Over the passed few months we have discussed some pretty horrific news stories coming out of Arab areas, but this is by far the worst! In fact, I would be shocked if I ever find anything as awful and tragic as this to write about again.
A Hamas-run television program for children has recently shown a program where actors were reenacting a woman’s preparations for a suicide bombing in front of the woman’s children. In the show an actress is seen getting her belt of explosives ready while she ignores her questions from the actors pretending to be her children. At one point, one of the pretend children asks the pretend mother if the thing she has in her arms is a present for her as the pretend mother holds the munitions that are meant to kill Israelis.
At the conclusion of the show the children are shown footage of the actual blast carried out by a mother in 2004 which killed four Israelis As one of the pretend children says that they now know what was more important than them.
This show, which was amazingly produced for kids, shows just how screwed up Hamas is. I am still committed to a two-state solution. But if the world—and the Palestinians can not find a way to remove the influence Hamas has over the Palestinian people there will never be piece between the Israelis and the Palestinians. Objecting to Israel’s occupation is one thing. Being angry about some of the tactics used by Israel against the people of Gaza in January’s war is justifiable. But producing and broadcasting television programs that teach children that blowing themselves up in an attempt to kill innocent Israeli civilians is despicable.
As I sit here I would like to suggest cutting off all aid to the Palestinians until they renounce Hamas, but I am afraid that decision would only inspire many Palestinians to continue blaming the West and Israel for all of their problems. The only solution that seems remotely possible is if the world puts together a united force to drive Hamas out of power in Gaza. Once that is done the UN should be charged with assisting the Palestinians in creating a real government. Of course, this new government could not be led by the PLO, because that would further the strong divisions that exist between the Palestinians. Honestly, it does not appear that the Palestinian people will ever be capable of freeing themselves from extremists without outside intervention. Of course, this plan should never be implemented unless countries like Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Egypt agree to contribute many troops and much cash to the effort.
Tags: children, CNN, Gaza, Hamas, Israel, news, opinion, Palestinians, politics, United Nations
