Question 5

Running Head: QUESTION 5

Question 5
Rodney Stahulak
Course Name
Instructors Name
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Question 5
The issue that has 'een talked a'out in the editorial article () *ay out o+ ,a-a./ on The
Ne0 1ork Times 2#$$%3 is i+ 0hether or not it is the time to call +or a cease4+ire 0ith Hamas and
a return to the 5eace negotiations to +inally end the ,a-a 0ar. There are actually se6eral reasons
that account +or the issue discussed in this article7 8irst9 the o++icials o+ Israel ha6e already
admitted that the #$4day o++ensi6e has not truly hel5ed them in terms o+ 5ermanently de+eating
their enemy or the Hamas military 0ing7 In s5ite o+ these #$4day o++ensi6e attacks o+ the Israel
go6ernment9 the Hamas military 0ing is still ca5a'le o+ launching rocket attacks7 Hence9 the
Israeli o++icials are 'eginning to think that +ighting 'ack 0ill not make them achie6e their
militarily aims any time soon7 Second9 the 0ar has already killed thousands o+ li6es and
destroyed millions or e6en 'illions o+ 5ro5erties9 and this 0ill continuously increase in num'er i+
a55ro5riate actions 0ill not 'e taken7 The article has 5ointed out that more than &9$$$
:alestinians and &; Israelis ha6e already died in the ,a-a stri57 Third9 the United Nations
com5ound 0here hundred o+ :alestinians are tem5orarily taking shelter has already 'een hit 'y
the 0ar7
)s I care+ully read this editorial article9 I ha6e +ound no am'iguous 0ords or 5hrases that
can lead to con+using inter5retations7 In terms o+ the articles 6alue con+licts and assum5tions9 I
'elie6e 0hat the article is trying to assume is that 5eace negotiations 'et0een countries at 0ar is
the only real ho5e +or guaranteeing long4term security +or countries in6ol6ed7 This assum5tion
has 'een raised in the article many times and the article has 'een 6ery consistent in its 5osition
on cease4+ire and 5eace negotiations7 )nother assum5tion that the article 5resents is that although
de+ending ones country against an enemy through 'loody encounters is a normal res5onse9 it
does not 5ro6e its e++ecti6eness in terms o+ militarily cri55ling the enemy7 The +ight 0ill go on
and on and it 0ill ne6er sto57 Ho0e6er9 I see some con+licting ideas on these 6alues7 )lthough
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Question 5
5eace negotiations are truly e++ecti6e in resol6ing con+licts and 5ro6iding security to 5arties
in6ol6ed9 5eace negotiations do not gi6e 5ermanent resolution to these con+licts7 :erha5s in a
year or t0o9 another 0ar 0ill 'et0een Israel and Egy5t +or the 6ery same reason7 Hence9 5eace
negotiations must 'e accom5anied 0ith some sort o+ critical analysis on the historical and
cultural 'ackground o+ the con+lict 'et0een Israel and Egy5t7 This sim5ly means that the root
cause o+ the seemingly ne6er4ending con+licts 'et0een these t0o countries must 'e dee5ly
considered and solutions to these con+licts must 'e incor5orated in the 5eace negotiations to
achie6e a true long4term 5eace7
In regards 0ith the descri5ti6e assum5tions in the article9 one thing I noticed in the article
is its e++ort to im5art to its readers the idea that (nothing is +ree in li+e7/ E6erything comes 0ith a
5rice7 In the case o+ ,a-a 0ar9 although 5eace negotiations 'et0een Israel and Egy5t are gaining
traction9 there are certain conditions that ha6e to 'e agreed on < 5erha5s that is 0hy it is called
(5eace negotiations/ 'ecause you ha6e to o++er something +or a certain +a6or7 )gain9 in the
article9 it is mentioned that Egy5t has already 5ro5osed +or a 5hased4in truce7 In return the Israeli
+orces ha6e to 'e 5ulled out and the 'order crossings need to 'e reo5ened to ease economic
'lockade o+ ,a-a7 On the other hand9 Israel seemed to acce5t this cease4+ire negotiation only
'ecause o+ the hel5 o++ered 'y )merica < United States 0ill 5ro6ide e=ui5ment and technical
assistance to hel5 monitor the Israeli4,a-a 'order7 These circumstances ha6e 5ro6en the
descri5ti6e assum5tion o+ the article that nothing is +ree in this 0orld that e6en 5eace comes 0ith
a 5rice7
In my o5inion9 the articles argument a'out 5eace negotiations 'et0een Israel and Egy5t
makes sense7 I agree that it is high time +or these t0o countries to sto5 +ighting and agree on
something9 thus 5eace negotiations7 They ha6e to settle their di++erences and endea6or to resol6e
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Question 5
their con+licts +or the 'ene+it o+ their 5eo5le7 I also agree on the +act that a t0o4state solution is
0hat is truly necessitated in cases like this7 1es9 5eace comes 0ith a 5rice and I think it is time
+or them to talk a'out this 5rice 'ecause i+ not9 more and more li6es 0ill 'e a++ected7
The e6idences 5resented in this article are good enough to su55ort the articles argument7
The article has sho0n details a'out ho0 enormous the e++ects 2to 5eo5le9 economy and o6erall
status o+ the t0o nations3 o+ the ,a-a 0ar are and the 5ossi'ility o+ losing more li6es and
5ro5erties i+ a55ro5riate actions 0ill not 'e taken at the soonest 5ossi'le time7
Ho0e6er9 I +eel that there are other im5ortant 5ieces o+ in+ormation that are not
mentioned in the article7 The article9 in my o5inion9 seems to 'e one4sided 'ecause most 5arts o+
the article talk a'out Israel9 'ut 0hat a'out Egy5t. I think the article should ha6e also 5resented
more +acts a'out Egy5t and Hamas so the readers can +urther understand 0hat is really going on
in ,a-a7 The article should ha6e taken a look at the ,a-a4Egy5t 'order issue to someho0 trace
the root cause o+ the con+lict and there+ore o++er a 'etter solution +or a 5eace negotiation7
Ne6ertheless9 I consider the argument o+ this editorial article sensi'le7 I 'elie6e that the
,a-a 0ar 0ill ne6er end i+ the t0o countries 0ill kee5 on de+ending their o0n nation7 One has to
ste5 do0n and gi6e in to the conditions o+ the other7 This is the time to talk a'out 5eace and sto5
+iring at each other7 This is the time to 5rotect the 5eo5le and im5ro6e the li6es o+ the innocent7
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Question 5
Re+erence
The Ne0 1ork Times7 2#$$%37 A way out of Gaza? Retrie6ed "anuary #&9 #$$%9 +rom
htt5:??0007nytimes7com?#$$%?$&?&@?o5inion?&@+ri&7html.ArB&Cre+Bo5inion7
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