Violence has once again broken out in the land of Israel and Palestine. The savage killing of other human beings is evil and robs the world of goodness. Yet the cycling of this violence, with no lasting effort for humans to make the same sacrifice for peace as we do for war, is also an evil. The situation in Israel/Palestine has a long and tragic history, and we can all seek out additional sources to learn more. In a KETV interview Rabbi Steven Abraham of Beth El Synagogue in Omaha rightly condemned the Hamas attack but also “feels for the Palestinian living in Gaza who wants nothing to do with what Hamas did and added, “if your impression of the Middle East isn’t nuanced, then you are doing something wrong.”
Simply wrapping our heads around the geography and demographics is a start.The Gaza Strip is only as long as the distance between the edges of Lincoln and Omaha (about 30 miles) and averages about 5 miles wide. So picture the interstate in the open land between Omaha and Lincoln plus 2.5 miles to either side. Now take THE ENTIRE population of the both cities and put them in that area. Then add the population from the rest of the state of Nebraska in that area. However, to reach the population of Gaza we would also have to add at least the populations of both Council Bluffs and Sioux City as well! That is the reality of having over 2 million people in such a small area.
Now imagine being Israel, surrounded by neighbors who at one point or another, have all threatened you, with some openly questioning your very existence. Terrorists are not across the ocean somewhere–they are living right next to you. Imagine trying to balance all of the needs for security with the needs of the people you are trying to protect. Imagine the horrific history of the Holocaust and the lingering trauma that leaves within a nation. Imagine trying to find a governing coalition among any number of very different factions; from secular Jews, Christians, Palestinians, and a growing segment of religious ultra-nationalists.
I certainly have no answers. I simply encourage all of us to pray for the hard work that must come if peace is ever to be had. Then also, to do our best to learn what we can in order to understand the plight of our fellow human beings. Perhaps that will at least be a step along the path.