[S I M T A N]

Do you realize that you'd raised a question so difficult even you couldn't answer? 

It's difficult to establish the rights and wrongs of the matter. How the long-running feud between the two sides began - reportedly 100 years ago - and how it's developed over time isn't easy to understand or explain, and the matter is still open to debate. But what we all do know is, violence begets more violence when modern people adopt the ancient code of law that called for punishment in the form of an eye for an eye.

Revenge almost invariably leads to a self-perpetuating cycle of violence. The world is witnessing vengeful acts of violence resulting in death and widespread destruction, with Hamas sustaining a disproportionately high number of casualties. Hopefully, concerted and peacemaking efforts will stem the tide of violence.

In any conflict, it's best to listen to both sides of the story before drawing your own conclusion. I'm a neutral in the strictest sense of the word because I don't take sides and I have no ax to grind. A non-confrontational stand of neutrality doesn't invite criticism.