Lauren DiCiaccio
Jan. 24, 2009
6:15
The most current conflict in the Gaza strip has become problematic not just for those involved - chiefly Israelis and Palestinians, but for Europeans as well. The Israeli Palestinian conflict has been ongoing with spikes of violence and tension for decades, however, the influence of the conflict on European populations may not have always been so great. The ethnic and political tension in the Gaza region has spread to the various ethnic groups in the European Union and has affected primarily Muslims within the EU. Tensions in Europe have grown between Muslim and non-Muslim Europeans over policies that support Israel more than Palestine and an unfair media coverage. Many Muslims in Europe believe that EU policies are more likely to vilify groups such as Hezbollah and Hamas for acts of violence and largely accept or ignore Israel's tactics that include violence or aggression.
This article brings up a valid point about the nature of globalization and ethnic conflict. Before globalization, ethnic divisions and the resulting conflicts occurred and impacted regional politics and ways of life. However, because of technology, politics, and a global market economy, the problems in the Middle East are now problematic for Europeans as well on merely a principle level. This is particularly interesting because the article does not state that the EU is deeply invested in the conflict for economic or political interest. Rather, the ethnic conflict itself has traveled to Europe in the form of tension between Palestinian-supporting Muslims and non-Muslim Europeans based on the principles involved in the Gaza strip conflict and how it was handled in the European world.
http://yaleglobal.yale.edu/display.article?id=11858
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