Peaceful Palestinians threatened by their own

Submitted by Marian Hennings (United States), Jan 7, 2003 at 12:43

There have always been Palestinians who wanted peaceful coexistence with the Israelis. So many of them have been threatened or lynched by Palestinian militants that it takes real fortitude for a Palestinian to call for a genuine peace. The Israelis should realize this.

Despite my support for much of Israel's actions, I disagree with the destruction of homes of juvenile rock throwers, or even bombers, unless it is known that the families supported the violence. In many cases, they do not, just as, in this country, it is unjust to bar an entire family from public housing simply because one member is arrested for drug possession. Control by families over the actions of their members is often assumed to be greater than it actually is, and many Palestinian parents see their sons, and sometimes their daughters, swept into the militant groups over their own objections. Yet, if the children are arrested, it is the parents who suffer the loss of their homes.

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