If a prison kept all the people in their cells with no work and no money, the hard line among us, and even the moderates, might say "they are criminals and that is what they deserve"
If you then found out that they had not done anything wrong and they were in prison because of where they were born, we'd start to question the justice in the situation.
Even if the prison was large and people could move around. Whole families were inside and they had built schools and hospitals it would still be a prison.
If there was a strict controls on what went in and out. Even if some people were aloud out to work during the day, but had to be home at night it would still be a prison.
If the prisoners saw the injustice and started to protest. The guards could just ignore them and we would think nothing of it.
If the prisoners climbed on the roofs and threw stones and slates we might wonder what was going on. And if the guards started shooting the prisoners we would probably see it as heavy handed. However, if the prisoners still protested, despite getting shot, we would want to know more about why.
Would the prisoners be justified in trying to kill the guards? Or should they accept the losses and just go back to being repressed?
Should the Palestinians accept their lot or are they justified in resisting. Are the Israelis abusing their power and using excessive force?
The situation is the result of an early attempt by the West to interfere with another country/political/religious system. The WWII allies gave the land to form the Israeli state. It wasn't empty, other people lived there. They probably did it because they felt guilty for not stepping in earlier to prevent the holocaust.
Like so much imperial interference its left a mess that seems to go on and on..
If you then found out that they had not done anything wrong and they were in prison because of where they were born, we'd start to question the justice in the situation.
Even if the prison was large and people could move around. Whole families were inside and they had built schools and hospitals it would still be a prison.
If there was a strict controls on what went in and out. Even if some people were aloud out to work during the day, but had to be home at night it would still be a prison.
If the prisoners saw the injustice and started to protest. The guards could just ignore them and we would think nothing of it.
If the prisoners climbed on the roofs and threw stones and slates we might wonder what was going on. And if the guards started shooting the prisoners we would probably see it as heavy handed. However, if the prisoners still protested, despite getting shot, we would want to know more about why.
Would the prisoners be justified in trying to kill the guards? Or should they accept the losses and just go back to being repressed?
Should the Palestinians accept their lot or are they justified in resisting. Are the Israelis abusing their power and using excessive force?
The situation is the result of an early attempt by the West to interfere with another country/political/religious system. The WWII allies gave the land to form the Israeli state. It wasn't empty, other people lived there. They probably did it because they felt guilty for not stepping in earlier to prevent the holocaust.
Like so much imperial interference its left a mess that seems to go on and on..
"And the Germans kill the Jews
And the Jews kill the Arabs
And the Arabs kill the hostages
And that is the news"
Roger Waters, Perfect Sense, 1992
