Take Elias Rodriguez, the Palestinian terrorist responsible for a recent attack. In his mind, he’s a hero — a freedom fighter striking at oppressors. And figures like U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris would likely claim to “understand” his motives, as if that somehow justifies the bloodshed.

This type of reasoning only fuels the cycle of violence. The idea that terrorism is the "only option" after what some call decades of Israeli oppression is not only wrong — it's insulting to the many peoples who have faced brutal injustice and still chose peaceful paths.

India suffered under British rule for three centuries. Tibet has been occupied by China for decades. The Bahai in Iran face religious persecution. The Māori people of New Zealand were colonized and displaced. None of these groups turned to suicide bombings, airplane hijackings, or mass shootings to make their case.

Indeed, should Jews have stayed in "refugee camps" after WWII and bombed German buses - this also would not have been acceptable.

And while it is politically incorrect to say so, we must be honest: many acts of Arab and Muslim violence are fueled by specific teachings in the Koran that glorify martyrdom, jihad, and hatred of non-Muslims. These verses are exploited by radicals as divine license for terror. 

This must be confronted, not excused. Just as other faiths have undergone reform and reckoning, Islam too must reject those parts of its tradition that promote violence in God’s name.

The moral choice is always available. So why is it that in the Middle East, terrorism continues to be romanticized and excused?

Palestinian leaders — and their supporters in the West — must stop telling their people that hatred and revenge are the only path forward. There is another way, and it begins with rejecting violence as a tool of political expression, regardless of its religious or cultural origin.

As long as terrorism is justified, even quietly, the suffering will continue — not only for Israelis, but for Palestinians and Muslims as well.