HAMAS vs. Israel (Shutterstock).

I’m not always sure that having a good memory is a good thing.

At Tuesday’s meeting of the Stanton City Council, the chamber was packed – and overflowed – in reaction to an agenda item to be considered calling for the support of Palestinians in Gaza and calling for an immediate cease-fire.

After three-and-half hours, the council accepted a less specific resolution asking for peace and friendship.

Each side spoke of its wounds … Jews and Israelis (and allies) talked about the hostages and the history of the Holocaust. Palestinians (and allies) spoke about 1948 when many of their people lost their land with the establishment of Israel.

It’s clear that there is more than enough heartbreak to go around. I don’t know what the solution in Gaza and Palestine might be. The idea of a two-state solution appeals. But will that be the end of it? Will new grievances appear, based on the same state-of-mind that gave rise to the earlier problems?

Sincerity and self-interest exist side-by-side. Patriotism and pretense live on the same street. Innocent people suffer, become hardened and make other innocent people suffer. Pain is personal and – in some cases –permanent.

I think it’s best – to the extent possible –  to try to live in the here and now. What can we do, right now to relieve the suffering and break the cycle of revenge in the name of self-defense?

What happened before is relevant but not the most important. Try to let go of the past just long enough to save the present. Needed: a cease-fire in our hearts and not just on the battlefield.