Ernest Hemingway saw a lot of war, and was no hippie. And yet: 
“Never think that war, no matter how necessary, nor how justified, is not a crime.”

There’s another great quote somewhere about how aggression tries to trick even those who love peace into aggression, like a fire feeding itself…the way to fight and win is only in putting the fire out, and loving the so-called enemy all the harder.

Yesterday, I looked at 100x unedited, graphic photos of civilian wounded and dead in Gaza. So many fathers, mothers, children. To think that either side believes that this murder will create future peace…it doesn’t make sense. Racism and aggression creates more of the same.

I was just in Israel and, at least in the liberal city of Tel Aviv, discussion and hearts were open, transparent, longing for peace, and resentful of hawks like the Israeli leadership. IE, many Israelis don’t stand with Israel.

“Demonstrators chanted ‘Jews and Arabs refuse to be enemies,’ called for an end to the occupation and the siege on Gaza, and lit candles to commemorate the victims.”

Thousands gathered in Tel Aviv’s Rabin Square. Police let the protest go ahead after canceling it two hours before it was set to start due to security concerns. 

And it would have been far larger, if it had not been canceled (then re-instated) just hours before by the police. Their message.

On Saturday, the peace camp takes a stand at Rabin Square

The war is taking a heavy toll in lives and injuries on both sides, in destruction and horror, in bombings and rockets. We answer this by taking a stand and making a demand: end the war now!

We must end the war and start talking with the recognized Palestinian leadership of the West Bank and Gaza to end the occupation and the siege and to achieve independence and justice for both peoples – in Israel and Palestine.

Instead be being drawn, again and again, into more wars and more military actions, it is now time to lead the way to dialogue and political settlement. There is a political solution. What price must we pay – the people of the South and the other residents of Israel, and the people of Gaza and the West Bank – until we reach that solution?

Together, Jews and Arabs, we will overcome occupation and war, hatred, incitement and racism – and offer a path to life and hope