¶ … Israeli occupation of the Gaza strip
Analyses of conservative and liberal editorials about the Israeli occupation of the Gaza strip
In the midst of debates surrounding the issue of the occupation and recent evacuation of Israelis in the Gaza strip, American newspapers had been filled with editorials reflecting American society's stand on this issue. It became apparent that this issue had been unanimously viewed by Americans as over-delayed, that Israel's decision to evacuate Gaza was not only right, but is also just. In effect, Americans criticized two important elements in the issue of Israeli evacuation at Gaza: the first element criticized was the overdue evacuation of Israelis, and the second element was that despite its evacuation of settlers, Israeli had gained more than it lost by "giving up" Gaza for the Palestinians.
In this paper, analyses of two editorials are conducted in order to illustrate how Americans perceived and reacted over this important international politics issue. "Sharon: Hero and Goat of Gaza" by Patrick Buchanan and "Fighting Israel's Wall" by Ann Petter are both editorials that offer criticism of the Israeli occupation of Gaza, although each differed in the tone they used in arguing their position. Buchanan offered a more conservative and diplomatic approach in criticizing the Israeli and American governments on the said issue, while Petter maintained a fiery, liberal tone about her outright protest against Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territory of Gaza.
Given these backgrounds about each of the editorial discussed and analyzed, this paper, then, posits that Petter's editorial emerges as the most persuasive argument than Buchanan's because of the liberal and more personalized tone she assumed in expressing her protest about this current event relevant to Americans. Because of her strong opposition and clear argument against the issue, Petter successfully communicated the message that Israelis had done the Palestinians great injustice by maliciously occupying Gaza despite its being a Palestinian territory. The texts that follow discuss in detail the arguments raised in Buchanan's and Petter's respective editorial, as well as analyses of the strengths and weaknesses of the arguments each author raised.
Buchanan's editorial delved into the history of Israel's occupation of the Gaza strip and the political dynamics surrounding their alleged occupation and eventual evacuation of the Palestinian territory. He first discussed the history behind Israel's alleged occupation of the Gaza strip. Buchanan appropriately summed up Israel's actions regarding the occupation issue in the following passage from his editorial: "For his resolve in removing the settlers, despite threats on his life, Ariel Sharon deserves credit. But for the settlers' being there, where they never belonged, he bears full blame. Both the tragedy and the debacle of this past week are Sharon's doing."
This passage rested on the historical fact that Gaza was an original territory of Palestine, and Israeli presence in the territory became accidentally possible after the Six-Day War in 1967. Thus, over the years, Israelis managed to "usurp" the Gaza territory, thereby affecting Palestinian economy upon the establishment of the Separation Wall. What had once been a simple issue of illegal occupation became an international issue that also led to extreme violence between the Israelis and Palestinians.
What now becomes an issue, according to Buchanan, was the supposed benefit that Israel took from the U.S. In exchange of evacuating Gaza. By evacuating the Gaza strip, Israel, through the leadership of Sharon, would receive $2.2 billion, the amount of financial resource required for him to make this 'goodwill gesture' to Palestine (and the U.S.). The injustice behind this transaction, Buchanan argued, was the payment given to Israel despite its illegal occupation of Gaza. It was actually Israel's fault that it has severe political relations with Palestine, yet, they will receive financial help from the U.S. By undoing a political conflict Israel itself had initiated. Unfortunately, the U.S. government becomes an accessory to Israel's offense because it tolerated Israel's actions by providing it financial aid.
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