Neither F-16 fighters nor Qassam rockets will bring peace
Israel is once again seeking to achieve its aims through military might
Last year in Lebanon Israel invaded and bombed
And made Hizbollah stronger
Before that it blockaded and attacked Gaza
And made Hamas stronger
Before that the occupation created the Palestinian resistance
And the invasions of Lebanon created Hizbollah
Now there is more carnage
More dead Palestinian men, women and children
To what end?
Yet Israel has achieved peace
With Egypt and Jordan
By talking to its enemies
Israel is not alone in believing the might of its weapons can force its enemies into submission. It is not surprising that it has the full support of the US and the UK, as they have used the same tactics. In Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere they too have sought to impose their will through military might. With exactly the same results, leaving thousands of civilians dead and making their enemies stronger.
Israeli citizens should not have to live under the threat of rocket attack. But peace will only be achieved when the occupation and the blockades end. A secure and prosperous Palestine is as much in the interest of Israelis as it is of Palestinians.
The attacks may have been launched with one eye on the Israeli election, in February. But we are heartened by reports of Israeli protests. Ten thousand demonstrated in Tel Aviv against the attacks. More than 500 Israeli residents of Sderot (the town most at threat from Hamas rockets) have signed a petition calling on the Israeli government to resist escalation. A group called "Combatants for Peace", made up of ex-Israeli soldiers and ex-Palestinian fighters, meets in Jerusalem to find another way. We express our support for all these voices, daring to oppose the mainstream.
Henry Stewart, Founding IJV Signatory