The Pacifist Confusion

Gaza's thin red line one year later
Eva Bartlett, The Electronic Intifada, 22 January 2010
"The last Israeli attacks were the hardest, the most dangerous. It wasn't a war, it was a massacre. They shot anyone walking, anyone outside of their home, in their home ... it didn't matter. And it didn't matter if the victims were children or adults; there was no difference."
Ali Khalil, 47, has served as a medic with the Palestine Red Crescent Society.

If I was a resident of Gaza, I would do anything to persuade my neighbors to cease hostilities against Israel. After 61 years of warfare, the situation for Palestinians has worsened.
As a resident of Israel, I resent being a target for Iranian missiles. Following my own advice, I insist in telling everyone within earshot that violence is not a solution. My argument fails to the continued onslaught by hostiles.
Most regrettably, the self-styled pundits outside the region issue a flood of suggestions for policy changes directed towards peace. Almost always the advice is one-sided. The advisers assume victory in war should prompt concessions from the Israelis. Whenever the Israelis fail to make the concessions, they are vilified.
This one-sidedness persuades the Palestinians that the western nations will destroy Israel for them. Consequently, they believe there is no need to participate in a peace effort.