Mideast mess

I think I should always preface my thoughts on the Mideast situation with this. I think 99.9% of Israelis and Palestinians are being unfairly punished by militants in Hamas, and hawks in the IDF. Most people just want peace, no suicide bombers, no soldiers in cities, no rocket attacks, no air strikes. I am neither pro or anti either side, purely anti-senseless preventable death. I tell people (who can sit through my babbling) a story of living in Ottawa, in a house of several friends, some with family, religious and philosophical links to both sides, some of us with no direct links. This was during a heightened time of violence in the late 90's and early into 2000. At times voices were raised and the rhetoric was question period like. We all still cared about each other, ate together, got sometimes perhaps a tiny bit too drunk with, but never wanted harm to come to the other. I now have, in a slight way a tie to the region. Perhaps that is why the messy war bothers me so much. I am, admittedly then, part of the problem, my disgust should leap from my humanity, not be coerced through friendship or bloodlines.