Objectivity is something we can afford.

I’m happy that you shared your views and to be honest, regardless of the side, what we are most against is the killing of innocents. Enough of that has already happened and continues to happen. The stronger side always has the power to make it worse or to make it better. I’ll just leave it at that.

I never said the Israeli army was sitting in Israeli universities. I was genuinely interested in your opinion and that is why I had asked for it, but beginning to write your opinion by calling the other person ‘ignorant’ or saying that they know nothing about the situation is rather derogatory – wouldn’t you agree? This is all I was trying to bring to your attention. There is no need to call someone uninformed – just informing them of what you know is more than enough.

There is a lot of information out there for anyone to see and absorb. This is as good a place as any other to have a discussion on it.

You mention the Holocaust and how quickly people forget it, but they haven’t. It’s also precisely the mellenia-long anti-Semitism, the pogroms and the wars that Israel’s neighbours have waged that fuel Zionism. Even a link would have sufficed.

As outsiders we have the privilege of walking in the shoes of both belligerents. One nation struggles for human rights and dignity (but it doesn’t justify Hamas’s actions and using their own people as pawns and shields), the other for a haven which its neighbours view as land stolen by colonialists (but it doesn’t justify the occupation of land beyond the initial borders, the displacement of civilians from their homes or the lack of punitive action against settlers either).

The latest skirmish was sparked by Hamas’s kidnapping of Israeli teenagers, and the perpetrators were feted. One Israeli retaliated and they launch rockets knowing it won’t be taken lying down. Both sides are guilty and they have their share of extremists who want to see the other eradicated, like the social media users you’ve shown, driven by deep seated fears and anger.

But there are also people who have opted out of this mess, and others who are still working for peace in spite of the odds, like Tent of Nations, or Professor Dajani, and other people who oppose violence in their capacity. Perhaps we can play a part by highlighting the latter group, and we’re quite likely to meet them. If we can convey human faces and everyday scenes through photos, viewers are less likely to think of the conflict in terms of nameless figures.

In my opinion, going there in your own capacity is not tantamount to endorsing the occupation. Yes, the businesses you patronise pay taxes that in part support the oppression, among the many things that taxes pay for, but it’s not on the same level as accepting an invitation from the tourism authority to be part of a PR offensive.

War is dehumanising, but a lot of good can still be done through a visit and the articles which you choose to put out on your blog. You can give a face and more to the conflict, even if you’re not a journalist.

Thank you for asking….

I guess you’re just part of the Israeli propaganda army sitting in Israeli universities tasked with insulting anyone who dares to speak on this subject.

In that case, I must say you’re doing a great job! Keep it up but know that the world is watching. In this day and age there is enough information out there to form an informed opinion, no matter what the media or your propaganda machine tries to spread.