As family members of victims of the 9/11 attacks, who chose to work for peace and justice rather than revenge and retaliation in the wake of that anguished day, we have had the privilege of joining humanitarian missions to Iraq and Afghanistan over the past eight years. It is with horror that we imagine what terror we would feel if we were suddenly overwhelmed by armed soldiers, as has happened to the Gaza- bound relief flotilla this week.
This incident indicates the desperate need for peaceful alternatives to achieve a just solution in the Middle East. Both the safety of the Israelis and the basic human needs of the Palestinians must be insured by this country as well as by the world of nations in its efforts to build an impartial, legitimate and lasting peace.