The View of Gaza from Jordan

Last night on the news we saw Israeli Defense Forces footage of precision strikes on what they said were various locations from which missiles had been fired into Israel. It was familiar looking footage; in America we see the same type during coverage of our wars. You know, grainy aerial shots with an "X" where the target is on the ground, followed by an explosion upon impact, after which we the viewer are supposed to take the word of the presenters that what is said to have been hit is really what was hit. Then we are supposed to be awed by the precision.

But what are Jordanians--around 60 percent of whom are of Palestinian origin--seeing on their news right now? And how are they reacting to this new crisis in Gaza? Since we're outside the country currently we obviously don't know exactly what they're seeing and how they're reacting to it. However, although we don't have access to regional television here, one can glean something of what Jordanians are seeing on their news now by looking at the pictures of the conflict they see every day when they open their newspapers. The following pictures are from the front page of the last three days of the Jordan Times, the English language daily in Jordan, but they reflect what's shown in the Arabic dailies too. I feel a bit voyeuristic presenting them here, but I think it's important to see what Jordanians are seeing regarding this conflict.

Sunday

Monday

Tuesday

According to the Times, the last picture is actually the result of one of those videos we saw on the news. Thus, two different looks at the same action, and in general, two different perspectives. And this second perspective is what Jordanians are seeing.

Gaza

The Israeli bombardment of the Gaza Strip is in its tenth day now. Since its beginning ten days ago I knew I had to say something on this blog about the situation, but in this time I have struggled to produce anything thought provoking, struggled to construct anything worth writing down that isn't cliche or isn't being said someplace else, by someone else, already. Someone on our travels here in the United States asked me for my thoughts on the subject and all I could come up with was that it was part of what seems like a never ending cycle of violence. Anyone, however, could have said that.

I will say, though, that what enough people are not saying is that violence will never solve this conflict between Israel and the Palestinians. Take a quick look at it. For 60 years the Palestinians have been fighting the Israeli state, but their situation only continues to deteriorate year after year after depressing year. For their part during these 60 years the Israelis have been fighting fire with fire (or is it the Palestinians who have been fighting fire with fire?). After all of their incursions, bombardments and raids, though--and for all of their American made higher tech equipment and weapons--is their security situation much or any better than it was 60 years ago? What is happening in Gaza is a tragedy. Unfortunately, violence is common and cliche, and cliche is easy. I am praying that eventually something more thought provoking will prevail.