Dr Jessica Sneha Gray, Applied Clinical Sociologist, Investigations

New Zealand often feels safely removed from war and terrorism. Geography gives us distance, but distance should never be mistaken for immunity.

The forces shaping conflict today-extremism, propaganda, antisemitism, and fear-driven narratives travel easily across borders, screens, and communities.

They arrive quietly, normalised through language, assumptions, and unexamined loyalties.

At the same time, we must be careful not to lose our moral compass in the name of vigilance.

Entire races, religions, or cultures must never be held responsible for the actions of extremists.

That path leads only to injustice and further division.

Recent events, including acts of courage and humanity such as those seen at Bondi Beach, remind us that decency and heroism exist across all communities.

These moments matter. They ground us in what is still good.

Antisemitism is real and rising, and it should concern us deeply.

So, too, should the dangerous assumption that all Muslims are implicated in terror.

Both are forms of collective blame, and both undermine the very values we claim to defend.

Extremist violence does not emerge from faith itself, but from distorted ideologies, often amplified by nation-states and political actors operating from the background, stirring grievance, funding chaos, and benefiting from prolonged conflict.

The Middle East conflict is complex, painful, and deeply historical.

Terror linked to state and proxy actors such as Iran and Hezbollah is real and must be acknowledged honestly.

At the same time, how governments respond and the solutions they pursue matters profoundly. Short-term strategies may win headlines, but they do not always build lasting peace.

Arabs and Jews in Palestine both deserve dignity, safety, and peace, and recognising one truth does not erase another.

Beyond governments, we too carry responsibility: in how we speak, what we amplify, and whether we choose understanding over outrage.

As Christmas approaches, we are reminded that this is not a new struggle.

Two thousand years ago, the Christmas story itself emerged under occupation, fear, and political violence.

The message of peace was not naïve optimism; it was radical hope in a dangerous world. Terror was real then, just as it is now.

So, this season of peace calls for more than sentiment. It calls for honesty, moral clarity, and self-examination. Jews, Christians, Muslims, atheists, and everyone in between must help create a society where love is possible without denial, where awareness does not harden into hatred, and where truth is sought with humility.

Peace is not pretending danger does not exist. Peace is choosing not to become what we fear