Praying For A Real Peace

SEPTEMBER UPDATE AND PRAYER TOPIC (with link to Text by Alex Awad)

2011-09-12T07:07:00.000-07:00

Two things have been heavy in my mind and heart as I'm thinking about prayer for peace in Palestine and Israel. One is close to the topic, and one comes from my recent travel in a very different region, although it's bringing lessons to me.

So, close to the topic: this is the month where the Palestinian Authority intends to approach the UN Security Council and General Assembly to ask for recognition as a State.

[READ HERE THE TEXT BY ALEX AWAD.]

Many different voices are raised on the topic:

Some say it's an essential step toward ending the stalemate of an occupation by Israel, and the fate of the Palestinian people living without even the rights and protection of a State on their own land.
Other voices suggest that statehood without freedom is pointless, and that recognizing a state which remains sliced up by checkpoints, settlement areas, and dominated by the Israeli security apparatus would only give the impression that the true human problems have been solved. But it may hurt efforts to bring true peace between the people of a free and safe Palestinian state and the people of a free and safe Israeli state.
The last set of voices, which may be the loudest, may be the hardest to explain: essentially it is the continuation of the last 20 years of status-quo / road-map to nowhere policy: it can be summarized as the following dialogue:

"- Of course yes, Palestinian should have a state, but not now.
- If not now, then when?
- Soon.
- When is soon?
- A little later.
- Later than what?
- Not much later; just be patient.
- What will happen until then?
- You need to learn patience.
- What about my neighbors evicted from their house? What about my daily humiliation going to work? What about my cousins with soldiers in their kitchen? What about the settlers tagging which house will be the next one to be taken over and shooting at old women in their field? Should I stay patient about that?
- Exactly. Remember that there is still violence from the Palestinians, sometimes. So you can't be too demanding.
- But there's violence because of all this humiliation and violence I described and because we can't even have a state. So, maybe we need our state so we can work toward a just peace.
- Yes.
- Yes, we need a state?
- Of course.
- OK, so when will you support our request for statehood an when will the dispossession stop.
- Soon.
- When is soon?
- Not now."
This is at least the heart of the official US policy against acceptance of a Palestinian state. Beyond that, religious voices--more systematically Christian than Jewish actually--add a layer of despair and hopelessness to this. Their answer is not "soon." To them the answer to this question is "never." The very identity, existence, history and legitimacy of Palestinians as a people needs to be bent to accommodate some geo-mystico-political agenda, which will not be addressed here.

So, enough about this third ethno-centric (a fancy word meaning "racist") pseudo-spiritual voice. We need to at least acknowledge the existence of the three voices described above. As this forum is one for prayer, we don't have to have the final answer, but we can aim to pray for the principles and concerns behind these different voices. Our job is to pray for hope out of hopelessness.

The second thing that influences my thinking is a 3 week trip to Central/Eastern Africa and the subsequent immersion in books about its history and how conflicts have bled and still bleed this beautiful region to death. (Specifically I have been reading about the Hutu-Tutsi conflict, the Rwanda genocide of 800,000 to 2 million Tutsis, moderate Hutus and Twas by a radical Hutu movement in 1994, and the subsequent spillover and unfathomable international conflict in the eastern part of Congo, which has already claimed 6 million (six million!!) human lives in the last 6 years (read more at www.CongoPeace.org).

I won't go into all that I am learning or re-learning, but from both the Rwanda genocide, to the repeated invasions of the Democratic Republic of Congo and proxy wars there, some lessons seem worth heeding. The scale of devastation and destruction of lives and property has been fed by many factors. Among which are some which should resonate with observers of the Israeli/Palestinian situation:

the acceptability of radical voices before radical acts are committed.
Of course, we are all aware of that rhetorical trail when it comes to what we recognize as "terrorism." (For example the recent re-appearance of a suicide bombing against Israeli citizen [although in this case, no group claimed responsibility].)
But we are less aware of it when it comes down to the targeted killings, collective sanctions, domination and humiliation, economic choking and finally -- again and again -- war actions against Palestinian populations.
the complacency and sometime complicity of the world "powers". The pragmatic or realpolitik silence on the world stage before and after crimes against humanity, and all the escalation in evil it allows.
the guilt toward one group, which encourages to close our eyes to that group's responsibility in the crushing of the next victim. It struck me that victims of a genuine genocide for whom the words "never again" resonate, can take it to mean "never again, for my group", leaving open the thought, the spirit of a possible new abomination.
on the other hand, the heroic and prophetic if sometimes isolated voices and actions of people who choose to step out, act in conscience, break the taboos of their own "group" to stand for the greater divine, hence human value of a Kingdom of Peace. And that very small scale, human action, as the basis on which healing and rebuilding can take place.

