The Middle East is not only the cradle of civilization, it is also the point of origin for some of the most bizarre behavior of mankind.

This past week we were witness to an event known as "Israel Awareness Week," an activity designed to promote political and cultural understanding of Israel.

Promoting one's culture is an admirable effort, something that certainly must be encouraged. However, there is a subsidiary element to "Israel Awareness Week" that is both inexplicable and disturbing.

Apparently, the activities of this past week were also a kind of celebration of peace. In fact, Yachad (the promoter of the week's activity) went so far as to have a cake cutting ceremony on the steps of Old Main.

That's funny, I always though that one should celebrate peace after the war is over, not at the height of its intensity.

Furthermore, I find it peculiar that supporters of Israel would embark on such behavior at a time when the Jewish State is perceived as the obstacle to peace.

Picture this if you will: Members of Yachad actually going out and making or buying a cake and cutting it on the steps of Old Main in some sort of bizarre ceremony that celebrates a peace process that they in fact reject. The world is indeed a strange place.

Now, presumably Yachad is also honoring the 1979 Camp David Peace Accords. But isn't that just a little out of context?

There are some hard questions currently being put to Israel by the rest of the world as to their human rights violations and their refusal to enter into the proposed peace negotiations.

Yet suddenly, out of the blue, Yachad takes it upon (itself) to celebrate a peace treaty that is over 10 years old.

That's a little like NASA celebrating the accomplishment of the moon landing -- one day after the shuttle explosion. It avoids the current issues and is deeply offensive to many who demand answers for Israel's current behavior.

In appearing as though they want to deal with the current crisis in Occupied Palestine, Yachad invited official Israeli representatives to explain why Israel does not want to deal with the current crisis. The usual things were put forward:

a) Israel will not talk to the PLO because of (its) posture toward Israel.

Are we to believe that being at war with someone is justification enough not to sit down and talk peace? That's a rather frightening example of circular logic.

I always presumed it was the other way around -- that being at war with someone was the reason to sit down and talk peace. If the Palestinians applied the same logic they would have ample justification to reject talks with the Israeli government.

b) Israel will only negotiate with those of whom they approve.

Hmm, I never knew we all had the luxury of choosing our enemies.

It seems to me that enemies are imposed and if one truly wants peace they ought to deal directly with their enemies. The Palestinians didn't have such a choice, they know full well with whom they have to deal.

c) Israel will consider elections on the West Bank and Gaza.

Really? As I recall, Israel allowed such elections to take place back in 1976. Unfortunately, Israeli authorities didn't approve of the outcome and they subsequently declared the elections null and void.

d) (My personal favorite) -- The PLO doesn't represent the 1.7 million Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza.

If that isn't a blatant distortion of the truth, nothing is. Time and time again, through opinion poll (NBC and ABC), public surveys, demonstrations and past elections (oops, we shouldn't mention those) the Palestinian people have demonstrated a popular base of support that far exceeds that currently enjoyed by the tenuous Israeli government.

Today I read of more Palestinians killed because they dared offer resistance to an illegal occupation.

One of them, a four-year-old boy, had his chest blown apart by an Israeli bullet. I suggest members of Yachad reconsider their position and bring it in accordance with the well justified worldwide disgust at current Israeli actions.

I also suggest that they ought to have reconsidered the content of "Israel Awareness Week" to reflect the somber tone of the current death toll and the thousands wounded or imprisoned without trial.

A celebration at a time of such great injustice is insensitive and totally inappropriate.