ay the Arabs in a more sympathetic way and more readily blame Israelis as well as the US for the continuing bloodshed.The fact that both the Palestinians and also the Pakistanis believe the US should go to greater lengths to instill peace in the Middle East reminded me of our discussion in class regarding the conflicts in Rwanda. Many people in Rwanda believe that what was needed to stop the genocide was a message from the international community that continued fighting and inhumane war tactics were not acceptable. Because of a lack of international political will thousands of innocent people were killed. Similarly, the people in the US need to stand up against the unquestionably pro-Islamic position of our government and look at the reality of the situation. In order to help stop the war in Middle East Americans must be involved in the political arena and say that biased views of the White House will not be tolerated. While the Chicago Tribune and the Dawn attribute the causes of the war to different groups, both agree that the consequences of continued fighting will result in instability and an upheaval of all facets of daily life. The complex political situation makes large-scale economic development almost impossible. One major problem is that while Palestinian authority gained autonomy over parts of the West Bank, there are numerous new restrictions for Palestinians who have to negotiate Israeli checkpoints daily in order to get to work. Palestinians living in the West Bank and Gaza Strip need permits to travel anywhere inside the boundary of Israel, including Jerusalem. Violence often erupts at these checkpoints because Israeli soldiers refuse to let Arabs through. An article in the Chicago Tribune titled “Clampdown Threatens Palestinians’ Fragile Economy” was written on October 29, 2000 by Stephen Franklin and refers to the economic and social consequences that result when Israelis bar Palestinians from...
