24-Jul-07: Two sides of the same coin?

Speaking with many journalists and political analysts over the past six years has made it pretty clear to us how confusing the whole middle east conflict is to many of them.

So we're offering some free insight here - something that may help some confused individuals see how unalike the two sides of the allegedly same coin are.

Students at one of the Palestinian Arab world's most important institutions of learning reacted to the massacre of innocents (including our daughter) in a restaurant in the centre of Jerusalem almost six years ago by recreating the scene, emphasizing the gore and the blood. The details are too sickening to go into but for those who want it, there's a description here (for video, click here and then scroll to "Barbarians Viewpoint").

Students in our Jerusalem neighbourhood, members of the youth group in which our murdered daughter was so active, honor her life and that of her murdered childhood friend with an annual charity fair. The details are here. (If you're in Jerusalem this Thursday, we hope you will consider coming along and taking part.)

We took the snapshot above at one of the previous years' bazaars.

Understand these two responses and you have most of the Arab/Israel conflict in a nutshell.

Pass it on.