Making Sense of the Conflict

The Middle East always seemed distant and embroiled in conflict for as long as I can remember. It wasn’t something I pondered much until a couple of years ago when I had the opportunity to explore it–what an astonishing region, with its captivating beauty and remarkably resilient, warm-hearted people.

However, these recent flare-ups are truly heart-wrenching. It’s also distressing to see how the divisiveness extends beyond the battlefields. People face intense scrutiny, at times, penalties for their actions or inactions, all while drowning in a sea of information, misinformation, and disinformation.

As I keep up with the news, I’ve also learned to take some time to process my emotions and educate myself. While I couldn’t bear to watch actual footage on the ground (it’s just too painful), learning from diverse sources and engaging in conversations over the years has helped me grasp the situation better. I hope that by sharing some of the resources below, they can help you make sense of what’s happening too.

If you’ve been following my journey, you’ve probably noticed that I try my best to advocate for critical thinking. The more informed we are, the wiser decisions we can make.


Videos:

How the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict Began  |  History

How Britain Started the Arab-Israeli Conflict  |  Free Documentary – History

History of Israel-Palestine Conflict  |  History on Map

The Conflict Zone  |  National Geographic

Can Israelis and Palestinians See Eye to Eye?  |  Jubilee

News / Podcasts:

AllSides™ (Balanced)

Al Jazeera News // The Take (Left)

WSJ What’s News // The Journal (Right)

Mental health:

War Anxiety: How to Cope  |  Harvard

For those concerned about Palestine (PDF)  |  Maristan

Bonus:

Books that left a mark on me on the impact of war:

《戰地情書》  |  禤素萊 (散文集)

The Kite Runner  |  Khaled Hosseini (Fiction)

Media literacy:

ME4A 

Be Internet Awesome


Compassion. Peace.