So, for now enough commentary. This month, let us pray that:

Regardless of failure or success, the drive to establish Palestinian statehood would bring to attention the absolute necessity of finding peace; the absolute necessity of ending complicity with the oppression of the Palestinian people; and the need to support the efforts of peace builders, which pursue an agenda of equity, equality of all human persons, freedom and progress for Muslims, Jews, Christians, Agnostics and all residents of the (un)Holy Land. Let processes of hope overtake the status quo of despair. Let actions of dispossession, oppression, violence, and endless retaliation give way to actions of construction and sharing, liberation, active peace seeking and cycles of generosity and healing.
Let us pray that the global community, especially the powerful, the decision makers and those who inform a very fickle public opinion would be touched in their conscience by the evil which is too often allowed.
So many battles are false battles; so many positions are posturing and not conscience. So many actions are agitation, rather than courageous stands. Let us pray for conscience, if not generosity; for ending complicity with evil, if not goodness; and for tempering the appeal of endless wars if not love of just peace. The global community bears heavily on the local situation in Israel and Palestine; let us pray that it starts bearing for peace.

Why Christians need to support Palestinian drive towards Statehood. By Alex Awad

2011-09-11T12:19:00.000-07:00

In the coming days, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas will be at the United Nations to request an official recognition of Palestine as an independent state with full statehood status at the UN. The majority of Christians and church leaders in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip support the Palestinian bid to seek full statehood at the United Nations. This position is not driven by anti Israeli or anti American sentiments but rather because most Arab Christians believe that without a resolution of the Arab-Israeli conflict they have no future in the Middle East and without Palestinian statehood, there will be no end to the conflict. The political turmoil in Palestine and the neighboring countries has prompted many Christians to abandon their homeland and seek refuge in Western countries. This trend will continue until the political chaos that springs up from the Arab-Israeli conflict ends.

Consequently, Western Christians who are concerned for the future of the Church in the Palestinian territories and the rest of the Middle East need to support the Palestinian drive for statehood. Palestinians, like most nations, are seeking a free, independent and peaceful state on 22% of historic Palestine and have already recognized Israel’s sovereignty on 78% of the land. Palestinians have shown willingness to swap land with the State of Israel in order to make accommodations for what Israelis call ‘new facts on the ground’. In addition, Palestinians are willing to consider the Israeli demand that a future Palestinian state would be demilitarized and allow for measures that create secure borders for the State of Israel. Furthermore, as the Middle East and North Africa experience tremendous political awakenings, peace with the Palestinians is the top guarantee to peace and security for the State of Israel. A genuine peace treaty will bring as much peace to the Israelis as to the Palestinians and to many countries of the world including the United States. Those who pray for “the peace of Jerusalem” need, at the same time, to support the immediate creation of a Palestinian state.

Christians tarnish their testimony in the world when they continue to endorse or be passive about the lingering injustice in Palestine. The Israeli government refused to halt the building of Jewish settlements in the West Bank in order for negotiations to resume. Even when the American administration requested a two months’ freeze on settlement construction to allow for negotiations, the Israeli government wouldn’t cooperate. Now, Israelis are accusing Palestinians of refusing to return to negotiations. How can one negotiate with a friend on dividing a cake when, all the while, the friend is eating the cake? It is not that Palestinians are against negotiations, but rather, they are exhausted by two decades of fruitless and painful wrangling with Israeli leaders. It is our Christian duty to become aware of what is going on in political circles and on the ground and then to take a stand with the truth. Christians are not called to be morally passive and politically indifferent but rather to be active in promoting solutions that will bring about reconciliation and an end to the suffering of both Israelis and Palestinians.

Some Christians hesitate supporting the Palestinian bid for statehood for fear that it may result in creating a militant Islamic state. Fortunately, the current move for statehood is driven by the most secular, progressive and non-violent branch of the PLO. For this reason, Hamas, the Islamist movement in Palestine is not in agreement with the move. The danger is this, if the Palestinian Authority fails to deliver to Palestinians an independent Palestinian state due to US and Israeli political maneuverings, in the near future, the secular Palestinian government will surely fall and only Hamas will be left to lead the Palestinian struggle for independence. This does not bid well for Israelis, Palestinians, future peace talks or for the Christian communities in the Middle East.

