Like many regular readers, I've been following the latest round of I/P diary pie fights, and have observed as they predictably descend into tit for tat accusations, screaming, and general rowdy behavior. I don't dare add a comment, because anything I say will inevitably be seen as taking sides, and I'd be risking my cherished trusted user status with a barrage of donuts. :-)
I thought I'd offer the point of view of someone who doesn't have a dog in this fight, other than as a concerned human being who wants all people to live in peace and dignity. When I say I don't have a dog in this fight, I mean to say that I'm not Jewish, not Muslim, not Arab, and don't have any family history or roots in the middle east, Israel, Palestine, or anywhere close to that part of the world. I'm just the son of Mexican immigrants from California, who's racial background probably includes equal parts Native people from North and Central America (What Columbus called "Indians), and white Europeans from Spain. Probably like 80% or so of modern day Latinos.
So with all that being said, I thought I'd offer my take, which I'm sure is worth less than 2 cents. I think it's a tragic situation all around, with lots of deep seated fear, anger, resentment, and rage from both sides, and understandable from both sides. The Holocaust is truly one of the horrors of our shared history, never to be forgotton and never to be repeated again. On the other hand, the Palestinian situation is horrible today, living as occupied people with no nation of their own. I know this sounds simplistic, and there are many other parts to the story, and many people to blame. My hope for this new year is that reasonable people on both sides find a way to move past the anger, resentment, and fear, and work for a way to find lasting peace, dignity, and security for all people in the region.