But, here now, in the 21st century, both sides are even more extremist, more self-centered, prideful, intolerant, unjust, war-gung-ho, abusive, dismissive of civilians' lives--all in the name of orthodox Judaism and orthodox Islam or at least cultural religion...
Please stand up for the True and the Compassionate when it comes to Palestine/Israel,
where the slaughtering by both sides is punishing the innocent as well as the guilty.
Photo of Ramallah Friends School
The whole situation of Palestine/Israel in the last 150 years is so very convoluted and complicated.
NO ONE has any quick answers or solutions for the extremely complex tragedy.
NO HOPE IS POSSIBLE UNTIL BOTH SIDES CHOOSE to FORGIVE and agree to compromise!
The ultimate irony is that both the Palestinians and the Israelis genetically come from the same ancient peoples of the region!
What divides these multi-millions of haters isn't biological but religious and political and cultural.
It was tragic when I lived in Palestine/Israel in 1974, worked on a Jewish kibbutz, stayed briefly with a Palestinian Muslim family who befriended me in Nablus. And for many years since, I've followed the daily news there and read many books from the perspective of both sides.
Please support some of the groups that seek to bring light and reconciliation there-- the Quaker/Friends School in Ramallah, Palestine for the last 100 years.
And in the past, Christian Peacemaker Teams and Brother Andrew's involvement in bringing Jew and Palestinian Muslim together, even going to HAMAS to share his perspective with its leaders (when the government of Israel had dumped them midwinter into Lebanon years ago.
Support Eli Chacour a Palestinian/Israeli Palestinian priest who shares the true, the good, the kind, the just with both warring sides. Chacour has worked with and started a school/university for all peoples of the area--Christian, Muslim, Druse, and Jew. He has also befriended seculaerists and non-theists.
That is a start.
Here are several books that might assist in helping everyone to better (and more historically accurate) understand the complexity, hatred, intolerance, of the area:
Once Upon a Country: A Palestinian Life by Sari Nusseibeh and Anthony David
Blessed are the Peacemakers
by the former assistant mayor
of Ramallah, Audeh Rantisi who co-wrote it along with Ralph Beebe of George Fox University and Northwest Yearly Meeting.
Blood Brothers by Elias Chacour
We Belong to the Land by Elias Chacour
Chacour's father, a Palestinian Christian said that they needed to love
the Jews (when the Jews were escaping lethal violence in Russia and Europe to the M.E.).
Yet later
the Israeli army kidnapped him and Chacour's brother
and dumped them in a foreign country.
Then the Israeli Army blew up
their Palestinian Catholic church and drove all of the Palestinians
out of their homes and town.
The Israeli government has never allowed Chacour and other Palestinians to come back to their home.
Yet Chacour still shows love to the Jewish people, and to Muslims, Druze, and all others.
Sounds like the "Lamb's War--a war of love, justice, and peace! --the only war worth having.
Peace in the LIGHT--the Caring, the Good, the True, the Just,
Dan Wilcox
http://infiniteoceanoflightandlove.blogspot.com/
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