Tears for Lebanon and Israel

The ongoing military confrontation between Israel and its Arab neighbors reminds us once again of how fragile any peace can be. The military campaign and "collateral damage" of Isreal makes me feel very sad for the civilians in Lebanon and northern Israel who have tried very hard in recent years to make their country a fun place to live and visit. I express here empathy for the Israeli civilians who huddle in fear within bomb shelters wondering when Hezbollah terror missile launches will end. I'm not inclined to argue who's at fault here, for it's clear that both sides have failed to keep any sense of peaceful respect for the other. There is a failure of understanding how much each really needs the other. As hard as it will be to forget, to bypass efforts at revenge, Muslims really need to focus on forgiveness and acceptance--a basic theme in the Koran. Violence can neither sooth the soul nor bring peace and happiness, regardless the inspiration for it. Meanwhile, in fairness to the downtrodden, Israel needs to recognize that Muslims really are the poor and disenfranchised. Keeping them in Gaza ghettos won't bring peace! Once the embattled state of immigrant volunteer fighters, Israel is now the bigot of the neighborhood quick to label "terrorism" in order to avoid fairness and responsibility. It seems easy to complain about terrorism when one holds power over land and economy, but in the long run the imbalance is a receipe for disaster. That's an old method of propaganda and control for those of wealth and power. Borders open, borders closed. Is the kidnapping of two soldiers really a cause for military siege of Gaza? And, now that Hezbollah is willing to launch it's missiles, is an military invasion really the answer? I think not. I recall pleasant days shopping among Syrian Muslims in Aleppo, and visiting residents among quiet ruins of the Middle East. Is my experience a dream to be forgotten?