It Is Really Hard Sometimes...

To stay balanced on the question of Palestine/Israel when both sides keep acting like children.

If I had to choose, my own sympathies lie with the Palestinians whose land was taken from them and who have been perpetually oppressed by what is essentially an outpost of Western imperialism...but my real sympathies lie with PEACE.

I'm no fan of Zionism in principle, but I think a two-state solution would be great in practice if there could be peace and justice for all involved. Yes, people's land was taken and horrible things have occurred, but is either land or revenge (for either side) worth ruined lives and broken families and all this toxic hatred?

I might even like to see a "three state" solution with the Christian holy sites given some sort of sovereign extraterritoriality or something like that...

But the way they both keep acting, sometimes it just makes you want to say To Hell With Them Both:

The gingham dog and the calico cat
Side by side on the table sat;
T'was half past twelve, and (what do you think!)
Nor one nor t'other had slept a wink!
The old Dutch clock and the Chinese plate
Appeared to know as sure as fate
There was going to be a terrible spat
(I wasn't there; I simply state
What was told to me by the Chinese plate!)

The gingham dog went "Bow-wow-wow!"
And the calico cat replied "Mee-ow!"
The air was littered, an hour or so,
With bits of gingham and calico,
While the old Dutch clock in the chimney-place
Up with its hands before its face,
For it always dreaded a family row!

(Now mind: I'm only telling you
What the old Dutch clock declares is true!)
The Chinese plate looked very blue,
And wailed, "Oh, dear! what shall we do!"
But the gingham dog and the calico cat
Wallowed this way and tumbled that,
Employing every tooth and claw
In the awfulest way you ever saw--
And oh! How the gingham and calico flew!
(Don't fancy I exaggerate--I got my news from the Chinese plate!)

Next morning, where the two had sat
They found no trace of dog or cat;
And some folks think unto this day
That burglars stole that pair away!
But the truth about that cat and pup
Is this: they ate each other up!
Now what do you really think of that!
(The old Dutch clock it told me so,
And that is how I came to know.)