Reported by H.H., a Lebanese citizen, as a rebuttal to this essay by Tova Berkley.

The only thing that Palestinians have done to bring on this violence is wanting to live in their homeland, just as their ancestors have done for thousands of years. They do not want to live in tents or slums while the immigrants from Eastern Europe and all over the world confiscate their land, water and even the air that they breathe! This in the 21st century and the sort of treatment that the Palestinians have suffered is not tolerated anywhere else in the world, except in the Democratic country of Israel. Democracy is true there for the Israelis, but not for the Palestinians who lay ancestral claim to the land.

Israel is putting on a show for the world, saying that it is willing to give land for peace and it makes Israeli teens feel that this is the truth. The real truth is that the only land the Israelis have to give up is the land that was taken from the Palestinians 53 years ago. When Palestine's land was invaded, hundreds of thousand of its owners were scattered as refugees. These refugees sought protection in neighboring countries and most of them have survived for decades under very miserable conditions, disenfranchised from their homes and homeland.

I describe this as a witness to the miseries of the Palestinian refugees. I'm Lebanese and I know first hand these horrors. My 16-year-old brother was killed and our house and family business were destroyed because of the Israeli invasions. I have seen the homes and business of friends, relatives, neighbors and citizens lost and destroyed. Our country has been thrown back to the "stone age" because of the Israeli invasions, and the relentless bombardments and occupation of Lebanon over the past twenty two years.

This is why I have mixed feels about the bombing. The families and people that Tova described are Israeli and I feel for them as people, but I am angry because we have similar and equally deep feelings of the losses that were inflicted on us by the Israeli soldiers -- Tova's brethrens whom the Israeli establishment have drafted and trained to kill anything Arab. The Israeli and International media do not show the continuous killings and sufferings of the Palestinians. It makes a perfect political investment to show the the Palestinians as fierce and war-like, an act that only encourages the extremists on both sides.

The present Israeli Prime Minister, Sharon, orchestrated the killings of 3,000 Palestinians in the Sabra & Shatila refugee camps in Beirut in 1982. As the foreign affairs minister in Peres's government, he ordered the shelling of a united Nations camp in Kana, South Lebanon, killing a 100 Lebanese in 1996. The Israeli people should look to their own leaders when trying to understand their losses. This is not a one-sided war.

I wish to extend my condolences to the families in Palestine who have suffered the tragic losses of their children and their country. I also offer these condolences to the Israeli families, hoping that their grief will translate into pressure on the Israeli government to adapt a humanistic policy and leave the Palestinians some share of the shared homeland. I hope that someday, someone will decide that the best policy in this matter is one of "Live and Let Others Live."

The world and its superpower must put an end to the pointless suffering of human beings, Israelis and Palestinians alike. This is the only way to prevent the emergence of more desperate youths like the young man who exploded himself and killed the 18 innocent Israelis teens in that disco in Tel Aviv. This act was a cry for the world and Israelis to pay attention to his country's just cause. I hope the world hears his cry and acts appropriately to bring peace and justice back to this region.

Guide Note: This is a first person account of the war in Israel told from the perspective of an Egyptian observer. Teen Advice invites anybody with an opinion on this topic, whether they live in Israel or abroad, to submit their perspective on this topic. The purpose of the "My Story" features is for teens to share their life experiences and feelings. We hope that this sharing will open up a better understanding of the struggles faced by teens living in different parts of the world. Perhaps today's teens can accomplish the peace that seems to allude the adults currently in control -- after all, today's teen could be tomorrow's great leader!

Editorial Note: the US commissioned Mitchell Report suggests that the vast majority of the casualties in this conflict have been Palestinian. In a May 21, 2001 CNN.com article on the Mitchell Report it was stated that, "In the past seven months, more than 500 people have been killed and over 10,000 have been injured." [ Read the Article]. In a second CNN.com report it is stated, "More than 500 people -- mostly Palestinians -- have been killed since the fighting started." [ Read the Article].

Get a FREE copy of the entire Mitchell Report courtesy of the Meridian International Center. This free document must be downloaded from the Meridian International Center website and is in PDF format. You will need the FREE Adobe Reader software to view this document. You can get the software for free at the Adobe website.

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