Israel’s Blockade Continues to Suffocate Palestinian Lives, but Who is Really to Blame?

A recent Amnesty International article calls for Israel to lift the blockade on The Gaza Strip and stop “punishing Gaza’s entire population” by “restricting food entry and medical supplies.” There has been a blockade of this area since June of 2007 and rising tension in Israel since 2000 when the Palestinians re-initiated riots and terrorist attacks on Israeli soil. The article illuminates the dispiriting scenery of Gaza and points its finger at Israel for inducing it; however, the reality is that the Palestinians have the power to stop the violence and the blockade, but for some reason choose not to. The failure of Palestinian leadership to end terrorism directed toward Israeli citizens detrimentally affects the lives of Palestinians themselves. As soon as Israel attempts to assuage the lives of the Palestinian population by a cease fire or peace negotiations, the Palestinian terrorists choose to attack, ultimately “leaving Israel with no alternative but to take countermeasures necessary for protecting the lives of their civilians.” Such was the case in 2000 when Hamas broke the seven year cease fire. Israel is acting just as the United States would do if faced with the same predicament of having their country and citizens threatened by terrorism, and while there are many Palestinians struggling under the current blockade, the blame should be turned inward toward the Hamas controlled terrorist government; the civilians should ask them why they continue their “campaign of murder” and continue to let them suffer.