ISRAEL VERSUS PALESTINE.
AND I KNOW THAT EVEN SAYING THAT
SENTENCE MEANS I’M LOSING
FOLLOWERS ON SOCIAL MEDIA.
THAT’S HOW CONTENTIOUS THIS
TOPIC IS.
BEFORE YOU EVEN FINISH THE
SENTENCE, PEOPLE ARE LIKE, "YOU
IDIOT!
HOW DARE YOU!
SHUT THE HELL UP!"
BUT, GUYS, WE HAVE TO TALK ABOUT
IT, BECAUSE THIS IS ONE OF THE
MOST DIFFICULT STORIES THAT HAS
EXISTED IN OUR LIFETIME.
I MEAN, THERE ARE LOTS OF FIGHTS
THAT SEEM LIKE THEY WILL NEVER
COME TO AN END: INDIA VERSUS
PAKISTAN, CHINA VERSUS TIBET,
WHITE PEOPLE VERSUS RHYTHM.
BUT ISRAEL VERSUS PALESTINE IS A
73-YEAR-OLD BEEF THAT HAS
STUMPED EVERBODY.
I MEAN, WHEN IT STUMPED JARED, YOU KNEW THAT THIS THING WAS
YOU KNEW THAT THIS THING WAS
DIFFICULT.
BUT THE PARODOX, THE PARODOX IS
THAT BECAUSE ISRAEL AND
PALESTINE HAS BEEN ONGOING FOR
SO LONG, PEOPLE FORGET THAT IT
IS ONGOING, UNTIL THERE ARE
FLARE-UPS THAT THE WORLD CANNOT
IGNORE, WHICH IS WHAT HAPPENED
AGAIN THIS WEEK.
>> OVERNIGHT, A DEADLY BARRAGE
FROM ISRAELI FORCES LIGHTING UP
THE SKIES OVER GAZA.
( SIRENS )
AND IN THE WEST BANK, WARNING
SIRENS ECHOING THROUGH
BETHLEHEM.
EARLIER, PALESTINIAN MILITANT
GROUPS FIRING MORE THAN 200
ROCKETS INTO ISRAEL, MOST OF THE
HAMAS ROCKETS STOPPED BY
ISRAEL’S MISSILE DEFENSE SYSTEM,
OR THEY FELL SHORT.
ISRAELI STRIKES REPORTEDLY
KILLING AT LEAST 23 PEOPLE,
INCLUDING NINE CHILDREN, ISRAEL
SAYING THE DEAD WERE MILITANTS.
AT LEAST SIX ISRAELIS WERE
REPORTED INJURED.
TENSIONS HAD BEEN ESCALATING
OVER ISRAELI MOVES TO EVICT
PALESTINIAN FAMILIES FROM THEIR
HOMES IN EAST JERUSALEM.
THEY BOILED OVER AS MORE THAN
100 WORSHIPPERS AND PROTESTERS
WERE INJURED AS ISRAELI POLICE
STORMED THE AL AQSA MOSQUE USING
TEAR GAS AND RUBBER BULLETS.
>> Trevor: YES, THIS WEEK, THE
CONFLICT ESCALATED AGAIN, AND
NOW DOZENS OF PEOPLE ARE DEAD.
INCLUDING CHILDREN.
AND, LOOK, MAN, WHAT MAKES
ISRAEL-PALESTINE SUCH A
DIFFICULT TOPIC TO EVEN BROCH
IS ALL THE LAYERS PACKED UNDER
IT.
NO MATTER HOW MUCH YOU TRY TO
BREAK IT DOWN, PEOPLE WILL SAY
YOU’RE LEAVING OUT SOME CRUCIAL
PIECE OF CONTEXT, AND THEY’RE
PROBABLY RIGHT.
I MEAN, THERE’S THE HISTORY OF
HOW ISRAEL BECAME A STATE AFTER
NAZI GERMANY TRIED TO DESTROY
THE JEWISH PEOPLE.
BUT THERE’S ALSO THE HISTORY OF
THE BRITISH TAKING THE LAND FROM
THE PALESTINIANS, NOT TO MENTION
THAT EVERY OTHER COUNTRY IN THE REGION HAS ITS OWN ISSUES AND
REGION HAS ITS OWN ISSUES AND
ITS OWN AGENDAS.
AND ON TOP OF ALL OF THAT,
THERE’S RELIGION INVOLVED.
