When will the Immolation between the Jews and the Arabs Come to an End?

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Friday, September 05, 2003

When will the Immolation between the Jews and the Arabs Come to an End?

After the suicide bomb killing 20 Jews happened in Jerusalem , Israel began to step up implementation of its "fixed-point elimination" policy against the leaders of Palestine radical organizations. Meanwhile, Hamas, Islamic Jihad, Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades announced an end to the promise of a three-month temporary truce, and the use of force to respond to Israeli army's "iron-fist policy". There are frequent reports on the casualties of both sides, and the Palestine-Israel situation is precarious.

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After the suicide bomb killing 20 Jews happened in Jerusalem on August 19, Israel began to step up implementation of its "fixed-point elimination" policy against the leaders of Palestine radical organizations. Meanwhile, Hamas, Islamic Jihad, Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades announced an end to the promise of a three-month temporary truce, and the use of force to respond to Israeli army's "iron-fist policy". There are frequent reports on the casualties of both sides, and the Palestine-Israel situation is precarious.

However, it is thought-provoking that the long-standing bloody conflict between the Jews and Arabs is indeed an internal dissension between brothers. Through ethnological studies, we have come to know that the Jews and the Arabs are all descendants of the Semites. According to the record of the Old Testament, Abraham has two sons, Isaac and Ishmael. The descendants of Isaac are the Jews and those of Ishmael are the Arabs. Maybe this is just only the religious legend, but a research result of modern science has clearly proved this to be absolutely true. Scientists from the Medical School of New York University studied the samples of Y chromosome collected from nearly 1,500 men of over 30 countries worldwide and found that the genes of Jews and Arabs originated from the same ancestors. In May 2000, they announced this latest research report.

Although clashes existed between the Jews and the Arabs in history, especially in the early period when these two peoples were at wars for land, however, they could coexist more or less peacefully under the rule of the Arab Empire in the Middle Age. During the period of Crusades Expeditions (1096��1291), the Arabs joined the Jews in the fight against the invaders in defense of their homes, thus writing a sad yet stirring epic. It was in the early period of last century that these two peoples turned hostile, and they fought against each other after World War II. The discord sowed by colonialism and neo-colonialism is like seeds of hatred and conflict between Palestine and Israel.

The Jews, who were lucky enough to survive in the concentration camps and gas chambers and who had had tragic experience and had suffered numerous wounds, had got sympathy from the world people. On Nov 29, 1947, UN General Assembly Resolution 181 on the partition of Palestine was passed, Israel therefore came into being. This irritated the Palestinians who held that the "holy land" was the place inhabited for generations by their ancestors, the Israelis retorted, saying that this was the "promised land" bestowed on them by the God, and that their forebears once established in Jerusalem the "Temple of God" that symbolized the spiritual ballast of the Jews. Each side held fast to its opinions and neither side made concession to the other, thus entailing immolation and endless bloodshed.

Five large-scale wars have taken place in the Middle East, with the parties involved suffering great losses. Wars taught the Arabs and the Jews a bitter lesson, after the Gulf War in 1991, the Jews and the Arabs, taking advantage of the trends of relaxation in the entire world and regional situation, began to open up a new era of solving disputes through negotiations. In the 1990s, the Palestine-Israel relations advanced step by step toward a pragmatic and rational age, with fruits being reaped one after another in the negotiations. In July 2000, the Palestine-Israel-USA David Camp summit talks fell through when success was in sight. Two months later, Ariel Sharon, leader of Likud group, forced his way into the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, and the "Pandora's Box"was opened, as a result, bloodshed between brothers has continued to this date.

The contradictions between the two sides are complex, so it is better to hold peace talks to settle the disputes than to haggle over historical issues. Now, the international community is also working hard for this purpose, the "road map" plan has been launched at last. But the key to success or failure lies in the two sides involved. Fighting between brothers has been going on for so long, with the result that the atmosphere of mutual trust has all gone. One Chinese poetic line runs, "Brothers are born out of the same root, why they should torment each other so violently!" It is hoped that the Jews and the Arabs would calm down.

It is regretted that the fighting between brothers, instead of being checked, has tended to become aggravated at the beginning of the 21st century. People cannot but ask: When will the immolation come to an end?

By PD Online Staff Liu Wei

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