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Being Jewish doesn’t mean that Shyne automatically sides with Israel over the unrest in the Middle East resulting in airstrikes launched to and from Palestine. The longstanding disagreement between the two countries hit another bloody note last week when Israel shot missiles across the border, into neighboring Gaza City, as a reported act of self-defense.

“That’s a very complicated situation,” Shyne tells Hip-Hop Wired. “Obviously my prayers and my thoughts [go to] everybody involved, not just the Israelites.”

Despite practicing Judaism, adopting the name Moses Levi, and living in Jerusalem, the former Bad Boy rapper doesn’t consider himself a “blind supporter” of the country. “I’m impartial when it comes to justice, when it comes to human rights. I’m moderate.”

Noting the ongoing dispute between both countries, Shyne sees a separation of the land that each side has been fighting over, as the only solution, but recognizes Israel’s need for protection. “We have to be pragmatic, and the pragmatism is if Hamas—who, according to the United State of America, is a terrorist organization—if they’re shooting rockets into Israeli territory, how you gon’ deal with that?

“Israel has always been occupied. Before 1948 it was the British that were occupying Israel, before that it was Jordan, before that it was the Turks, before that it was the Mamluks… it was already somebody occupying Israel [but] when the U.N. decided to divide Israel, everything got complicated.

“The solution is two states, the solution is West Bank and Gaza, and wherever else, going to the Palestinians and letting them have their state and their sovereignty, and hopefully they can prosper.”

With the fear of Hamas leaders completely taking hold of Palestine, Shyne urges the country to draw back support of Islamic extremists. “I think it’s in the Palestinians best interest to elect leaders that want peace and [will] work hard to get a two-state solution, and as well as on the Israeli side. It’s in the Israel’s interest to make sure that their leaders are wholeheartedly negotiating to bring about a Palestinian state, not a terrorist state.”

As previously reported, President Obama sent Secretary of State Hilary Clinton to the Middle East where she met with leaders in Israel, Palestine, and Egypt in hopes of negotiating a truce. After eight days of violence, a cease fire was announced, Wednesday (Nov. 21) afternoon.