People have accused me of many things since they learnt that I refuse to unquestionably support the Palestinians. I have lost some of my blog so-called friends, and got a few nasty personal messages. It seems that most people seem not to be able to tell the difference between not agreeing with their opinion and being evil.

So for all those who already hate me regardless of what I have to say. Stop reading here. It will not change your minds. (I also have nothing to say for those who poison ponds to protest against hunters.)

For the others who may be a bit more curious, here are the five principles that guide me when dealing with complex human situations:

1. You can divide history to two periods, the history of the living or of the history of the dead. The vast majority does not care whether the history of the dead happened 3 generations or a thousand years ago. Why should they care? So my first principle is to treat all history of the dead equally. Either I think it’s relevant, or I ignore it.
2. You can’t change history, but you can easily manipulate it. So my second principle is to always assume that what I am led to believe is manipulated.
3. Most people become emotional first, and nothing can change their minds later. So my third principle is to always find the facts for myself before I get emotional about things I don’t know
4. In no conflict – personal business or political – defining someone as being bad while putting the other as good has ever made anything better. My fourth principle is to always try to see things from all viewpoints.
5. Doubt is the only way to keep ones mind open. I am more often wrong than right, Yet, I am more often right than many of those around me. So my fifth principle is to keep doubting everything.

I lost many so called friends following these principles. I still let them guide me.