AND RELIGION HAS NEVER CALMED
ANY SITUATION WHERE THERE’S A
CLASH.
WHAT MAKES IT EVEN HARDER IS THE
FACT THAT WHO’S RIGHT AND WHO’S
WRONG ALWAYS SEEMS TO CHANGE,
DEPENDING ON WHEN YOU START
MEASURING FROM.
THIS WEEK WAS THE PERFECT,
PERFECT EXAMPLE OF IT.
IF YOU START FROM "ISRAEL FIRED
ROCKETS INTO GAZA," THEN ISRAEL
IS THE BAD GUY, BECAUSE THEY’RE
BOMBING GAZA.
BUT THEN YOU TAKE A STEP BACK IN
TIME, YOU GO, "WELL, BUT HAMAS
FIRED ROCKETS AT ISRAEL."
THEN HAMAS IS THE BAD GUY.
BUT THEN YOU TAKE A STEP BACK,
AND YOU GO, "BUT THE ISRAELI
POLICE WENT IN AND STARTED
BEATING PEOPLE UP IN A MOSQUE
DURING RAMADAN, THE MOST HOLY
TIME IN THE MUSLIM CALENDAR."
WELL THEN, ISRAEL IS THE BAD
GUY.
BUT THEN YOU GO, "WELL THE
PALESTINIANS WERE THROWING
ROCKS..."
"WELL, THE ISRAELIS WERE KICKING
PEOPLE OUT OF THEIR HOMES..."
"WELL, THE INTIFADA..."
"WELL, ISRAEL KEEPS TAKING MORE
AND MORE LAND..."
"WELL, THE ARAB INVASION..."
AND BACK AND BACK AND BACK, AMD
WHO KNOWS HOW FAR.
THE FIRST CAVEMEN WHO HIT EACH
OTHER WITH CLUBS WERE PROBABLY
ISRAELI AND PALESTINIAN.
I DON’T KNOW.
AND, LOOK, I DON’T WANT TO HAVE
THAT ARGUMENT.
I DON’T WANT TO HAVE THE
ARGUMENT AND THE NOISE THAT
GOES BACK AND FORTH IN THIS
THING, BECAUSE, HONESTLY, I
DON’T THINK ANY TV SHOW IN 10
MINUTES IS GOING TO SOLVE
ISRAEL-PALESTINE.
TEN MINUTES ISN’T EVEN ENOUGH
TIME TO EXPLAIN THE MORTAL
KOMBAT" CONFLICT.
SO I’M NOT EVEN TRYING TO COME
IN AND DO THAT.
THE PART WHERE WE SAY WHO’S GOOD
AND WHO’S BAD, OR WHO STARTED
IT-- LET’S STEP AWAY FROM THAT.
INSTEAD LET’S ASK A DIFFERENT
QUESTION.
INSTEAD, LET’S LOOK AT WHO’S
DEAD AND WHO’S ALIVE THIS WEEK.
IN GAZA, ISRAELI AIR STRIKES
HAVE REPORTEDLY KILLED 28
PEOPLE, INCLUDING 10 CHILDREN.
OVER 150 PEOPOLE HAVE BEEN
WOUNDED.
IN ISRAEL, HAMAS ROCKETS HAVE
KILLED TWO PEOPLE.
AND THIS EXCHANGE OF FIRE COMES
AFTER THE ISRAELI ASSAULT IN AND
AROUND THE AL AQSA MOSQUE THAT
LEFT MORE THAN 600 PALESTINIAN
PROTESTERS, WORSHIPERS, AND
CIVILIANS WOUNDED, AND A FEW
DOZEN ISRAELI POLICE.
NOW, PERSONALLY-- I’M NOT SAYING
FOR YOU-- JUST PERSONALLY,
I CANNOT WATCH THAT FOOTAGE AND
HEAR THOSE NUMBERS, AND SEE A
FAIR FIGHT.
SET ASIDE MOTIVES AND
INTENTIONS, AND JUST LOOK AT
TECHNOLOGY, TECHNOLOGY ALONE.
ISRAEL HAS ONE OF THE MOST
POWERFUL MILITARIES IN THE
WORLD.
THEY CAN CRUSH GAZA LIKE TA.
NOT TO MENTION ONE OF THE MOST
ADVANCED DEFENSE SYSTEMS.
YOU SHOOT A ROCKET AT THEM, IT’S
PROBABLY NOT GOING TO DO
ANYTHING TO THEM BECAUSE OF THAT
DEFENSE SYSTEM.
