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Palestinians, Israelis both to blame for conflict

Israel and Palestine face many problems on the road to peace. The deplorable terrorist acts often carried out by brain- washed Palestinian schoolchildren and the merciless retaliations from the high-powered Israeli military machine are, of course, the most obvious and personally threatening problems facing the region today.

There is, however, a much greater problem underlying all of this. This problem was wonderfully portrayed, though perhaps not intentionally, by David Keyes in his submission (“Israel suffers while Palestinians reject peace,” Viewpoint, Sept. 30).

The problem is tunnel vision. The lack of open-mindedness in this whole situation is as deplorable as any terrorist attack. The very reason that attacks are still carried out by both sides is due to an ever-resonant tribal mentality, in which each side is concerned only for itself. Palestinians claim Israelis use AK-47s and U.S.-funded jets, attack choppers, tanks and artillery to oppress and eliminate them, often murdering young children in an effort to suppress and destroy the will of the Palestinian people.

Conversely, some Israelis claim Palestinians are heartless terrorists with no other aim than to “destroy the Jewish state” and everyone living in it. Many Israelis claim the “murdered children” who die from artillery fire are used by Palestinians as human shields, meant to gain ground for Palestine in the war of public opinion. Many Palestinians claim their suicide bombings are the only way they can put up a viable defense against the ruthless and well-funded Israeli machine.

The bottom line is that no one is willing to say: “Yeah they did bad stuff and what we did was probably just as bad.” No one wants to admit there is another side to the story.

Each side refuses to admit that this war is going both ways. For every suicide bombing, there is a jet fighter or attack chopper killing as many people in a more concise attack.

Until people like Keyes are able to admit that neither side is more to blame than the other, there will be no progress in the Middle East.

William Newsom Senior, aerospace engineering

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