Sow the wind, reap the whirlwind

Are you fed up with the whole “Israel has the right to self-defense” cliché or its excuse to refuse condemnation of the mass murder of Palestinians by the official Israeli killer machine? Small kids writing messages on bombs to be dropped on Palestinian homes or crowds sheering as bombs fall on Gaza cannot reflect a psychologically healthy society. Is there any difference between the Israeli or Palestinian pain? Is Palestinian blood shed ruthlessly by aerial and land bombardments different in color than the Jewish blood?

Israelis don’t deserve such an image. An overwhelming majority of Israelis cannot be happy with the brutality that borders barbarism or, as Turkish officials repeatedly accuse, genocidal undertakings by their government. There might be some fanatics. Youngsters might be held hostage of euphoria by those fanatics who cheer while the Israeli army pounds Palestinian settlements from land and air.

However, most Israelis – I know from my talks during many trips to Israel – must be pretty well aware that only more violence can be harvested if insisted on sawing such brutality. After all, “sow the wind, reap the whirlwind” is not a proverb of an alien culture to this geography.

The Palestinian death toll was bordering 400 on Sunday afternoon and will probably exceed it by the time this article is published. It is nonsense to look at the Israeli death toll in search of legitimizing Palestinian mass killing. Yes, the death of even one person is a calamity for mankind, but somehow Israeli leadership has been attempting to turn Palestinian killing into a pastime sport activity for itself. It should be aware, however, that annihilating all Palestinian people and their lands is impossible.

Worse, terrorist gangs, such as Hamas, will obtain legitimacy from the Israeli barbarism on civilian Palestinians. Seeing the latest Israeli aggression who can buy the argument that Israel has been trying to stop missiles being fired by Hamas? How many people died of Hamas rockets? How many people died in Israeli lands from aerial bombardments?

Claiming that settlement places were pre-warned before being hit or exceptional measures were being taken to avoid civilian “collateral,” casualties cannot be justified. Why? Because it is impossible to hide the realities on the ground from the international community.

All this being said, on the other hand, Turkey must take more effective measures to protect Israeli diplomatic missions as well as visiting Israelis – be they tourists or businessmen. The bashing Israeli strategy of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and his gang should not be used in the presidential election campaign. Condemning Israeli operations on Gaza should not be allowed to turn into an anti-Zionist vendetta.

Israel should have secure borders. Of course Israelis should be able to go to sleep without worrying that a missile fired by some zealots somewhere might fall on their houses. But the Israeli state should know also that Palestinians should have their inalienable rights as well, which includes having their own state in their homeland. Insisting on dictating terms of truce or even a settlement unilaterally cannot work. Violence can only bring more violence. Where are those Israelis who were on the streets in their millions in support of peace? Where is that wise statesman Shimon Peres to explain to Benjamin Netanyahu that irrespective how prosperous Israel might be peace cannot be achieved if Palestinians go to bed with empty stomachs?

Israelis and Palestinians deserve an honorable peace and for that rather than succumbing to terrorism and violence more efforts should be made for a negotiated compromise resolution.