As I read more and more about the latest conflict in Israel, one this seems abundantly clear—the violence has to stop. The Palestinian people should not be attacking Israel but Israel should not respond in the extreme ways they are currently using. Violence only breeds violence. The Palestinian people should take into consideration a non-violent approach. I can think of two instances where non-violence has led to great success—India and the United States.
When India was ruled by Britain, the Indian people wanted their freedom. Ghandi ordered his people to gain their freedom through non-violent means. This meant sitting down—just stop everything and sit down.
In the United States, Martin Luther King, Jr. led the Civil Rights movement through peaceful protest. No matter how much violence was thrown at that movement, King always urged his followers to remain non-violent.
The Palestinian people would gain a tremendous amount of credibility in the world if they just led a peaceful protest. Just stop everything and sit down. This would bring the Israeli economy to a halt. How could Israel possibly bomb Palestinians that were leading a peaceful protest? Support around the world be in favor of the Palestinians. The end result would be that the Palestinians would force Israel into peace talks. There will never be peace until the violence ends.
As a side, note, I originally read this idea from Michael Moore. It seems like great advice that should be adhered to today.