The needless killing of Iyad Halaq, a Palestinian man suffering from autism, at the hands of the police in the Old City of Jerusalem, is an open wound that will likely not heal any time soon.
The years-long, bloody conflict, like a heavy chip on the narrow shoulder of this young man who was suspected of being a terrorist and was shot dead despite his pleas to be left alone.
Rabbi Aryeh Stern, Chief Rabbi of Jerusalem decided he would not succumb to stereotypical behavior of his political camp that believes that sympathizing with the other side undermines your beliefs.
He decided he would see the tragedy for what it is - a man whose life was taken from him through no fault of his own, a disabled person that was killed by those who were entrusted with his security.
Stern showed up at the Halaq family's mourning tent to express his condolences in the spirit of Judaism.
The photograph that emerged from that visit moved many, mostly because of its rarity, when we should have all been moved by the actual killing – as an instinctual human reaction.
In reality, we have been conditioned to cling to our political (or national) camps at all costs, so much so that we sometimes overlook the gravity of the events themselves.
In today's political climate, showing empathy to the other side is not a worthwhile cause. It has no political value and does not yield any reward.
Empathy would require us to sympathize with our so-called adversaries and walk in their shoes despite our disagreements, when it is so much easier to paint the world in broad ideological strokes.
If we happen to meet the gaze of those on the other side of the conflict, sympathizing with them could undermine our confidence. This is why public officials, for instance, stay clear of such dangers. They prefer to express condolences to families of fallen soldiers or victims of terror and not those devastated by social injustice such as women murdered by their partners.
If we separate our personal empathy from our political ideology, we will never change our society for the better. Stern understood what he as a community leader and a religious man must do. He came to the family, hugged and consoled them, and used faith as a bridge.
That is how change will come.