The Blame Game

Lately, the so-called “peace talks,” aimed to resolve the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Authority, changed their course from trying to negotiate the terms of ending this very complicated situation. It seems that in the past few weeks, all sides involved are occupied with only one question: Who’s to blame for the lack of solution?

The “peace talks” started to crumble a while ago, and some would say that from Day One it was obvious that this thing was going to fail. This knowledge did not stop John Kerry from trying, perhaps too hard, to get Netanyahu and Abbas to sit down and talk. Truth is, the gaps were just too big. Abbas was not willing to acknowledge Israel as a Jewish state and Netanyahu was not willing to stop building settlements.

Nonetheless, the “talks” took place, and newspapers were filled with speculations on who was going to cave first and if this whole “peace plan” would even work. Both sides, with the not-so-subtle push from the Americans, tried to talk. The problem was that while they talked peace, they acted differently. Netanyahu continued to build and Abbas continued to allow terrorists act within Israel and threaten the future of the Jewish people.

In the meantime, more than a fair share of people lost their lives. The most recent of them was 20-year old“>Eden Atias who was stabbed by a hateful man who was trained to kill for “justice.” As you read these lines, future terrorists are being educated to do the same — to “kill the Jewish devil.” Now, the only question that needs to be asked is: How many innocent people losing their lives will be enough for our leaders to take this peace process seriously? True, Abbas is not willing to settle, but maybe this is why we must take a step back and show that at least one side is serious.

Neither Israelis nor Palestinians like living under this dark cloud of the conflict, but it seems that our leaders, including the mediator, are too busy pointing fingers to take action. With us barely noticing, the latest discussions regarding the conflict focus on people from Israel, the United States and the Palestinian Authority blaming one another for the failure of the “peace talks.” Does it truly matter who’s to blame? Not really, because everyone is to blame.

Maybe the reason why the current round of discussions failed is because the main effort went to blaming others for “not really wanting peace.” But the naked truth is that not a single one of all three leaders involved truly wants peace. They want adoration and they want to make history. Maybe they also want quiet in the region, but they don’t want peace — at least not enough to make the proper compromises BOTH sides need to take.

We want peace. Us, the “little people.” We are sick and tired of opening the morning paper and read about another death in vain. Respected leaders, stop the blame game; take responsibility, take action!

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