening in Israel and Palestine.
What I’ve learnt over the years is that when in conflict with others – come back to yourself. What do I want? What would I love? It has almost nothing to do with others. This may sound self-centred, it probably is. But when I shift something inside myself, make myself happy, empower myself, connect with my heart – others change around me.
I change, and then my world changes.
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