Two Wrongs Make a 60 Year Conflict

Both parties are guilty of mass murder.

Though the mass tends to be disproportionate

Thanks to a virtually unconditional and ever-increasing influx

Of red white and blue shells, guns, rockets, and jets.

But Palestinians have the blood of fellow Palestinians on their hands,

As Israelis have the blood of fellow Israelis on their hands.

Whizzing into 33 children, one a 6-month old, and 10 women,

Total, so far, 116 people dead in Gaza,

More than half, innocent civilians,

One Israeli civilian, a father of 4,

And 2 Israeli soldiers, brutally killed,

All in 5 short days of blind base counterproductive violence,

A sliver from 60 years of

Predation, poverty, politics and prejudice

Coalescing in mutual plight.

Hamas fires rockets from civilian residences,

So retaliation, even if successful,

Wins them ground in the battle of misinformation

Killing innocent youths,

And the IDF blasts

Inevitably-collateral-damage-causing US missiles

Into impoverished Palestinian camps

Where food, oil, and most apolitical aid is absent.

Firing Kassams into Israel provokes Israeli aggression

For all sovereign states have a right to defend themselves,

While egregiously vast

Aerial bombing, warship rocketing, and tank bursting

Create future Hamas devotees, more hatred towards Israel,

And belief in Hamas’ justifications for terror,

Perpetuating misery for the bombers as well as the bombed.

After 60 years, it is time,

For the sake of those Israelis and Palestinians born today,

As well as all lives tied to them,

To focus less on yesterday and today,

On who started it, and on vengeance,

To recognize blood begets blood,

And walk past it to a tenable existence.