A suicide bomber killed six Israelis and injured scores of others in the latest round of violence between Israelis and Palestinians. Secretary of State Colin Powell is now reconsidering whether or not he will meet with Yasser Arafat, and the entire situation seems as far from a resolution as it has at any point over the past half-century.

People around the world have struggled to come up with a solution to current crisis in the Middle East. Ariel Sharon has decided that military strikes that “root out” Palestinian terrorists is the answer. Hardline Palestinians have chosen violent resistance as their tack. The Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia has proposed a political solution, while President Bush and Colin Powell are testing the diplomatic waters.

But what if thousands of Palestinians were to lay out in the streets to block Israeli tanks? What if Ariel Sharon and Yasser Arafat sat down and figured out a mutually beneficial solution? Throughout history, non-violent approaches have brought down governments and empires. Tonight, the violence in the Middle East takes a back seat, as we examine the role that non-violence can play in bringing about an end to the crisis that violence has only made worse.

Guests:

Jack DuVall, co-author of “A Force More Powerful: A Century of Nonviolent Conflict,” director of the International Center on Nonviolent Policy

Mark Rosenblum, founder and political director of Americans for Peace Now

Mubarak Ewad, director of Non-Violence International in Washington, DC