Israel

The greatest wisdom traditions throughout human history have all pointed to a similar truth: that we are all one. Granted, a natural part of evolution, both individually and culturally, involves an ego based identity that defines who we are and who we aren't. I am this and you are that. I am a Jew and you are a Muslim. Indeed, it is an important developmental step but at some point, the next step is to get over yourself. The greater truth is that we are all part of something that transcends (but also includes) these seemingly separate identities. Even most separate dogmatic religions point to this truth with a law or commandment such as "do unto others as you would have them do unto you".

Of course and obviously, not everyone embodies or even "sees" this greater truth. From their narrow perspective, these people fight for their identities by trying to bring down competing identities. Most of us have experienced the uncomfortable result of this in high school. At the level of nation-states, however, this is a disaster. With regard to Israel and Palestine, this is a disaster.

Until these nationalistic and extremist Jewish settlers "get over themselves" they will continue to operate from a less developed, less caring, less inclusive place. That's fine if they are keeping to themselves but, in this case, they are destroying lives.

When a less developed worldview is creating suffering it is up to a more developed one to step in and say "no, this is wrong". Ultimately, the more developed worldview recognizes that the extremist settlers are not just destroying the lives of Palestinians, they are actually destroying their own lives. We are, after all, all one.