Bereavement has no sides

Re: “Netanyahu And Obama Will Talk on Tuesday” (March 22, 2010)

To the Editor:

No grandmother should lose their grandson in a battle because, ultimately death has no sides when it comes to the pain it delivers. Bereavement on all sides, no matter if we see the persons as good or bad, is debilitating. The picture above, from the New York Times, shows Noura Qawariq holding her deceased grandson. Her eyes show the pain that she feels. We see a picture, seeing her face, without feeling her pain in our inner core. Think of your most possessed memory. Now, imagine someone has taken that memory from you. Qawariq's heart dropped, too. In this case, not only was Qawariq’s memory making stopped, but all future hopes were stolen. This is an emotional idea to consider. The reasons for her grandson’s death are not necessarily the fault of the Israelis, the Palestinians, or the United States, when looking at the whole picture. It is that humankind has missed the point of the holy land. It is not the land itself that is important, it is the fact that anyone should be able to grow in their fath. This is what is important about Jerusalem. Land is just land. It is not fragile because it cannot die. Humans can die. Hearts can break, but it is only faith and love that make such heartaches worthy. Isabel Keshner’s article expresses that Israel and Palestine are considering peace talks. However, they are not considering peace until everyone agrees that war in Israel/ Palestine will be over. Peace will only be granted when both sides can embrace each other's differences. Until then, it’s just another push on the timer in a worldwide, violent game of chess.