With so much hatred, mistrust and violence on both sides, will Israel and the Palestinians give peace a chance?

I’m going to try this. Let me know what you think and feel.

I feel sorry for the Jewish and Palestinian people who want to live in peace but have become victims of a war started by extreme elements of their religions/governments? The Oct. 7 attack carried out by Hamas was a massacre.

The Israel government responded, going much further than the Old Testament “eye for an eye.” Hamas has used peaceful Palestinians as shields, even using a hospital as a hiding place. To me, that is cowardly.

To “get even” and more, the Israeli government seems to not care about collateral damage.

Growing up I knew about the oppression of Jews and the Holocaust. Their collective fear/paranoia is understandable. I don’t know enough history to know about persecution of Palestinians.

Here is my thinking and feeling: Hamas was wrong to attack on Oct. 7. Israel is wrong to counterattack with little regard for innocent people. I understand the desire by the Israeli government to wipe out Hamas. I don’t like the way they are doing it.

I don’t consider myself pro- or anti-Jewish or Palestinian. I am anti-terrorist no matter what name the group may have.

I think taking sides on this is too simplistic. I understand the fervor of students getting caught up in the emotions of it. I remember the demonstrations over Vietnam.

It appears there are Jews and Palestinians who don’t want peace. They want to carry on their centuries-old hatred. I don’t know how to fix that.

Others, much smarter than me, have tried and failed.

The lyric, “Give peace a chance,” (composed and performed by John Lennon and Yoko Ono, seen above in a public domain image posted on wikimedia commons) keeps echoing in my brain and heart.

Rick Knobe is a former mayor of Sioux Falls and a longtime radio talk show host who is now retired but remains active and involved in his community and state. His columns appear regularly on The South Dakota Standard. You can contact him at rick.knobe@changeagentsofsd.org