As Martin Luther King stated, “violence begets violence…it is a descending spiral begetting the very thing it seeks to destroy.” This is what is unfolding in the Middle East. The violence was instigated by Hamas’ attack against Israel, and began spiraling with Israel’s manifold response. Hamas killed 1,200, Israel has now killed over 30,000. Did this bring peace? Houthis attack ships in the Red Sea. Israel strikes an Iranian target in Syria, killing several Iranian commanders. Are we at peace yet? No. Only more violence, as Iran then attacks Israel in an oddly choreographed barrage of drones and missiles. Meanwhile, seven international food aid workers are killed by the IDF by mistake, oh gee, sorry. Netanyahu is rebuffing entreaties not to attack Rafah, saying Israel will decide how to respond to defend itself, that it must retaliate to “preserve the credibility of its deterrents” (whatever that means). Violence begetting violence. Back to Tehran who now vow to respond in kind, also warning they could pursue a nuclear option. Despite that warning, Israel launched delicate drone attacks on a military base in Isfahan that Iran easily deflected. This is nuts. Simply ramping up responses solves nothing; it just creates more destruction and more hate. Nobody wins. There has to be a way to ratchet back this tit-for-tat, eye-for-an-eye bellicosity and get all parties to back away from this descending spiral. It doesn’t matter who started it. It matters how we can stop it. Stop. Establish a cease-fire. Return the hostages. Recognize that both Israel and Palestine have every right to exist. Instead of fighting for greater destruction and perpetual hate, let’s try for greater understanding and peace