I just realized that the publication of my book coincides with 50 years of Israeli occupation of the West Bank. Half a century. A long time. Enough time to mark a generation. Enough time for many children and their children's children to never, ever have known when community in this land crisscrossed religious and ethnic groups. A generation of young people who find it almost impossible to see a potential friend in those they consider an enemy.
The insanity no longer stops here, in this conflict between Israel and the Palestinians. It is a global epidemic. Where walls were once torn down, barriers -- real and imagined -- are going back up. Terrorism is everywhere. There is almost nowhere on this planet where human beings can walk the earth without suspecting the worst of those striding beside them. Women, who have been graced with the power to give life, are putting aside the belief that the ''other'' means them harm. They are rising up together around the world to make a change.
In Israel, there are many groups. One of the newest and fastest growing is Women Wage Peace. The success of groups like these means a better future for everyone.
(Photo by Hadas Parush/Flash90)