The Romans renamed Israel Palestine.

 

The Romans renamed Israel Palestine.

When people know you were born in some country, they assume you know a lot about it, even if you left it as a child. Last Saturday, when the Hamas Palestinians attacked Israel, I was facing questions. People know I was born in Israel.

The attack was well-planned, meticulously carried out, and designed to terrorize a nation. Those who carried it out were well-equipped and prepared to die for what they believed was a just cause. We saw a bunch of murderous terrorists attack innocent people, but to them, they were martyrs giving their lives to save their people. They did it by exacting the highest possible price. They take being called animals, terrorists, or anything else as a compliment because it shows their bravery, skill, and commitment to their cause. All of them who were killed believed that their actions would deliver them straight to paradise, where God would reward them.

In that attack on Israel, many innocent people suffered and died. To me, they are the grandchildren of those I grew up with. The places Hamas destroyed look exactly like where I lived while growing up. The blood that was spilled joined blood from many generations of people who attempted to solve problems by force and war. In the Middle East, the law of the desert is strong. People believe that brutality is the only answer that will prevent people from hurting you. Here we have the same kind of people who want revenge to be a deterrent.

Israel, where I grew up, comprised of people who survived the brutality of the Second World War. The atrocities of Hitler, Stalin, and other colonial-minded leaders marked all my teachers. They told us, kids, how important it was to keep our humanity when others perform atrocities. I heard so often that “we don’t want to be like them”, the Nazis, or Soviets. They encouraged us to be civilized in dealing with the Palestinians who lived with us. I lived on a farm with a Palestinian family of shepherds and shared a desk in grade nine with a Christian Palestinian boy. They didn't sympathize with Hamas and were worried about the extremist Jewish nationalists now in Netanyahu's coalition. Those wish to rid Israel of other religions disregarding some biblical teachings to treat outsiders fairly.

Of course, other groups are against Zionism, wanting to live in the holy land in peace with all others. There are also many political parties representing a whole range of ideologies. The Jews who are not pro-Zionism are not very popular these days, but there are many.

During the planning stages of Israel under British rule, Zionists opposed Palestinians living alongside Jews because of concerns about democratic influence on the Jewish state. They had the numbers in their favor. Many Palestinians were warned about the upcoming independence war of 1948 and told they would be safe if they temporarily moved to Gaza and other areas under Arab control. Israel won and they couldn’t come back. Their young people started violent movements such as Hamas that the majority didn’t support. We Canadians had our FLQ and the Riel rebellion. It is always a fight for land and freedom and always exploited by some who want power. The innocent pays the price.

I predicted the current war months ago when Netanyahu aligned with Israeli groups aiming to use military force to remove Palestinians from disputed territories. They provoked again and again, leading the more militant factions on both sides to take action, which they did. No one expected Israel to be caught flat-footed as they were.

What happened reminded me of Pearl Harbour and 9/11. Putin is the beneficiary since the world took its eyes off Ukraine. Now many Israeli peace-loving citizens are dead, and the poorest Palestinians are suffering like never before. Those remaining alive are told again to leave their homes and later come back. When they will try, I am sure there will be new conditions attached.

The Jewish people who suffered so much in other countries, were given the land of Israel as a “land without people to a people with no land”. The people on the land were called “natives” and considered less than human. The British and the West knew some who aligned with Hitler like the Mufti of Jerusalem.

Both sides in the Israeli conflict are partly responsible, but innocent people are suffering. The world is trying to use their suffering for political gains.

If I had a chance to tell the Israelis and Palestinians what I think they should do, what would I say? Very smart people have been trying for years to find a solution, and so far they haven’t. I am not that smart, so I try to get answers from the scriptures. Can I tell them to forgive and forget? To love one another? I can’t, since I don’t believe they could.

The best I could offer is that since Jews, Muslims, and Christians all believe in the Ten Commandments, they can follow them. Don’t interpret, or philosophy, just google it or look in your holy book and do what it says. You can’t fix the past but can make concessions for the future. Do it fairly and start again. Don’t take too long. Please pray for peace.

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