Much of the discourse regarding violence in the Middle East has been alarming and quite frankly, disheartening. Over the past few days, I have read the biased, one-sided, and nearly insensitive dialogue between writers on both sides of the Israel and Palestine debate. Where is the moderation? The major issue here is that in the name of trying to find a lasting solution to the border disputes in the Holy Land, many are inadvertently taking on extremist viewpoints themselves.

For my two cents, I really do not see how anyone can, with good conscience, take a side on this issue. Both the Israel Defense Force and Palestinian insurgents have wreaked havoc, taken lives, and engaged in crimes against humanity. This is the shear, undeniable fact. Instead of comparing scorecards as to who killed whom more or who committed more atrocities, why not use that energy in finding a solution to a conflict that has taken thousands of lives? Discussion on the benefits of Israel and Palestine accepting the other government’s legitimacy, a return to the pre-1967 land borders, and the possibility of Jerusalem as a mutual capital for both Israel and Palestine may be more beneficial than each side shaking fists at the other. It is truly a shame that two peoples with similar cultures and languages would try to erase thousands of years of mutual contributions to global society because they cannot live side-by-side in peace. We should engage each other in purposeful dialogue and attain new viewpoints to imagine solutions to some of the world’s gravest issues such as this. Otherwise, we will have our scorecards, and all we will have to show for them are more innocent deaths.

Nadia Nammari

sophomore in LAS