Peacemakers at a Time of War

Beginning this past Sunday morning, over 1,200 Israelis were brutally massacred by hundreds of Hamas fighters pouring over the border from Gaza towards the Israeli communities in southwest Israel. The Hamas men went house to house, shooting and stabbing all in their path. Men, women and children were slaughtered in their sleep, some were burned alive and others mutilated. Thousands were wounded. Over 150 were taken hostage back to Gaza. And at the same time and right up to now as I write these lines, thousands upon Hamas missiles are raining down upon Israelis citizens.

In this little country, every Israeli knows someone who was killed, wounded or carried captive to Gaza. We are going from funeral to funeral. We Jews in Israel as well as Jews around the world, have been deeply re-traumatized. We are horrified and hurting and angry and  mourning. And we are extremely fearful, but we are also united and resolute.

In response to Hamas’ murderous brutality against innocent civilians, Israel has counter-attacked. It has been bombing Hamas installations  and fighters in Gaza with unprecedented fury. While in the past Israel purported to engage in surgical strikes against Hamas, now the government says that all bets are off. It will not target innocent civilians but if they get in the way, so be it. Israel has also cut off water and electricity supplies to Gaza and is not letting anything or anyone in or out. Two million people are under complete siege.

Hamas has called for Palestinians both in Israeli and in the West Bank/Judea and Samaria to rise up in rebellion, and to kill and capture Israeli civilians. In response, Israel has put a closure in place on all Palestinian cities and towns in the areas under its control in the West Bank (Area C). No one can go in or out. No one can go to work in Israel or in a neighboring town. Commerce is partially shut down. There are fears regarding supplies of medicine and foodstuffs and access to water is even more limited than in normal times. Palestinians have been killed in clashes with Israeli forces. And as I write, it has been publicized that armed settlers have killed 3 Palestinians in the northern West Bank.

Hundreds upon hundreds of innocent Gazans – men, women, and children – have already been killed by Israeli bombing. All indications show that thousands more may very well be killed in the coming days. They have nowhere to flee to, they are totally helpless.

Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza – who are the same People, the same clans and families – are angry and vulnerable and fearful. They also are deeply traumatized.

What is the role of the peace-makers at times like this? We at Roots are not sure ourselves. Certainly ‘the day after’ we have a crucial role to play in picking up the shattered pieces and slowly inching again towards understanding, recognition and reconciliation. At that point there will be no replacement for our work. But while our two Peoples are at war and particularistic tribal emotions are so frenzied, it seems to some on both sides that talking at this point is like talking to the wall, or worse. The differences of perspective appear to be unbridgeable. Other Roots activists believe deeply that we can still listen to each other.

Please join Noor Awad and myself this Sunday October 15 at 8:00 pm Jerusalem Time, 1:00 pm Eastern Time, 10:00 am Pacific Time for a searingly honest zoom session in which we will lay out how our two Peoples are experiencing the present war, the differences of approach within our activist community, and our own personal analysis of the situation. The session will last 90 minutes.

Peace-makers at a Time of War

Zoom link