Wars anywhere are a tragic loss of life and a colossal waste of resources. As the granddaughter of Nazira, Abdelmaseh, Khalil, and Mathiele, all born in Lebanon, I am especially pained by the current conflict in Palestine. I’ve never visited the region myself, but my Arabic heritage remains strong — the music stirs me, the food soothes me, the language resonates with me. It’s from this background that I feel moved to write.

Some perspective is missing from most mainstream news reports about the war in Gaza. Most of us are familiar with the Holocaust, and understand the need for a place where Jews feel safe, feel that they are in charge, and will not be lower-class citizens forced to live in fear, huddled in a ghetto. The Holocaust was heinous — the worst of humanity, led by a man whose persona led him to unimaginable power.

Too often missing is the story of the Palestinian people.

Ever since the formation of a state primarily for Jews was initiated, Palestinians have been displaced. Each conflict led to loss of more and more territory, more and more refugees.

Israel removed Jewish settlements in Gaza in 2005, but have maintained a checkpoint at the border that regulates movement of Gazans, and controls availability of water, electricity and food. Gaza has been called the largest open-air prison on the planet. The contrast in standard of living on either side of the border is stark.

Jews and Arabs lived as neighbors comfortably in the early 1900s. I know this from conversations with my grandparents, and great-aunts and uncles who lived there. After the 1967 war, the United States began the desire for a partner in this oil-rich region. Hence the unwavering alliance with the government of Israel, and the blind eye as Israeli settlers bulldoze demolish yet another vineyard and olive grove to displace Palestinians in the territories occupied by Israel.

It is hard to comprehend that the world allowed the Holocaust atrocities led by the German Nazis to continue for years. Why didn’t our governments intervene? Anyway you slice it, the horrors can’t be undone. And yes, like with slavery, the trauma continues to haunt subsequent generations.

So here we are, watching — as the people of Palestine are being forced to leave their refugee camps only to be bombed and displaced in another corner of Gaza, while Israeli forces protect settlers who are taking over land in the West Bank. The International Criminal Court is investigating war crimes. The International Court of Justice is calling for an immediate cease-fire. How can we look away?

Another piece of information that many might not know is that the United States has been funding the Israeli government with $3.8 billion per year for decades. Why? Again — strategic interest to protect access to oil. One solution to lessen our dependency on Israel is to lessen our addiction to oil — foreign relations are often twisted away from humanitarian beliefs in order to get to the thick black liquid.

Let’s not kid ourselves. This is NOT a religious war. This war is about resources, as always. Access to water — this is the desert — farmland, expansion of housing, and beachfront property on the Mediterranean. Plus, the India Middle East Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) needs access to the ports now in Gaza. Read about the U.S. involvement in IMEC at whitehouse.gov (https://tinyurl.com/2yu2emwt). Will we only follow the money, or might we consider morality?

The United States can support the country of Israel, but find fault with the policies of their leader — a man who has been in power for 17 years and might be prolonging the war to avoid facing personal corruption charges.

Here in the United States, we speak of reparations to Black Americans and giving land back to Native people. Considering the immensity of both, can we recognize that more irreparable harm to yet another people and their culture — this time Palestinian — is not what we, the United States, the “land of the free” should be supporting.

Jewish people deserve to live in safety with dignity. And the Palestinian people also deserve to live safely with dignity in their ancestral home.

In response to a religion column on June 8 [“I will let the Scriptures guide my thinking,” Recorder], I will also cite Scripture. In Mark 12:31, Jesus instructed us to “Love your neighbor as yourself”: Equality, not weaponry, will be the true path to security. And from Exodus 20:13, Moses received the commandment: “Thou shalt not kill.” It’s not a suggestion. It fact, it was written in stone.

Laurie Boosahda is a tree lover, gardener, and energy efficiency enthusiast living in South Deerfield.