In old age, Shimon Peres is more dove-like than hawkish. But when he spoke in Toronto, in early May to a sold-out crowd, we were in the presence of greatness. There was no question he would not answer. Little wonder why, he's one of the few to have seen it all in the Middle East.

One of the great myths perpetuated by the media is that Israel stands alone, isolated in the international arena. On the domestic front here in Canada, members of our municipal, provincial, and federal political parties have proudly declared that they are Israel's BFFs. Indeed, much of the same is expected next week when Israeli President Shimon Peres arrives here in Canada.

Those self-styled liberals who accuse right-wingers of having "taken possession" of the word "Zionism" are trying to equate Liberalism with a one-sided criticism of Israel. As if to be a true liberal, one must basically put the blame solely on the Jewish State for the current situation in the Middle East. I refuse.

In a massive defeat for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' campaign to delegitimize Israel, the International Criminal Court (ICC) has ruled that Palestine is not a "state" and it therefore does not have jurisdiction to investigate alleged "war crimes" committed by Israel in the "territory of Palestine since 1 July 2002."

Peter Beinart's recent New York Times op-ed calling for a boycott of settlement products is predictably generating much pushback. But boycotting the settlements might allow those of us who oppose the occupation a new and more finely honed expression of our Jewish identity.

This is a space for both Israeli and Arab students to coexist at school and at home. The conversations at Project Harmony in Jerusalem usually start organically because, after all, the campers were born into the conflict: sixty years of failed peace treaties, losses on both sides, destruction of lives and heartbreaking stories.

Recently the Jerusalem District Court issued a long-awaited ruling: What remains of Lifta, the last undestroyed Palestinian village, will stay untouched. It was on a visit last June to Lifta where I encountered a random mix of individuals, one that represented to me the fissures of conflict while revealing some possible compromises.

Recently on Palestinian state television, viewers could watch praise being bestowed on the convicted perpetrators of the random murder of three members of the Fogel family, in a nighttime attack on their West Bank home. The terrorists were referred to as "heroes." So far, I haven't found any newspaper outside of Israel that reported on Palestinian television's praise of the terrorists.

When we think about artistic expressions that are not directly tethered to the demands of the commercial market, something amazing can occur. As we know, in politics, hearts and minds matter, suggesting important potential links between collective longings and policy directions.

By way of bidding farewell to 2011, I'm reflecting on the people I've encountered this year. If Jewish ethics through Pirkei Avot instructs us to "make for yourself a teacher, and acquire for yourself a friend," I am all the richer because of the people I have met.

Instead of a person's values coming to carefully inform one's opinions on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, what I'm seeing is the reflexive taking of sides. What could be a very fruitful discussion about values, ethics and policy instead comes to resemble a boxing ring, with everyone in their corners primed to fight.

Why, when I see other cultures being critiqued, I sometimes bristle, while at other times I welcome it as thoughtful analysis? Because employing a measure of tastefulness and mindfulness and listening to others makes all the difference.

When "we" stop congratulating ourselves for how much we honour and value human life, so much so that we are willing to risk future soldier abductions and terrorist attacks for bringing the captured Jewish boy home, can we try to think more deeply and honestly about how best to honour those values?

Right now, the biggest threat on Mr. Harper's horizon is the state of the economy. The global economy could get a lot worse between now and the next election and there's no assurance that Canada will be spared, even relatively.

With the Palestinian bid for statehood looming at the U.N., how we deploy laughter -- or avoid it altogether -- can serve as a barometer for the willingness of societies to consider change.

Today I declare to the Twitterati and the literati -- and everyone else -- that everyone should be a Zionist. But that's not all. Everyone should also be a Palestinian nationalist.

In my opinion, the Israeli cost-of-living tent protests are not necessarily about the broadest reaches of social justice. They are confined to how Israelis want their own society to be ordered. And whatever the borders of the Jewish state, Israel must not sacrifice democracy on the altar of ethnicity.

THE CANADIAN PRESS -- MONTREAL - Canadian activists trying to deliver aid to the blockaded Gaza Strip have decided to put off their voyage for now. ...