Peace in the Middle East

I thought that the beginning of 2009 would be the first step to change- new president, new way of thinking, new world. I guess I was mistaken. As we are starting a new year, we still see the same blood shed that we have seen in countless battles and wars preceded throughout history. Will war destroy mankind? Possibly. Should we give up on peace? NEVER.


I am stunned to see photos of children ravaged by war. This current war between Gaza and Israel creates a terrible situation for the next generation of children and so forth. They grow up seeing cries and blood; the cycle of hatred never ceases. Aside from the never-ending conflict between Israelis and Palestinians are the health factors that surround the people within the region.


In an epidemiology class I took at BU, a woman by the name of Alice Rothchild came to speak at one of our lectures. Rothchild is Jewish - half Israeli and half American. She’s done studies on the Gaza strip concerning people’s mental health state (mainly in children), and her studies have shown that a significant percentage of children suffer from antisocial behavior- aggression and fear (more so in boys than girls). Their emotional problems are carried on with them throughout their lives. (And the cycle continues…) Rothchild encourages justice for Palestinians and a better understanding between the 2 cultures.







The one thing that we all share (with people an ocean away from us) is our humanity thus it is every person’s duty to speak out against any atrocity that takes place- domestically or internationally. Diplomacy should always be the answer. One life lost is a lifetime of love, smiles, memories and happiness lost.