What Next?

It's impossible to ignore the current Palestinian situation. What's happening in Gaza - and its potential spillover into the West Bank- is gripping and frightening. And I don't even live down there.

What's troubling me, however, are reactions to the violence on the Anglo-average-citizen-living-in-Israel-with-a-computer side of the fence i.e. the number of glib posts popping up in the blogosphere.

The "I told you so'ers", The "see how these people are" illustrators, the "serves them right after all we've been through" justifiers...

And frankly, that shit ain't right, as my friend R.C. used to say.

Because, yeah, sure, hating the Palestinians en masse when suicide bombings or kidnappings or lynchings have gone down is natural as reactions go.

But asserting that an armed band of thugs is characteristic of the whole...well that's like saying the weapon-heavy rebels of Sudan or Sierra Leone or anywhere are characteristic of the nation they are holding at bay with terrorist tactics. Or like saying that Baruch Goldstein speaks for us all.

He doesn't and the nutter Hamas don't and there is nothing here to gloat about or feel righteous indignation over.

Years ago I worked for a tyrant boss. You name it and he was guilty: verbal abuse, threats, cheating and lying to gain an upper hand and abusing his position to make overt sexual advances..My colleagues and I hated him. And we hoped for his demise.

Eventually our wish was realized and he was fired. It was a tremendous blow because he held a senior position within a very respected company.

You'd think we'd have been delighted. But we weren't. Because he had a family to support and at the end of the day, we had compassion for his downfall.

Revenge and out of place holier than thou preachings are not a virtue.

The everyday Joe-Citizens of Gaza are terrified and in trouble and they need help and compassion - not the kumbaya type but real time solutions brought about by governments rallying behind the moderates.

We had all better hope for the best for the people down there and in the West Bank because their future is intrinsically tied in with mine. And yours.