[cardbored]

One human being dies at the hand of another. The cause of death is, by definition, homicide. But does that homicide constitute murder? That determination requires application of law to facts and circumstances, to the extent these can be known. But even in the isolated case of a single homicide, occurring at a finite moment of time, with all relevant facts and circumstances proximate in time to the moment of death, determining whether the homicide is criminal can be exceedingly difficult.

Now lets multiply the homicides a million-fold, spread them out over century, have them arise between warring factions in murky circumstances that defy sound investigative procedure, introduce claims of rights for adjudication purposes that originated thousands of years ago, and attempt to determine right and wrong when even the law itself is in dispute. And for good measure, let's mix in some religious and ethnic bigotry, interference by outside parties pursuing their own agendas, and color the whole mess with sophisticated, twentieth-century, mass-propaganda brushes.

For those of us who sincerely want peace and an end to the bloodshed, especially of innocents, we first have to give up on the childlike notions that we will ever figure out who "started it," is most culpable, or most deserving of punishment or recompense. We have neither the strength nor the wisdom to unravel anything so complex.

But we can agree on principles that exist now. We can agree that every human being has a right to occupy space, and to acquire property, and to move about the earth freely, and to worship and speak freely. And we can agree that no human being has a right to initiate violence against another. These principles apply to us all, including everyone within present-day Palestine and Israel.

A just solution can only be built from this present-day foundation. All of us should support anyone in modern-day Israel or Palestine who is willing to live in accordance with these principles, and to negotiate an end to the bloodshed on the basis of these principles.

For those of us on the outside, let's knock off the finger-pointing, blaming, and shaming. Let's encourage Israelis and Palestinians to agree to live with one another in peace, under longstanding rules of social cooperation. Let's stop supporting further antagonisms. Children are dying. They deserve our best efforts, not those that are beneath us.

[cardbored]

One human being dies at the hand of another. The cause of death is, by definition, homicide. But does that homicide constitute murder? That determination requires application of law to facts and circumstances, to the extent these can be known. But even in the isolated case of a single homicide, occurring at a finite moment of time, with all relevant facts and circumstances proximate in time to the moment of death, determining whether the homicide is criminal can be exceedingly difficult.

Now lets multiply the homicides a million-fold, spread them out over century, have them arise between warring factions in murky circumstances that defy sound investigative procedure, introduce claims of rights for adjudication purposes that originated thousands of years ago, and attempt to determine right and wrong when even the law itself is in dispute. And for good measure, let's mix in some religious and ethnic bigotry, interference by outside parties pursuing their own agendas, and color the whole mess with sophisticated, twentieth-century, mass-propaganda brushes.

For those of us who sincerely want peace and an end to the bloodshed, especially of innocents, we first have to give up on the childlike notions that we will ever figure out who "started it," is most culpable, or most deserving of punishment or recompense. We have neither the strength nor the wisdom to unravel anything so complex.

But we can agree on principles that exist now. We can agree that every human being has a right to occupy space, and to acquire property, and to move about the earth freely, and to worship and speak freely. And we can agree that no human being has a right to initiate violence against another. These principles apply to us all, including everyone within present-day Palestine and Israel.

A just solution can only be built from this present-day foundation. All of us should support anyone in modern-day Israel or Palestine who is willing to live in accordance with these principles, and to negotiate an end to the bloodshed on the basis of these principles.

For those of us on the outside, let's knock off the finger-pointing, blaming, and shaming. Let's encourage Israelis and Palestinians to agree to live with one another in peace, under longstanding rules of social cooperation. Let's stop supporting further antagonisms. Children are dying. They deserve our best efforts, not those that are beneath us.