The Hadfield Act

With the middle east constantly in a state of disarray, one of Americas closest allies lay
in one of the regions biggest conflicts. The nation of Israel, one the United States pushed hard to
create. The worlds only official Jewish State, a historic homeland in the Jewish faith that
became a country after the atrocities of the holocaust during World War II. Yet unsurprisingly
there is another group of people who also call this land home. The Palestinian people have also
lived in this land for centuries. Palestinians and Jews both claim Israels capital city of
Jerusalem, as one of the holiest in Islam and in Judaism. Judaism claims the Western Wall as its
holiest sight. While the Dome of the Rock ranks third on the list for Islam. Both of these sites lay
within a half mile of eachother. But is the clash between religious ideals really fueling this
heated conflict? Well the truth is that both of these groups claim the same territory as their home.
Palestinians and Isaelis have both been accused of atrocious acts against one another. HAMAS is
a Palestinian organization that pushes for independence through very violent acts and attacks on
civilians and military personnel alike. The United States has declared that HAMAS is an Islamic
Terrorist Organization. Israel on the other hand remains one of the United States closest allies,
but it also has some scars to bare. The Israeli military has also been accused of crimes against
Palestinian people. Both sides have bombed, kidnapped, murdered and shot at the other for years
now. US backed compromises have been proposed. Israel has offered territory in the Gaza Strip,
and West Bank of the River Jordan in order to establish a Palestinian state. It is not to forget that
Israel has a history of compromising and relinquishing lands in order to stop animosities. Israel
once owned the Sinai Peninsula which it had taken from Egypt years earlier. Israel gave up the

Sinai during the 1967 war with Egypt, nearly slicing its land in half, just to ensure peace within
its borders. To this date, unsurprisingly, both Israel and Egypt receive massive amounts of
foreign aid from the United States. It is clear to many world leaders that a solution must be
reached soon. Neither side can take years more of conflict. Both must be willing to compromise
so that the fighting can cease.
Animosities between the two sides had quieted down until July 2014. The uneasy calm
between HAMAS and Israel broke down completely after three Israeli teenagers were kidnapped
and killed in the West Bank. Israeli settlers responded by killing a Palestinian man (NCTC.gov)
Tensions in the region have flared up immensely. This has led to direct conflict between the
Israeli Military and HAMAS (cfr.org). Years of rocket and mortar fire, thousands of deaths, and
billions of dollars worth of destruction have taken their toll (huffingtonpost.com). It is clear a
solution is needed to end the senseless conflict.
World media does not accurately portray the events that take place in Israel. The fact that
Israel has offered its own land to the Palestinians several times only to be turned down each time
should turn heads. It may signify that there is something holding back both ends of the deal. Why
should a terrorist organization like HAMAS have all the say for a larger group of people?
HAMAS is backed by the Iranian government which has openly declared that it does not
recognize the Nation of Israel. Why should such a radical organization be the face of the
Palestinian movement for peace? And why should Israeli soldiers be depicted as savage and
heartless individuals who bomb schools and hospitals for fun? The media largely twists the
image and message that both sides of this conflict are trying to convey. Many of the photographs
seen in the news about destroyed buildings and dead children, arent even from the Israel

Palestine conflict. According to theatlantic.com many of these alleged photographs were

actually taken in Syria, where the situation is very different. Each side wants a homeland, that
much is clear, but the way they are going about it is wrong. Israel needs foreign support from
powerful western nations, it needs to be helped and persuaded into a peace deal that both sides
can agree on. One that does not involve wiping Israel off the face of the earth like HAMAS
proposes, and one that does not involve the silence of the Palestinian people. America must back
one of its closest allies in its most desperate times. More foreign aid needs to be sent to Israel,
and distributed to areas hardest hit. The aid needs to go into the rebuilding of both Palestinian
and Israeli homes, shops, and schools that have suffered from the violence. UN Peacekeepers
must be sent in to promote neutrality and to lend a hand to anyone who asks. They should aim to
open up peaceful negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians.
Some people would argue against giving more foreign aid to Israel. They would suggest
that Israel is already the largest recipient of US foreign aid and that it is not being spent wisely.
However if more money is spent on developing and rebuilding the nation of Israel, then more
drastic changes will be readily observable. The Issue with this topic, is that the United States
cannot ensure that this money goes to Palestinian people as well. Our nation must ensure and
oversee that an additional 2 Billion Dollars be sent to Israel, In order to rebuild infrastructure that
has been affected, not just in Jerusalem, but in the Gaza Strip as well. Peace is our main goal,
and by assuring one of our nations closest allies stays out of further conflict, the United States
will actually be helping bring peace to a region in turmoil.

Works Cited
Council on Foreign Relations. Council on Foreign Relations, n.d. Web. 14 Oct. 2016.
<http://www.cfr.org/israel/hamas/p8968>.

"Israeli Palestinian Conflict: 2 Views; 1 Tragic Outcome." CNN. Cable News Network, n.d.
Web. 14 Sept. 2016.
<http://www.cnn.com/2015/10/21/middleeast/israeli-palestinian-root-of-violence/>.
The, Istory Of. The History of the Palestinian-Israeli Conflict Has a Convenient Elasticity; It
Changes Dramatically Depending on Who Is Telling It and Where They Start the Story.
Therefore, It Is Important to Note That a Historic Timeline of Events concerning This
Conflict Is Always Difficult to Present in an Objective Manner. For This Reason, Certain
Events of the Timeline Include Both a Palestinian (on the Right Side) and an Israeli (on
the Left Side) Perspective. (n.d.): n. pag. Web.
@jvplive. "Israel Palestine Conflict 101." Jewish Voice for Peace. N.p., n.d. Web. 6 Oct. 2016.
<https://jewishvoiceforpeace.org/israeli-palestinian-conflict-101/>.
@jvplive. "Israel Palestine Conflict 101." Jewish Voice for Peace. N.p., n.d. Web. 6 Oct. 2016.
<https://jewishvoiceforpeace.org/israeli-palestinian-conflict-101/>.
Knew, If Americans. "A Synopsis of TheIsrael/Palestine Conflict." A Synopsis of the
Israel/Palestine Conflict. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Sept. 2016.
<http://www.ifamericansknew.org/history/>.
LeVine, Mark, and Mathias Mossberg. One Land, Two States: Israel and Palestine as Parallel
States. N.p.: n.p., n.d. Print.
Nctc. "National Counterterrorism Center | Groups." National Counterterrorism Center | Groups.
N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Sept. 2016. <https://www.nctc.gov/site/groups/hamas.html>.
Rizvi, Ali A. "7 Things to Consider Before Choosing Sides in the Middle East Conflict." The
Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, n.d. Web. 14 Sept. 2016.

<http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ali-a-rizvi/picking-a-side-in-israel-palestine_b_5602701
.html>.