Out of Turmoil Some Clarity Emerges I have been in a turmoil about the Israeli incursion into Gaza, struggling with every emotion from rage to grief.  Likewise, I have been struggling with the actions of Hamas, endangering the lives of its own people, and the role of the U.S. government and its unquestioning  support for the state of Israel.  I have finally found some clarity on this subject.  Today is the first of a two part series.   Today the focus is on Israel.  The next blog will focus on the Palestinians and the U.S. What’s Right in Israel’s Approach It’s often said that “You can’t negotiate with terrorists.”  When people are terrified no one can make rational decisions.  Israelis are tough people but they have an underlying historical narrative of fear, based on thousands of years of persecution, which renders them acutely sensitive to threat.  If the lives of the populace are being menaced it is the role of government to protect its people, and they must take action.  Israel  determined it had to take action against the rockets coming in from Gaza fired on them by Hamas.                                                                                                        What’s Missing in Israel’s Approach Terrorists must be stopped, just as anyone committing out of control violence must be stopped. I have written about this in other blogs about the stopping function.  The problem Israel has run into with their intervention in Gaza, and in prior actions with the Palestinians,  is that they have not thought through the long-term implications of their actions nor made them part of a strategy for successfully ending the conflict with the Palestinians.  It is not enough just to stop terrorist action, because that stopping is always temporary.

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Longing for Connection is Rampant in Modern Life                                                                                                         I am deeply lonely.  I long to love, laugh and be held in the warm glow of intimate connection by family, friends and beloved community.  Yet something stops me. I do not reach out.  I am left alone, knowing I am not living life to the fullest. Millions of other human beings are caught in the same conundrum . Made-Up Meanings Rule Our Lives I have been inquiring deeply into the roots of my disconnection.  Early in my childhood, perhaps on a day when I was very stressed, I came to a conclusion that has ruled my life: “I can never have anything I want.” Given the things going on in my family at the time, this made a weird kind of sense-for a five year old. It doesn’t make sense for someone who wants more love in her life.  Or for one who wants to bring peace and joy to this planet.

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 Taxi Driver Missing in the Fog of War                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    On December 5, 2002 an Afghan taxi driver took three passengers for a ride and never returned home. He was brought to Bagram Air Base where he was detained by U.S. military forces, then in action against the Taliban and Al Qaeda forces.  Bagram had been turned into a prison to hold and interrogate people captured in this first aggressive action in the War on Terror. Five days after his arrival Dilawar was dead. From Victim to Victimizer Taxi to the Dark Side, a searching, and meditative film, is a thoughtful inquiry by documentary filmmaker Alex Gibney (director of Enron: the Smartest Guys in the Room), of the route the U.S. took after 9/11 from attack victim to torturer.

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As US planes head off into Operation Swarmer with Iraqi forces to carry an offensive against a pocket of insurgents, I find myself wondering about power. President Bush said today that first strikes or the ability to wage pre-emptive war remains one of our most important weapons in the War on Terror. You hurt us or you even threaten to hurt us and we’ll hurt you so bad you won’t even know what hit you. You know, the old shock and awe idea. If your enemy is dead they can’t threaten you anymore. Sadly, we have found out in the years since 9/11 that this idea doesn’t seem to work in reality.

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