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The Daily Tar Heel

Both sides are blamable for Middle East violence

TO THE EDITOR:

Injustice is responsible for the carnage in the Middle East. And it is perpetrated by both sides.

In a conflict with such a long history it is naive to propose that only one side can be responsible.

Israel's blockade indiscriminately affected civilians and Hamas fighters alike just as rockets fired by Hamas target all Israeli citizens not just soldiers.

There is a well-documented if not well-covered history of violent action against Palestinians by Israeli settlers. Settlers in Hebron in the West Bank have attacked Palestinian families burned homes and killed livestock.

Furthermore any examination of Israeli settlement actions and policies demonstrates the oppressive dynamic that characterizes the Israeli-Palestinian relationship.

We do not ignore the suffering and fear of Israeli citizens who live in danger of rocket attacks. What we must recognize is who holds the real power in this situation.

To move forward we must acknowledge that criticism or even condemnation of Israel is not an endorsement of Hamas' terrorist actions. Using humans as shields is evil.

The key to this conflict is that injustice must be named and not tolerated regardless of who perpetrates it.



 Cristina Chenlo

Junior

Political Science International Studies



 Eric Stam

Junior

Economics International Studies


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