Martyrdom Culture in Israeli-Palestinian Conflict Essay

Thesis in Brooks’ “The Culture of Martyrdom”

The culture of martyrdom is a threat to the peace process within the Middle East. There is a need for the communities within the Middle East to develop a culture of peace not based on revenge missions.

Essay Thesis

There can never be any peace until the parties involved in a dispute agree to take some compromising stand against their principle actions. The existence of a radical stand presents the biggest threat to the peace process within societies.

Supporting Ideas

This is evident in the case whereby Palestinians harbor the belief that Israelis are enemies, the author describes that the issues of suicide bombings were nonexistent before the year 1983. Paragraph 1 describes that suicide bombing usually goes contrary to achieving the political goals it is meant to serve. This is since it leads to the eruption of most confiding human passions (Brooks 353).

The reactions by the Palestinian leader to walk out of peace talks and at the same time fail to accept the offer made by the Israeli leader of compromising his stand on part of their land and giving it out to Palestinians, led to a new uprising in suicide bombings. This idea is expounded in the third and fourth paragraphs whereby most Palestinians vowed not to support the peace process (Brooks 354). The response by leaders is always of prime importance in times of crisis.

The presence of organizations and institutions that encourage and tutor suicide bombing activities presents one of the obstacles to the peace process. This is since these points breed and even reward bombers hence encouraging more recruits to surface. This view is shared by Ariel Merari, who is the director of a research center on political violence, in the fifth paragraph (Brooks 354).

The belief within Palestinian families that Israelis have killed their close relatives encourages the rise of new bombers. The families seem overwhelmed with happiness after their children’s involvement in the suicide bombing massacres, paragraph 9. There seems to be overwhelming addiction towards vengeance and murder within the Palestinian society (Brooks 355).

The whole Arab media shifted its focus to martyrdom and suicide bombing activities. There are several video footage on the reckless aftermath of suicide bombing activities which helps in nurturing the culture within the current generation. This forms a potential threat since the young generation tends to be so much lured into the activity owing to the rewards they are promised together with their families, paragraph 10 (Brooks 355-356).

Strategy and audience

Effectiveness of Brooks’ introduction

Brooks’ introduction starts with his idea of suicide bombing and he views the general picture based on religion. The statement, “suicide bombing is the crack cocaine of warfare” tends to capture the eye of the audience making them more interested in finding out more about the issue. The introduction generally gives the idea that suicide bombing is mostly based on religion and is unfit for human society since it leads to the loss of many innocent lives.

The introduction gives meaning to the concern on current and future generations within the Middle East. The author describes the connection between suicide bombing and religion. The nature of glory attached to the act and the manner of human response both physically and spiritually. He asserts that the issue is not a matter of illiteracy but that of attitude and culture (Brooks).

Writing suggestions

The conflicts revolved around moral integrity and financial spending. My first response was very much outrageous since I believed my decisions were always right and could never bow to anybody’s advice. There was neither listening nor thinking over the consequent results of my actions and behavior. However, realization dawned on me that the functionality of someone’s integrity is based upon the standards they stand for. Making the right choices and capability to listen to wise counsel forms the main key to integral life irrespective of current gains or losses.

Works Cited

Brooks, David. ‘The Culture of Martyrdom’. Atlantic Monthly, (2002): 353-357.