The Church will lose its influence in the world if it abandons its mission to be “the salt of the earth and “a light to the nations”. May the light of Christ in us help guide the Palestinian people in their perilous path towards statehood.

September 18, 2011

Of Politics and People

2011-05-30T08:01:00.000-07:00

There have been a lot of notable things happening in the political sphere about the possibility of freedom, peace and even simply co-existence between an Israeli and a Palestinian states in the Month of May. Let us consider them, before having a word on the people-reality somewhere below the agitation of the states:

President Mahmoud Abbas is leading a Palestinian effort to bring the recognition of a Palestinian State to the UN General Assembly next Fall. As part of this, there has been an agreement between Hamas and Fatah to share power through a technocratic/care-taker government until an election can take place in a year.
President Obama has made a bit of a splash with a speech where he restated what every peace dialogue has stated over and over and over again: for two states to live side by side in peace, the 1967 'Green Line' is where it starts. While most pro-Palestinian groups have found the speech to be typically excessively pro-Israel (call for a demilitarized Palestine, aka starting on the basis that Palestine is not and cannot be a state like any other, free to defend itself; or call to "wait a little longer" to be recognized as a state), it did create huge tensions with Prime Minister Netanyahu, who stood in front of Congress receiving unequaled support and applause, and rejecting the viability of the 1967 border.
The current Israeli government's proposal is thus to make official the conquest of the settlements, and just looking at a map it is obvious it would create no space for a Palestinian State except 'Bantustans.'
Both Congress and President Obama have made clear that the huge financial and military support of the US to Israel is not to be affected by disagreements on the "peace process." But the Palestinians have been warned that there could be consequences if the unity government is formed, or if they do call for a state.

Plenty to pray for on the political side of things. For June 2011, we would encourage prayer on these topics and can suggest the following lines. (I'll add something about the people level after this--which is probably where the rubber meets the road.)

The brief summary above shows a burden of inertia arguing for status quo. We've long recognized this status quo is deadly, violent and unjust. So, let's pray for the efforts to see change:

Pray for the influence of Peace Groups in Israel and non-violent protesters in Palestine to bend the will and intelligence of PM Netanyahu's government. (We do pray for miracles, I know.)
Pray for the efforts of Palestinian Authorities, in all their divisions, weaknesses and occasional corruption, to restart a national, unified process giving a democratic voice to their people. And pray for their wisdom in going to the UN and the timing of this step.
Pray for sanity in the US Congress, pray for courage in President Obama, pray that those who support peace in the US be able to encourage what little positive movement there is, rather than be discouraged by the huge slowdowns along the way. Pray that the US would become an agent of peace and reconciliation, rather than one of increased injustice, division and hatred.

Let's conclude about people now.

I have been inspired to hear Mark Braverman, a Jewish peace activist and spiritual thinker, speak about the reality for the people on the ground. His take on the political is that even a 2-State solution--the main and only way forward most of us see right now--can be fraudulent if it does not address the crushing and suffering of the people on the ground. In his vision, Israel must be saved from itself, and ultimately people living in Palestine should share the land regardless of race or religion. He is not preaching for the end of Israel but the salvation of both Israel and Palestine in a true vision of peace for the people. One of his arguments is that the "One State Solution" is already in place. With Israel having seized the Jordan Valley and nowhere near to moving its settlement blocks, he--with others--sees the 2-State solution has a bit of a sham (my words). As a spiritual man, he encourages people of faith--especially Followers of Jesus--to focus on the rights and life of the people on the ground. Focus on the freedom, opportunities, justice, and perhaps not so much on 500 yards of border saved or gained.

It's a challenging proposition, but maybe one worth bearing in our prayers over the long-term.

So, let us also pray, over and beyond the political plays of the coming months that God may preserve a direction where his children, his people, his creation--Arab or Jews, Greek or Romans, Muslim or Agnostic, Christian or Communist--living in the (un)Holy Land may see a day of true peace, true Shalom, Salaam, where walls are not separating one from the other, where flags do not cover murder, where religion does not justify hatred and racism. This maybe Utopian ideal is essential to bear in mind in prayers, and to serve as a measuring rod against ongoing acts of violence and injustice.
Let us also pray that faith in the possibility of freedom and a just peace--a peace which allows people to live rather than resist, meet rather than conquer, heal rather than take aim--may remain or come back to our hearts and minds.

God bless,

Eric

ps: Mark Braverman's blog is here. See his concluding paragraphs of thanks to the Presbyterian Assembly, about learning to love the Jewish people by standing for justice and peace for Palestinians.

