I hope the peacemakers on both sides will prevail. It's so easy to take one side or the other in this debate, because terrible things have been done by everyone. Even in that article, the casual mention of the "Israeli occupation of Palestine" ignores the perspective of the Israeli people who have been living for decades surrounded by those who have vowed, and often attempted, to "drive Israel into the sea." This is an issue that so easily deteriorates into finger-pointing and layer on layer of retaliatory violence.

What most American and European newspapers and news agencies do not show, because it isn't sexy and inflammatory, is the thousands of Jews and Arabs who live and work together peacefully, the children who are growing up seeing "the other" as friends and classmates, and the many groups on both sides who have been diligently working to bring peace to this region. Sadly, there is no money to be made in peace, or in spreading news of peace. The press is much more interested in transmitting images of rock throwing and rifle shots than of classrooms with Jewish and Arab children learning and playing together.

Let's hope news like this increases, and that people in the Middle East, as well as around the world, begin to believe in the possibility of forgiveness and healing and peace. My two shekels worth.

Aloha,
Mark