cedars falling

when i was younger, i had a little white cassette tape, and although i couldn't read the writing on it, i knew the tape and i listened to it over and over. The tape consisted of a group of children, singing songs about life, some were cute about be a "little angel and a little star" and some were devastating, asking for their childhood back, which was stripped away by war. when i asked my mother the group name, she told me "atfal." that seems utterly appropriate, as its not a specific group of children, but all children, any children. all children want to dance around singing about being a star one day, all children want to enjoy life with their friends, and any child would be devastated to have all that taken away. I wish to god that i could find that tape, or collection of songs now, but hours of searching have been fruitless.

the devastation that is war going on in the middle east right now is not okay. its not justified. Of course i worry about my family and the rockets being dropped on their hometown of nazareth as well as haifa, tiberias, and all the other citites in israel... but at the same time, i think israel's "retaliation" is... well... its bullshit. not only had they already planned this very attack for 5 years, but why in god's name are you destroying the infrastructure of an entire country because of a front of 2 soldiers dying. that doesn't happen, revealing Israel's preconceived plans. this is a video i hope anyone who reads this will watch. George Galloway is arguing with a skynews television reporter, and his arguments are those which are rarely broadcast. this is a british program, but the frustration he goes through and the struggle to get his opinions across is one we face everyday here in america (especially oklahoma) sure, i'm biased as well, but at the same time not really. i don't agree with war in general. how can i be biased? my own family has been close to attack from the hezbollah rockets... but i don't support one member of the israeli military force.

he makes some excellent arguments, stating, that this is ISRAEL infact invading LEBANON and not vice versa, and beyond that, please think beyond 4 weeks ago when trying to figure out what all this war is about. please realize that although many people don't support hezbollah, they do support their causes... even if every member of the hezbollah party were killed by israel in the next 2 weeks, nothing would be accomplished. you can't kill the sparkle of hope in the eyes of a palestinian that they will have their land back. you can't kill that determination. you couldn't do it with the jewish people after world war 2, they achieved their goals, and wont give it up, why would another people, of the same blood and region even, give up their goals, and their home?

no. if hezbollah is crushed in the next few weeks, nothing will come of it. because the resistance isn't in hezbollah, it isn't in any extremist group or isolated country. it is in the hearts of the arab people, and has spread into the hearts of the just people of the world. the people who loathe and oppose hate. the people who have seen the atrocities committed against the arab people, the palestinian people, these peaceful, civilian people.

if you want to learn more about the actual history beyond these people, try some of the following books:

we belong to the land (Chacour)
A concise history of the palestinian-israeli conflict (Bickerton)
Operation Peace for Galilee: the Israeli-PLO War in Lebanon (Gabriel)

or if you care more for my own research and opinions, i can lend you the books and/or papers i have written.