sefully committed an act in Jerusalem that was designed to gain the support of conservative Israelis, and which was just as certain to draw the ire of Palestinians. Mr. Sharon was successful on both counts, and over the past two years, successive and seemingly unending actions and counter actions by both Israelis and Palestinians cause the conflict to be in one of its hotter phases (Amaud, 2003).
Palestinians contend that the Intifada is a response to Israeli aggression and repression, while the Israelis contend that military actions by the Israeli Defense Force are in response to Palestinian terrorist acts. Both sides are right and both sides are wrong; however unlikely it is that either side will ever recognize that the other side also has legitimate grievances. When two parties strongly disagree with one another to the point of hatred, while simultaneously holding the view that God is on their side of the issue, any hope of compromise is probably futile. Nevertheless, the resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is important well beyond the effects that is has on the Israelis and the Palestinians (Wolfsfeld, 2003).
The United States is affected directly by the conflict because that conflict holds implications for American interests in the Middle East region. American interests in the Middle East range from a crass need for natural resources to more worthy concerns for human dignity, with a whole host of other concerns than fall within the continuum. It is important, therefore, that American citizens have access to all information relevant to the issue in a format that is balanced and comprehensible upon which they can formulate opinions that, in the best of all worlds, will influence policy makers in Washington (Moghadam, 2003).
The European Union also is affected directly by the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, not least because the conflict frequently is carried by the participants into European cities. Peopl...