Like most Canadians, I was shocked by the stories of residential school survivors. Many asked, “How could such a thing have occurred without people knowing?”

While serving as a human rights observer in Palestine and Israel I had an interesting conversation with a restaurant owner on the shore of the Sea of Galilee. As I was leaving, he asked if Palestinians ever had problems at checkpoints. My immediate thought was, “He really doesn’t know!”

At a reception at the Canadian Ambassador’s house an influential Israeli said to me that he use to have friends in Bethlehem. He paused and then filled with lament said, “It is as if somebody built a wall.” I wanted to say, “Yes. It is 26 feet tall, ugly and the International Court of Justice has ruled it illegal.” But, I realized he too, didn’t know.

I believe most Israelis do not really know what is…