Source: Huffington Post
Across the globe, diverse people watch with a mixture of sadness, frustration, and even anger as violence once again escalates in Israel.
The co-directors of The Abraham Fund traveled this past week from Jerusalem toPacific University in Oregon to present on their efforts at peace building between Jews and Arabs in Israel. The Abraham Fund’s efforts, led by Jews and Muslims working side-by-side, represent a ray of hope in a region that too often lacks hope.
There are two basic truths that must be accepted for any peace to emerge in the Middle East. First, the people of Israel – both Jewish and Arab citizens – deserve to live in a homeland free from violence and discrimination.
Second, the Palestinian people deserve their own nation free from oppression and where people can thrive economically and spirituality.The two-state solution, as President Obama wisely re-stated this past week, remains the only viable option for peace. There is much that remains in the way of that goal.
Both Israel and Palestine lack political leaders committed to peace. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ruled using the politics of fear and used military might and inflammatory rhetoric that has diminished Israel’s security and moral standing in the world. Meanwhile, Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas has been unable to rally popular support, with Hamas capturing more and more backing, leaving the Palestinians without an effective advocate.
The occupied territories have been the cause of a humanitarian nightmare. It is a situation that breeds terrorism and violence out of a sense of hopelessness. We should never excuse terrorism, but it is unimaginably mindless for Israel to continue an occupation that violates human rights norms and causes people to give up on a political process to resolve fundamental questions concerning the future of Palestine.
An action alert from the Justice and Witness Ministries of the United Church of Christcirculating this week is calling on the Obama Administration to intervene with a sense of urgency to restart the peace process
Categories: Belief