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By James Peters

Two & Out

PETERS: No end in sight to the horrific cycle of killing in the Middle East

Oct 13, 2023 | 12:05 PM

BACK IN MY UNIVERSITY YEARS, I had a professor who had returned to teach in Canada after spending years in Israel and the West Bank, working for a relief organization.

I remember vividly someone asking him his thoughts on a potential solution to the conflict between Israel and Palestine, which was raging just as intensely then as it ever has.

My professor replied that, unless you have spent considerable time in Israel, you can’t even properly understand the conflict, let alone begin to think about solutions.

I have not spent any time in that part of the world and far more educated people than me have failed to come up with solutions after decades of trying.

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It’s not clear to me whether we should end up on Team Israel or Team Palestine.

Both sides have compelling claims to legitimacy and both sides have also done terrible things to the other.

What is clear is that the true enemy to both of these sides should be the type of violence and death that the world saw last weekend and in the days since.

This long-standing conflict has been marked by horrific acts of violence and brutality for decades, though the siege instigated by Hamas last weekend was one of the bloodiest chapters.

There is actually a parallel to the toxic drug crisis taking place in B.C. right now.

The long-term goal should obviously be to find a way to stop the conflict.

But the short-term goal is to stop people from dying.

If we believe every life has equal value, then every life is worth saving.

Widespread death of human beings is worse than the prospect of defeat.

Right now, of course, that principle is not being kept in the Middle East, where generations of violence and provocation have led to a default position of ethnic superiority.

It leads to a cycle of killing. Especially after this week, there is no end in sight.

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Editor’s Note: This opinion piece reflects the views of its author, and does not necessarily represent the views of CFJC Today or Pattison Media.