The overall Israeli consensus on 18 years in Lebanon is that it was a costly, useless effort with many needlessly lost lives. Israel can repeat the same stupidity - which we are currently doing effectively - or draw the appropriate conclusions. If, as Jonathan Chait states (The logic of force, August 7), it makes no difference what we do - that Hizbullah's position is boosted by being our antagonist - then from both military and political perspectives we need to minimise the antagonism. The more we talk to Hizbullah, eg on prisoners, as they suggested, the more we are photographed with them around a discussion table, the more we lower their shares in the Arab world.
Also, it's simple to see where there are fewer casualties and greater political capital. Is it in suffering a rare hostage-taking or a one-off Katyusha shower that draw the world's outrage towards them? Or is it bombarding Lebanon, killing hundreds of people, which draws the world's criticism upon us and support for them? So, even if you hold on to the "us and them" approach, which lies at the root of the problem, the conservative policy, of "flattening them" and "revenging every action" with escalated reaction, doesn't hold water. Doves against conservatives is another division that pits us against each other, instead of thinking creatively to resolve our mutual problem.
We should have a Lebanese-Israeli round table that deals with the Hizbullah problem. The only way out is by a process of conflict resolution. Heaping as much destruction as possible on the other side gains nothing but resentment and hatred. We need to define our long-range goals as creating and building neighbourly relations - and this should define our short-range actions.
Dr Janna Weiss
Haifa, Israel
Modern warfare kills 90% civilians and continues to be a serious public health problem.
Violence creates many more problems than it purports to resolve.
People escalate conflicts with countless insincere intentions.
Perhaps the zeal for war (or the sincere wish for peace?!*&#^^) is the real reason why Janna's forum post on inner peace for world peace is deemed "not current" for the Current Affairs forum.
Please remember that there is a Public Health Model to Heal Violence and until we apply sensible solutions to our problems, we will continue to suffer.
May everyone have lasting happiness and the causes for lasting happiness.
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Key words: [peace, war, violence, Integrative Public Health Model to Heal Violence]
הוספת תגובה על "כיצד עושים שלום במקום מלחמה?"
נא להתחבר כדי להגיב.
התחברות או הרשמה