Machiavelli

Dear Mr. Machiavelli,

 I am here as your tour guide through knowledge to update you about what you have missed out on during the hundreds of years that you have been dead. To give you a bit of background information, Israel and Palestine have been involved in the same conflict for many decades. This conflict is not only about one objective that the two groups are trying to solve; it deals with multiple issues such as mutual recognition of statehood, borders, security, water rights, and the control of Jerusalem. Those issues are only the issues for the two sides; this conflict has spread and is not only about those two places; it is more of a global issue in this case. For example, the violence has resulted in international actions, which have disrupted human rights and security, now a major problem. Many people believe that creating a separate Palestinian state would solve most of these problems, but that would only make the Muslims happy, instead of both groups.  Here in the 21st century, townspeople, as well as leaders, do not have the knowledge of running an army as they used to in your time, sir. Today leaders only care about themselves and what they can do that will help their army to become better and stronger. The conflict about this piece of land has been going on for those reasons and the leaders on each side are so selfish that they do not know how to work together in order to obtain peace in the world. Since this conflict seems to never end, I believe that “recited their texts well and read them somberly, with cautious optimism and stately responsibility, as required…It was dignified, dignified to the point of boredom”(Bronner) we can not let the length of this conflict ruin either one of these groups chances of winning just because they are bored; they need to clear their minds and think domination. The way the leaders are acting is happening because they have both reached the point that they believe that they have tried everything possible so they are going to give up. Since either side is not showing that they care, they are starting to think of different ways of taking over and are not sharing ideas with each other.  Fighting has been such an issue since they are really living on the same land and Palestine and Israel both have strong forces. I know, Machiavelli, that you would say, “Fight it out and if you're going to fight, you better fight with everything you have and don’t give up”. That strategy worked during your time, but now since there are so many nuclear bombs around the world, we do not want to get anyone too mad. Machiavelli, I know you once said, “And let it here be noted that men are either to be kindly treated, or utterly crushed, since they can revenge lighter injuries, but not graver” (Chapter 3) I know you used to think that way, but do you really believe that this way of thinking is the best advice in this situation?  Since this conflict between Israel and Palestine is much more than just an issue within the country, I believe that it is up to the leaders of each side to take control and not have people who are unnecessary, such as others helping countries to jump into and try to take the reins. Leaders trying to take control of other leaders started with these two groups; it should end between these two groups. You said in The Prince, “There would be none else to fear; for since all beside are without credit with the people, the invader, as before his victory he had nothing to hope from them, so after it has nothing to dread,” (Chapter 4) I believe you are trying to explain the way to avoid fear. If you are the underdog, the top dogs will always think they are better than they are and if you don’t worry then you will the ones that will surprise them and bite them in the butt.  The current thought of how this situation will be fixed was talked about in a recent interview “The Israeli defense minister has already let slip in an interview with the newspaper Haaretz that Israel has plans for dividing Jerusalem." (Bronner) This is just an example of how things will never go well or the way anyone hopes if each group works in separate terms. I believe that the leaders are starting to work on different terms, to try to make the defensive group have fear and want to back down, which is not going to happen, since each group has such a strong hate and idea of what they want the outcome to be that they are not just going to give up. Machiavelli, since you have such a good understanding of how to take over a strong-powered group like each of these are facing, I think that you would have to agree with me that they need to start wanting to be feared rather than loved by the world or else they wont ever get the outcome that they want. “‘We should have a Plan B,’ said Oded Eran, director of the Institute for National Security Studies at Tel Aviv University, who led Israel’s negotiating team with the Palestinians from 1999 to 2000. ‘If you do not accept the status quo — which I do not — and you cannot obtain an agreement on all the core issues,’ Mr. Eran said, ‘then the alternative is to go for a partial solution while keeping the ultimate political objectives of both sides in mind.’” (Kershner) From my understanding of this conflict, Mr. Eran has been the only person to think in a way that not everything is going to work out, I believe that this is such a great way to tackle a conflict that seems to be indestructible. The world needs your help Machiavelli; this Palestinian and Israeli conflict needs to end before anyone else gets hurt.