Middle East issue is about fairness

Some think the key to resolve problems is to defame Islam and Muslims. They seem to think that repeatedly threatening some dictators or elected officials from Muslim countries is the key to peace in the Middle East. Desperate acts by a few desperate people justify the same acts against them or their nations.

Many think that they are fighting an enormous enemy which encompasses the whole Middle East and beyond. They paint an unrealistic picture of a problem and suggest a solution which could never be implemented without annihilating 1 billion Muslims to achieve everlasting peace for Israel.

Some think when the Arab nations love their children more than they hate Israel, peace will be achieved. How nave can they be?

Others think if only Hezbollah will disarm, the problem will vanish and all the Muslim nations in the world will acknowledge the right of Israel to exist.

None of the above will resolve the conflict, because these suggestions and methods are not the root cause of the problem.

So then what is the problem? Let us define the problem at its core. There is a conflict between the people of Israel and the people of Palestine, and not between Arabs and Israel. It is not between Jews and Muslims.

What is the solution to peace? Do you ever wonder why it is so difficult to clap with one hand?

Indeed, the two hands are the people of Israel and the people of Palestine. They are one with this conflict, not the U.S. or Muslim and Arab nations of the world.

This if the first step toward conflict resolution: identify par- ties.

The next step is to identify the conflict itself. The conflict only can be resolved by being fair to each other.

It is not by negotiation (give or take) that this issue will be resolved but only by fairness in dealing with the issue at hand. S. Moorhead Westlake Village