The first casualty of war is the truth.

In the last two weeks, fighting has broken out again between Israeli forces and Palestinian protesters. Especially in the United States, this conflict is often regarded as synonymous with holy war.

The Mideast conflict goes beyond religion. It’s about two groups of people fighting for their land and their way of life. It’s about decades of strife.

Each side has committed atrocious acts. Each has done things that may not have been well-thought out. Each side is losing people.

The Palestinians should not have brutally killed two Israeli soldiers last week, but Israel also should not have brutally killed dozens of Palestinian civilians, many of whom were children.

Both George W. Bush and Al Gore have vowed to be a “friend” to Israel if elected president.

However, if the United States is going to be the mediator, we must not take sides so easily.

Americans often feel sympathy for Israel because the Jews are a group of people who historically have been oppressed. However, since the forming of Israel after World War II, it is equally valid to argue that the Palestinians have been long oppressed.

But the heart of the conflict is between the governments of each side. We should not confuse the opposing religions and people with the countries’ governments.

When someone has a problem with the policies and activities of the government, that does not make them anti-Semitic or anti-Muslim. The governments must be considered separately from the religion.

The American public must not let their beliefs about each religion determine how they feel about the conflict.Editorial Board: Carrie Tett, Greg Jerrett, Katie Goldsmith, Amie Van Overmeer, Andrea Hauser and Jocelyn Marcus