This morning, I went to MacRitchie reservoir again, to run. I saw runners from Swift Atheletic Association and they simply blazed past me. Sian..
Since today is Saturday, I had expected the area to be crowded by members of the public. However, I was surprised to see so many students. Raffles (JC and Institution), SJI, HC, RV, ACJC, CJC, PJC, and even AJC! Of course there were lots of pretty girls to look at, especially at the canoeing site XD. But as experience has taught me: when it comes to AJCians, with the distinctive, bright yellow&blue coloured PE shirts, I shouldn't bother to lift an eyelid...

Anyway I was reading the Straits Times just now and I should highlight this article: "The dead are pawns in politics," by Gwynne Dyer on page A20.
I couldn't agree with it more.

The Israelis have always been locked in a conflict with Palestinians and also the Arabs in the region. You can also see it as a constant fight by the Arabs to drive the Jews away. Such conflicts have been occuring since the Jewish state was created in 1948.

News of such conflicts, like the latest one, between Israel and the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip has raised international concern, but only to a small bit, with the exception of the Muslims. But there are limited ways in which outsiders can intervene. Most countries go for the near-useless method of "urging all parties to restrain and end the violence immediately." Sounds familiar? Nations of the UN Security Council might intervene to broker a peace accord. And the last option, which I believe, no country with the right mind will use, is to send in a peacekeeping force, or even send an army in to fight the Israelis.

I'm not very surprised or shocked when I heard of Israeli conflicts. It is like yet another. Yes, people do die, families destroyed, houses flatten. But what else can be done? Most of the Israelis and Palestinians are chasing after a dream, which I believe will never be fulfilled, in the near future, at least.

The Palestinians hope to destroy Israel completely. Add to the fact that the Hamas in the Gaza Strip is nothing more than a terrorist organsiation, headed by a bunch of crazy barbarians, chanting for an elusive goal. I'm sorry if I sound harsh. But what more can you say when this latest conflict that started in December 2008, it was the Hamas that pressed the trigger first? They fired rockets into Israel when the peace treaty expired. Surely the Hamas knew the Israelis would respond. In other words, they asked for it. Until now, Hamas chooses to be defiant and claims that this resistance must not stop.

And obviously you can't elimate a nation using rockets and mortars. When your enemy is well-trained and extremely well-equipped with high tech weapons. Mind you, these high tech weapons are meant to reduce errors of friendly fire and reduce civillian casualties. But as far as the Arabs can see, it is the worst possible form of oppression from the Jewish state in using advanced weapons against the innocent, the women, the children and their guerilla fighters.
It is indeed confusing. Imagine you're an Israeli solider on foot in the Gaza Strip with orders to kill Hamas soldiers on sight. Afterall, if you don't kill them, they will kill you. But who is Hamas? Will anyone wear a tag saying: I am from Hamas? Is that man in suit a suicide bomber? Could that old lady at the corner be a rocket launcher? Or is that kid throwing stones at you, demanding you to get out of Gaza, from Hamas?

And what's the Israeli dream? They hope the Palestinians and Hizbollah in Lebanon won't disturb them with attacks. This seems to be a relatively simple hope, but when you're confronting barbarians and fanatics, it becomes an order that might just be too tall to reach. Do you think you can sit down peacefully and talk with barbarians to reach a longlasting ceasefire agreement? Quite unlikely. The barbarians are far too eager in drawing their weapons for a fight. And in fights, certainly Israel won't lose. It will hold it's ground steady and eventually reach a status quo. However this does not mean the Jewish state was won. As seen from past conflicts, Israel has failed to stamp out Hizbollah and Hamas entirely. Within months after an end of a conflict, a new one will start.

In fact, the fanatic and mindless Palestinians would love to see Israel fight them. Like Gwynne has mentioned, the dead are pawns. For each person killed, Hamas and Hizbollah grows stronger, with more supporters. Israel can conducted targeted airstrikes to assasinate high ranking leaders of Hamas and Hizbollah, crippling their operations for a moment, but soon a new figure emerges to take the position. As this cycle continues, conflicts with Israel will not likely to end in the near future.

This is a major problem in fighting terrorists. Often their power to influence the minds of people is the root of the problem. Such wars are unlikely to be settled using military might, but with brainwashes or mind control or better influences. If the Palestinians truly want peace, they should resort to logic and not feelings. They must condemn Hamas to reduce it's influence. Hamas and its fantastical and unattainable ideals. Fatah in the West Bank is doing pretty well. Palestinians from Gaza should take a leaf from those in the West Bank.

I admit that I'm biased towards Israel. But I don't want to see a conflict fought by an organisation that has absolute no regards for human life. Hamas knew firing rockets isn't a long term solution, and Israel will kill more. More Palestinians to be exact. Effectively isn't Hamas using the lives of their fellow Palestinians to achieve the unacheivable? Whatever for? Can't they get along with the Israelis?

Oh yes 1 more thing:
It is understandable that Arabs and Muslims become angry when Israel starts a fight with Palestinians or any of their neighbours. Then again, the Muslims in Singapore seem unmoved. Perhaps Muslims here are educated and are discerning enough to take an appropriate. Or I may be wrong. But what truly amuses me is the reaction from Indonesians and Malaysians Muslims. Often they will take to the streets, holding banners and chanting slogans like: Israelis are murderers etc..
To me, they seem as though they feel neglected. Being at one corner of the world, far away from the Middle East, they want their voices heard. Well actually, if the Indonesians and Malaysian Muslims are really that free and have got nothing to do, why not go to Gaza and fight with the Palestinians? Since they are so moved and sympathetic to the plight of Gazans, just go there and help them out. What's the use in having a loud voice when it is the action that counts?

G.Y.