Dear+Mr.+Machiavelli

Dear Mr. Machiavelli,

I would like to being by saying that it is my utmost honor to assist you in the Israeli and Palestine conflict. I have always thought of your extraordinary book, "The Prince," as my guideline during the times of trouble. After reading "The Prince," I also found myself in a better position to govern and maintain my inferiors. In this letter, I shall include a brief summary of the underlying differences of Israel and Palestine, the conflict itself as well as my personal suggestion of how to handle this quagmire. Since your book "The Prince" is very much applicable to the conflict, I will reference your book to support my advice.

I would like to start off by providing you with the basic background on this long-standing conflict. Israel and Palestine is located side by side by the Mediterranean Sea. The foundation of the Israeli and Palestine's hostility for each other is from their religious conflict. While Israel practices Judaism and Palestine practices Islamic, which caused the countries to drift apart. Through out the years, Israel and Palestine created a great tension between each other until it triggered when the United Nations (UN) gave a part of Palestine to Israel in 1947. Their wars revolve around four major issues such as the Gaza Strip, the West Bank, the East Jerusalem and the Golan Heights. So far, the two countries have had twelve major wars between them from 1948 through 2008. According to the Daniel Byman, the most recent conflict was when the Israeli soldiers seized the Gaza in order to "isolate and weaken Hamas, ideally leading to its overthrow or collapse." Israel's intention was to wean Hamas of their resources such as food supplies by setting up a blockade in the Gaza Strip and monitoring the incoming ships. Israel hoped that once Hamas was deprived of their imports, they would go into a "mass starvation." Despite Israel's effort of reaching eighty percent poverty status, Hamas handled the situation by forming an alliance with an anti-Israel country, Iran.

Now that I have given you the overview of Israel and Palestine's conflict, I would like to proceed by offering my opinion on the matter. In "The Prince" you said the best way to achieve and maintain a princedom, one should be in the favor of the Fortune. I agree with your comment. However in this case, I believe it is most wise to be feared rather than loved. Israel and Palestine's relationship is firmly based on their religious conflict. A religion is the very foundation of an individual's being as well as a country. Had religion not been the foundation, the "ecclesiastical princedoms" mentioned in the eleventh chapter of your book will not be able to be "maintained without [neither merit nor good fortune]." Judaism and Islam is far to firmly embedded into their culture as well as the mindset of their people. Although the modern trend on managing conflict is through peace talk, we must keep in mind that “war is not so to be avoided.” Therefore, us, the United States of America should put the conflict to an end by being feared by both Israel and Palestine. We should gather up our army, navy, marine, and air forces to orchestrate an attack while Israel and Palestine fight amongst each other. According to the fourteenth chapter of "The Prince," "a prince... should apply himself exclusively to [war]; for war is the sole art looked for in one who rules." President Obama cannot idly sit and watch as the conflict grows bigger, therefore we must "surprise [the] enemy" through an ambush. However, the ambush must occur when Israel and Palestine have both been fatally weakened enough for our military to bring under control. The issue of when it is most appropriate to attack will be under the President’s able militaristic knowledge.

Once we bring Israel and Palestine under our control, we must create a bridge to connect between the two country’s cultures. In order to do so, just like you mentioned in chapter three of “The Prince,” we should not let the troops inhabit Israel and Palestine but colonize or let President Obama reside in midst. Also, by being present in the two countries, “disorders are detected in their beginnings and remedies can be readily applied.” Israel and Palestine’s disorders must especially be promptly crushed for their decades of religious tension and sixty-three years of physical wars prove that their conflicts are not to be readily forgiven or forgotten. Since the President do have the duty of taking care of his own country and people, he most likely should send a trustworthy leaders to form colonies in Israeli and Palestine land. Doing so, the colonies will slowly infuse a hospitable atmosphere between the two nations. After the Israeli and Palestine unite, as you mentioned in chapter seventeen, they will indeed see that through the initial cruelty of striking them and see that “in [its] true light, they will see that [the attack] was in reality far more merciful.”

I believe that had religion not played a major role on Israel and Palestine’s conflict, this plight would have been handled with a more delicate hand. Since that is not the case, there is not much left for us to do other than smashing the very foundation of their conflict with a sledgehammer. The key to the success of the ambush lies on the President’s ability to pinpoint the most advantageous moment. The moment will be the conclusion of the next big war between Israel and Palestine. Without a doubt, both countries will have dwindling ammunition as well as other resources. At their weakest moment, we must not hesitate and strike them. Once we crumble Israel and Palestine’s bitter foundations by conquering them, and once both parties fear us, we should build a more amiable relationship between the two. In order to do so, President Obama should appoint a few dependable men to begin colonies in the Israeli and Palestine land.

On that note, I shall conclude this letter. I would like to express again how honored and grateful I am that you sought my assistance. I hope that this letter was useful for you. Please do not hesitate to critique my logic or reasoning for I am always indebted to you and your incredible book, “The Prince.”

Sincerely,

Sua Yoon