I knew I would lose friends...

Because the media has been so successful in defining what is right and wrong, it is politically-incorrect to even attempt an understanding of terrorists, or more specifically, the psychology that guides toward that evil path.

We prefer instead to turn a blind eye to injustices that are meted out on say, the Palestinians; because it is the most comfortable option. We surrender our moral compass to those who report the news. In short, we have become lazy; ambivalent to the suffering of an entire people because of false assurances that they are moral idiots.

Fortunately, the recent rash of films that deal directly with the Palestinian-Israeli conflict tries to transcend stereotypes and explore the roots of the perennial war. Little wonder that Paradise Now's recent Golden Globe win managed to ruffle some feathers.

Another troubling film is Steven Spielberg's Munich, whose central theme is the murder of 11 Israeli atheletes by Palestinian gunmen in the 1972 Olympics and the cold-blooded response that the Israeli government chose to take.

I haven't watched Munich, but Steven Spielberg is unusually frank in his opinions on those who criticize him for attempting to equate Palestinian terror with the actions of the Israeli secret service.

"The people who attack the movie based on moral equivalence are some of the same people who say diplomacy itself is an exercise in moral equivalence, and that war is the only answer - that the only way to fight terrorism is to dehumanise the terrorists by asking no questions about who they are and where they come from.

What I believe is every act of terrorism requires a strong response, but we must also pay attention to the causes. That's why we have brains and the power to think passionately. Understanding does not require approval; understanding is not the same as inaction. Understanding is a very muscular act. If I'm endorsing understanding and being attacked for that, then I am almost flattered."

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