Dialogue

Since the weekend, I've been having the most amazing e-mail dialogue with a total stranger, thanks to the wonders of the internet.

Having posted my protest photos on flickr on Sunday, I received a comment on one of them from an Israeli girl in Haifa, who asked how I had become so interested in the Palestinian situation. It wasn't a confrontational comment, simply a genuine enquiry, so I replied and every day this week has seen a continuation of the conversation. It's not angry or attacking, just two people sharing their thoughts regarding a conflict that they don't agree with, but for different reasons.

I'm not going to say much (because I have other plans for this dialogue in the future and I've not asked her permission to show the messages in full), but I just wanted to share with you a few of her comments that have really got me thinking.

Firstly, challenging my belief in pacifism:
"I wish I had the privilege to be a pacifist. I can't. For every fact that you will raise, I have a thousand counter backs. That only shows you that both sides are right- Israeli and Palestinians. There is not only one truth as there is not only one solution."

Secondly, an interesting philosophical dilemma:
"Now i wish to ask you a question. Is there a difference between a situation with the same result, but with different intentions? When a terror bomber explodes himself on a bus wishing to kill many people, including children, or when a soldiar wishing to kill someone with blood on his hand mistakenly kills a child, does it count that the first guy wished for it and the second one didn't?"

I've replied to both these comments with my own views and feelings, but philosophically, it's hard. Pacifism is an idealistic belief which hasn't yet seen any success in political circles, as many years of studying history has taught me. Similarly, I believe that all killing is wrong, but that God will judge those who kill in the end. But accidents do happen, and I have sympathy for soldiers who kill civillians unintentionally. I have even more sympathy for soldiers forced to be in the military, like those in Israel on their compulsory military service.

The bottom line is that I'm really grateful that this person has got in touch with me and is leading me into a fascinating and challenging discussion about something that I am hugely passionate about. And I'm even more grateful that it's happening in a peaceful and non-confrontational way.