I recently had a discussion with my son about war. His position was simple: watching civilians die in Israel is bad, just as it has always been in Gaza, Lebanon, and now Iran. For him, the blame cannot belong to only one side. America, Israel, and Iran all share responsibility for the deaths of innocent civilians.
During our conversation, he asked me a question that has stayed with me. Suppose Iran bombed America today in retaliatory strikes and my family was killed. Would I justify Iran’s actions simply because President Trump had decided to bomb Iran first? The question forced me to reflect. It challenged the way we often justify violence depending on which side we stand.
The military’s investigation that U.S. bombs in Iran were responsible for the killing of 175 schoolchildren confirmed what many already knew. At the same time, seeing a father in Israel recount how the lifeless bodies of his three innocent children were dug out of a bunker after an Iranian missile attack was equally heartbreaking. In war, the suffering of civilians looks the same, no matter which country they belong to.
Ordinary people suffer the most in wars they never chose. In most cases, civilians have no voice in the decisions made by political leaders. They simply live—and die—with the consequences of choices made far above them.
Decision-makers pursue victory, but they rarely consider the trauma endured by children who must live through these conflicts. The damage goes far beyond the battlefield. It becomes generational, shaping lives and societies for decades.
For this reason, I do not believe that war brings peace. Israel’s future—and the future of the Middle East—will not be secured through endless wars but through dialogue and mutual respect. Our failure to listen to one another, our determination to impose our views on other nations, and our belief that being the most powerful nation entitles us to bully others into submission cannot produce peace. That mentality belongs to another era. In today’s world, power must be negotiated, not imposed. It is time our nation rediscovered this reality. Wars will only deepen our troubles.
Yet my son’s argument also raises another difficult point. Israel’s suffering in this war is, in part, the result of the poor judgment of its leaders. Had they not bombed Iran, missiles might not have rained down on Israeli cities. Some will argue that the war would have happened anyway, but that misses the point. What we are witnessing is an unnecessary war fueled by arrogance and pride.
When leaders believe they have the power to determine who lives and who dies, they end up placing the very citizens they are meant to protect in danger. In this case, President Trump and Israel have exposed their own people to the consequences of the war they helped ignite—while remaining personally shielded from its dangers. The missiles will not reach them, as my son repeatedly pointed out.
Meanwhile, innocent children and women continue to be losers, even as leaders proclaim daily victories.
Please pray for peace in the Middle East.
Sunday
From the E-Crier of March 12, 2026. Subscribe to the weekly newsletter.