Tessa, thank you so so much for writing this article. I've been so incredibly angry and upset about this latest barrage by Israel on Palestinians. The Israelis get real personal about it, too. Attacking a mosque, the Al Aqsa, of all places - who does that? who condones that? And then Israel complains when Palestine shoots rockets toward Israel. Really? While Israel, in its jets likely GIVEN to them by the warmongering US, bombs the shit out of Palestinian neighborhoods. And even targets the building holding the offices of the Associated Press and Al-Jazeera, giving the journalists and techs there one hour to evacuate - and to take NO EQUIPMENT with them! Attacking journalists is a war crime. Not to mention the many crimes against humanity Israel has committed.

I saw those same maps yesterday on twitter. Hideous. So I was looking for background, and trying to understand the reasoning for the move by Jews to Palestine, making it their home and Israel. Thanks for the references to Herzl and the Balfour agreement - so I could understand the history better.

I too am furious. Over the past 20-plus years I've read a lot about Palestine and Israel. My favorite poet/essayist is Palestinian-American Naomi Shihab Nye, read stories of her family there, listened to her kind voice. But I'm not single-minded either. I see perspectives from both Jewish and Arab sides. The warmongering aggression MUST stop.