This is the first article I have written about the war in the Middle East that began with a terrorist attack by the militant group Hamas. The main reason I have hesitated to express my opinion is that I was numb for the first few days and wasn’t sure what I felt beyond sadness and fear. The first tears I shed occurred when I heard Bono and U2 sing a reworded version of their song Pride in the Name of Love to memorialize the young people who were killed or kidnapped at a music festival. Then sadness and fear gave way to anger and then confusion. First and foremost, I am a peacemaker/ peacemonger/ pacifist. I don’t desire revenge or retribution.
I penned these words on FB afterward, “Troubled sleep last night, understandably so with all that is going on world wide and the most recent with the terrorist attacks in Israel with violence, murder, kidnapping and rape. In my dream state I had a reckoning God-versation as I asked, as I always do, in times like these how a loving God could allow atrocities to occur between individuals, families, societal groups, militaries, governments, countries, autocrats. What positive purpose could any of it possibly serve? And as always I was left with the feeling that a Divine Being isn’t orchestrating this. If He/She/It was, it would mean that this a God of hate and not love. I can’t wrap my mind around that. It comes down to what each of us can do as individuals and groups to quell the violence, to speak out against hatred and injustice, to be active participants and peacemakers. To be of loving support to each other, to say that we won’t allow hate to divide us. We are all swimming in emotion soup right now.
I sometimes wonder why I pray since prayers don’t always come to fruition as I wish they would. I pray to be in solidarity with others. I pray because it brings me solace. I pray because it is sometimes the only thing I can do at the moment. I pray because it compels me to take action.”
The day of the attack, I posted a call for prayers for peace in Israel. Reactions ranged from agreement to incredulity that I didn’t request peace for the world or that I didn’t call out the Israeli government as equally culpable. My initial response was, “I want peace and freedom for all, but there is no excuse for terrorism regardless of the supposed rationale.” Someone volleyed back, Do you not consider leveling half of Gaza terrorism? 40% of their population are CHILDREN. What about those babies? I’m praying for peace. Period. Not just for Israel.” I answered, “I don’t need anyone telling me what my ethics, morals and values should be. Of course, I value Palestinian children as much as I value Israeli children. When I wrote that post, it was prior to the retaliatory strikes. I pray for peace in the world. I know that Hamas doesn’t represent Palestinian people as a whole any more than the KKK represents Christian people as a whole. They are a terrorist group, pure and simple. You don’t think they didn’t expect a response from Israel? What is your suggestion for resolution?” Another person chimed in, “Suggestion or Resolution? Not warfare. The blockade needs to end. The solution must be a political one, a diplomatic one. These Israeli attacks are killing civilians not terrorists. And even 13 Israeli hostages have been killed unintentionally by Israeli attacks.”
The cost of war is incalculable in terms of lives lost, families torn apart, buildings destroyed, any sense of safety, gone. And what about the animals and birds? The air in a war zone is likely unbreathable, the Earth itself cries out for mercy.
When I was growing up, my father would not have said he was a Zionist, but still believed that Israel would be a safe haven for Jews fleeing persecution as his parents did when they and their families left Russia during the pogrom to come to the United States. As it became clear that this wasn’t the case, he would occasionally share his thoughts about unfriendly neighbors wanting to wipe Israel off the map. He and my mom visited The Holy Land for their 40th anniversary and I have a picture of my dad planting a tree there. Often, Jewish people donate to various charities who plant trees in their name, in honor of a significant life event or in memory of a loved one.
I have friends whose family and friends live there and who pray without ceasing for their safety and protection. I have watched and listened to news reports. I have turned off news reports since I have gotten inundated. Unfortunately, people on the ground can’t simply turn it off and walk away from the bombardment. Here I am, thousands of miles away in the US, feeling helpless to do anything other than pray.
I pray for the safety of all in the line of fire, Israelis, Palestinians and everyone held hostage. I pray for the families whose loved ones were ripped away from them. I pray for those who still wait as their loved ones are in captivity. I can only imagine the frustration and anger, long held by people who are living in an apartheid state as their rights and freedoms are not the same as their Israeli counterparts. I do believe in a two state solution. As a result, Hamas made the deadly decision to take up arms and go on a rampage. Israel was caught unprepared, which came as tremendous shock as this is a nation that prides itself on its military readiness. ANYONE, on either side, whose goal is to take the lives of civilians, is committing acts of terror. I don’t support Israel’s military intention and action unconditionally. I do support its right to defend itself when under attack.
How do we balance that?
How do we as a planet tipping on the verge of destruction on so many fronts, get our collective act together and play nicely in the sandbox?
One thing I learned from the words of peacemaker, music maker, Michael Franti’s song “Bomb the World,” is that , “We can bomb the world to pieces, but we can’t bomb it into peace.”
Michael spent time in war zones, including in the Middle East, with his guitar, voice and a crew of filmmakers to document his experience in “I Know I’m Not Alone”.
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This Post is republished on Medium.
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Photo credit: Unsplash
