It is the purpose of this message to make a number of comments related to an article titled Preconditions for Peace written by M Eljahmi published on 30 July.

Closer examination of the article reveals the following: Title:
Preconditions for Peace. Subtitle: Terrorists and their sponsors in the Middle East must reform, or be vanquished.
Countries, people and groups involved in this conflict: Many.
The conflict:- from 1948 to 2006.

It is important to remind ourselves of the aim of the article, it is meant to inform, educate and enrich our understanding of the conflict in the Middle East so ultimately all people can live in peace and harmony.

The question that I’d like to ask: Does the article inform the reader of the basic facts of the conflict?

Let’s bring from the article a number of points that should help us see for ourselves if it was helpful, accurate, unbiased, and based on undeniable events.
If, however, the article fails to achieve its objectives then it will be considered just another piece of misinformation that would make our understanding less realistic and more false, and if this happens then the article becomes counter productive and hence worthless.

Firstly,
Countries, people and groups involved in the conflict as mentioned in the article:-
The article mentions by name, and occasionally by descriptions all those who are involved. These are:
Terrorists - their sponsors – Hamas - Israeli military - Cpl. Gilad Shalit – Hezbollah - Iran – Syria - Arab governments - Sheikh Hassan Nassrallah - the autocrats - the theocrats – security - foreign banks - the Zionists - the United States - the U.N - A just and lasting peace - The international community.

It is certainly worth our attention here to notice words such as ‘Terror’, for example, was mentioned 3 times, and ‘Israel’ was mentioned 13 times. But ‘Palestine‘ was not mentioned, not even once.

Secondly,
The conflict: 1948 to 2006.
This is based on “ Refusal to accept Israel’s right to exist is the root of conflict in the Middle East” In other words conflict started and continued until now since the time when Israel was born, 1948, and not before.
Is this true, did the conflict really start on 1948?

Let’s learn from the BBC what took place “ For the Palestinians the last 100 years have brought colonisation, expulsion and military occupation, followed by a long and difficult search for self-determination and for coexistence with the nation they hold responsible for their suffering and loss.

The Zionist project of the 1920s and 1930s saw hundreds of thousands of Jews emigrating to British Mandate Palestine, provoking unrest in the Arab community. The Jewish population had risen to about 11% of Palestine's 750,000 inhabitants. More than 300,000 immigrants arrived in the next 15 years. Zionist-Arab antagonism boiled over into violent clashes in August 1929 when 133 Jews were killed by Palestinians and 110 Palestinians died at the hands of the British police”^(*).

It is therefore wrong to state, though indirectly, the date on which the conflict started was the same date of Israel’s birth. It started much earlier.

A final note. Although history is meaningful, the future is certainly more important. We, readers and writers, the least we could do now to help the children of Palestine and Israel enjoy better future and not pay with their blood for the mistakes of their grand parents, is to base our knowledge and understanding on thorough research, verified facts, sound arguments and unbiased conclusions.

Adel Ahmed
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