Two items about the conflict in Israel drew my attention this morning. In the Times of Israel, blogger Meredith Rothbart made the point that peacebuilding is a long-term endeavour. She quoted her mentor, Rev. Dr. Gary Mason, who is known for his role in helping make peace in Northern Ireland: “If you want peace today, you should have started building it 20 years ago. And if you don’t feel like working for peace today, then you better not complain to me in 20 years that the conflict is ongoing and affecting your children.”

She has been working on relationship-building among Israelis and Palestinians for a decade, but this time, instead of having people tell her she’s wasting her time, she is hearing more from people who want to know how they can help. And she has advice: