I have spent sleepless nights, and far too much time on Twitter, since the latest war between Israel and Hamas kicked off last week.

My emotional reactions are visceral, as I was an American intelligence officer for two and a half decades, who at times worked with both the Israeli and Palestinian Authority governments. I genuinely like and admire both people. I helped the two sides on security issues and wish that a solution could be found that would allow both to live in peace together. That dream seems to be far from reality, but I won’t stop wishing, hoping, and speaking out, given my love for the region and the people.