AIKEN - Among the hundreds of pictures of Middle Eastern landscape still stored on David Matos' digital camera, no one shot could capture the experience he shared with 16 fellow travelers from around the United States with the Interfaith Peace Builders.

The Aiken man recently returned from a two-week tour of the Middle East, a trip he took to understand the conflict and to share his experience when he came back.

"It's very interesting to be there at a time during conflict and war," Mr. Matos said in an interview Wednesday.

"As Americans, we're very privileged to see both sides," he said. "They both have one thing in common; they're both tied into the cycle of violence. What is better? To stop the violence."

Mr. Matos said more debate on war issues, especially Lebanon, occurs in the southern United States than in Israeli universities, where students remained mum when Peace Builders visited them.

"It's more of a feeling (that) they need to rally around the leadership and support the war effort rather than criticize," Mr. Matos said.

"(Israelis) feel like anything that happens, they're justified.

"One of the things that was most frustrating for me was to see the war in Lebanon unfolding. To see our own government, especially Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, saying she was dismayed (and) say, 'Well, we want an end to violence but we want to achieve political objectives first,'" Mr. Matos said. "It's pure double speak. ... It's horrible that they weren't pressuring for an immediate cease-fire."

Mr. Matos said the group canceled one trip to Nazareth because rockets were landing there, but they never felt threatened by violence, which he said remains sporadic.

Although Mr. Matos was able to see what he describes as an invisible and physical divide among Israelis and Palestinians, he said it only fueled his frustration with U.S. foreign policy.

"I call people to take another look at this conflict and the U.S.'s role in it," he said.

"We can't afford as a nation to do the wrong thing. It generates too much hate and resentment toward the U.S.; we just can't afford to not do the right thing anymore."

Mr. Matos, who helped originate Aiken Peace, said he felt he couldn't talk about the Middle East without visiting it himself. He says he will try to persuade others to experience the Middle East themselves.

"I really think one of the best things that people can do is to go over there, even now," Mr. Matos said.

"You have to be careful, but it doesn't mean it isn't safe if you take the proper precautions."

"A lot of Christians think to be a good Christian you have to support Jewish people.

"I think people don't realize that (some) Palestinians are also Christians," Mr. Matos said.

Reach Julia Sellers at (803) 648-1395, ext. 106, or julia.sellers@augustachronicle.com.