RIGHT, THEY’VE GOT A GIANT
MOTUMBO IN THE SKY, JUST
KNOCKING THEM DOWN.
AND I KNOW, I KNOW THIS IS
CONTENTIOUS, AND I KNOW PEOPLE
ARE GOING TO HATE ME FOR THIS.
BUT I JUST WANT TO ASK AN HONEST
QUESTION HERE: IF YOU ARE IN A
FIGHT WHERE THE OTHER PERSON
CANNOT KNET YOU, HOW MUCH SHOULD
YOU RETALIATE WHEN THEY TRY TO
HURT YOU?
IT’S AN HONEST QUESTION.
I ASK THIS QUESTION BECAUSE I
THINK OF IT LIKE THIS: WHEN I
WAS A TEENAGER, I WOULD ALWAYS
GET INTO FIGHTS WITH MY LITTLE
BROTHERS.
AND LITTLE KIDS CAN BE VICIOUS.
THEY’RE TRYING TO PUNCH YOU IN
THE LEGS.
THEY’RE TRYING TO PUNCH YOU IN
THE NUTS.
THEY DO THAT.
BUT MY MOM WOULD SAY TO ME,
"TREVOR, DON’T HIT THE KID BACK,
BECAUSE THEY CAN’T HURT YOU.ñu3i
IS FOUR."
AND I WAS LIKE, "YEAH, BUT THE
KID IS HITTING ME!
HE COULD HURT ME!"
BUT MY MOM SAID, "YES, BUT
YOU’RE ALSO SO MUCH BIGGER THAN
THE KID.
YOU CAN CRUSH HIM IN AN
INSTANT."
AND PLEASE DON’T GET ME WRONG,
BECAUSE I KNOW SOMEONE WILL
WATCH THIS AND SAY YOU’RE
COMPARING PALESTINIANS TO
CHILDREN.
I’M NOT DOING THAT.
I’M TELLING A STORY ABOUT
MYSELF, HONESTLY, I AM.
WHAT MY MOM MADE ME UNDERSTAND
IS, AS THE PERSON WHO HAS
IMMENSELY MORE POWER, I
HAD TO ASK MYSELF WHETHER MY
RESPONSE TO THIS CHILD WAS JUST
OR NECESSARY.
COULD I FIND A DIFFERENT WAY TO
DEAL WITH THIS?
WHETHER I FELT AGGRIEVED OR NOT,
OR WHETHER THEY WERE FIGHTING
FAIR WAS ALMOST IRRELEVANT.
WAS I EVEN ABLE TO ASK MYSELF
THE QUESTION ABOUT WHY THEY WERE
DOING WHAT THEY WERE DOING?
WAS I WILLING TO ADMIT GUILT.
THIS IS ALL PART OF THE QUESTION
I HAD TO ASK MYSELF.
BUT THE MAIN QUESTION I ASK IN
THIS SITUATION IS ABOUT POWER.
AGAIN, I KNOW, IT’S NOT A GREAT
ANALOGY BECAUSE I’M NOT SAYING
PALESTINIANS ARE CHILDREN.
I’M NOT SAYING THEY’RE ALL
CHILDREN.
I’M NOT SAYING THEY’RE HARMLESS
OR IRRATIONAL OR ACTING OUT.
I’M NOT SAYING ANY OF THAT.
I’M NOT.
I’M TALKING ABOUT THE DIFFERENCE
IN POWER, WHICH IS SOMETHING WE
DO ALL THE TIME.
THINK ABOUT POLICING.
IF A MAN HAS A KNIFE, SHOULD THE
COPS SHOOT HIM?
IN MANY PARTS AROUND THE WORLD,
LIKE IN THE U.K., THEY SAY,
"WE’RE GOING TO DO EVERYTHING TO
TRY AND NOT SHOOT THE PERSON,
EVEN AT RISK TO OURSELVES,"
BECAUSE AT THE END OF THE DAY,
THEY BROUGHT A KNIFE TO A GUN
FIGHT.
SO WHAT’S THE RIGHT RESPONSE?
EVERYONE HAS DIFFERENT ANSWERS
TO THE QUESTION, AND I’M NOT
TRYING TO ANSWER THE QUESTION
NOR DO I THINK I’M SMART ENOUGH
TO SOLVE IT.
ALL I’M ASK IS WHEN YOU HAVE
THIS MUCH POWER, WHAT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY?