Sometimes the simplest message is the most profound. But if sharing it with others starts a discussion instead of thoughtfully ending it, here are some other references to have handy about this particular area:
Brush up on history, but keep it recent.
Many a family argument starts by rehashing ancient grudges, and zero have been ended that way. Think about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in the same way. Try to keep your conversation points recent and relevant. The violence earlier this year was the worst seen in the region since 2009. There’s a lot to untangle to understand what happened, but it started with the murder of three young Israeli men in the West Bank. Shortly after, a Palestinian boy was murdered by six Israelis “in an act of revenge.” Violence against children was central to the latest hostilities.
Find the human angle.
Sometimes it’s hard to talk about conflict in scale. It can help to ground your conversations with more personal narratives that talk about Israelis and Palestinians as people and communities, who live in real places. It’s really hard to have a satisfying conversation that centers on faceless politicized or religious entities. Especially when it’s about a place many people have only imagined through biblical stories. So keep your convo close to those children discussed in the video above and other folks that you and others can relate to.