(Yet Another) Escalation

2011-03-25T18:01:00.000-07:00

Violence in Palestine and Israel is "escalating" we hear. Out of all the reasons and explanations, I found that Daoud Kuttab's column in Palestine News Network was as close as one can get to clarity in the middle of confusion and chaos.

What does "escalation" mean? Perhaps simply that the ordinary violence has moved a notch toward EXTRA-ordinary. As if the ordinary wasn't deadly enough.

We're not in the business of great analyses here, analyzing the why, analyzing the how people spin the violence, or how they plan to use the "opportunities" violence and chaos create--these analyses can be found elsewhere, starting with Kuttab's text. The "who" is the constant: people living under occupation seeing new fire raining on their homes, passengers on a bus all of a sudden faced with devastation. And more and more civilians.

Also hope -- what little is left, that peace is possible.

And the courage of those who struggle for peace, for non-violent change, for a revolution in power and mindsets.

So, we try to pray.

Are we "relevant"? Are we going to change things? We leave these questions to God to Whom we surrender, and turn for hope and inspiration.

We pray, and try to encourage each other to pray:

Against the madness of those who pursue a 'winner take all' end-game, and against the actions of those who see violence as a way to maintain an evil status-quo.
For those who are not set on this zero-sum evil scenario, but are tied to support their cause and through their cause a set of violence, because of an uncompromising spirit. We pray that this spirit be turned, against all odds.
We pray for all those--nearly invisible, but always active--who strive, invent, create, get harassed, beaten down, arrested, but who get up again, strive again and invent again new ways to provoke change and a revolution of peace. We pray that they create new facts in the hearts and minds of the world, in the heart of those in Israel who pursue violence and occupation, and in the heart and minds of those in Palestine who ignore the folly and dead-end of more violence. We pray that their spirit of peace be restored and comforted, and that they would challenge, provoke and shake the uncompromising spirit which locks us in more destruction and death.

Let's pray and be encouraged to pray -- we will wait for the evidence and pray now and nonetheless.

Eric + Evelyn

Call to Prayer for Egypt

2011-02-03T05:21:00.000-08:00

We realize there is but one world and one Middle East. Just like this initiative has been started to pray for real peace in Palestine / Israel, including the end of an oppressive occupation and the cycle of violence, we are watching with anxiety and hope the events which started in Tunisia, now enfolding in Egypt and reaching out to Jordan, Yemen and the West Bank.

We realize peace in many places demands change. Status quo is not peace. Immobility is not life. So we pray for the change, through the change, along the change, for the change.

Reposted below is Sojourners' Jim Wallis' call for prayer and -- for US-based friends -- advocacy to their government.

Peace - Salam,

Eric

******** From Sojo.Net: *******

Dear Sojo friend,

I have to admit, I’m angry. In the past few days, we have all watched the nonviolent protest in Egypt with prayer and anticipation. We have seen the hope of a young generation trying to bring democratic change to their country. We have watched with excitement to see what their efforts could mean to all those suffering from oppressive governments in the Middle East.

But now, protesters are dead. Soon, many more could die.

The streets have turned violent, with armed thugs attacking peaceful protesters. The thugs -- who credible news stories report were sent and funded by the Egyptian government -- are trying to send a message to the democratic and nonviolent protesters: You have no power, you will never win, no one cares.

We know these lies of injustice will not win in the end, but right now the situation is urgent: Something has to change. As people of faith, we must speak up on behalf of peace and democracy. The truth is that Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak is a thug himself, one whom the U.S. government has supported for far too long. It’s time for him to resign.

Tell President Obama: Now is the time for you to call for the immediate resignation of President Mubarak, and to support all efforts to keep the protesters safe.

The faith community in the United States needs to support our brothers and sisters standing up for their rights and their freedoms in Egypt.

And we must pray.

Pray for peace and protection in the streets. Pray for leaders who will stand up for democracy and call for nonviolence.

In solidarity,

Jim Wallis
Sojourners

Asking, seeking, knocking.

2010-12-19T04:37:00.000-08:00

The last two months the Pray for Real Peace group in Jerusalem have continued to pray for the situation in Israel/Palestine. We continued to pray for a change of heart within the Israeli government and settler communities, so that there would come a complete permanent halt to settlement building in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. (We realise that it would only be the first step of a larger process concerning settlements.)

We also prayed for the deadlock in the peace process. We prayed for new thoughts and pressure to rise up from a moral platform. (We disagreed with the American proposal of a 90 days freeze on settlement activities in exchange for millitary aid.)

Finally, we also prayed for a change in heart how people view each other. We pray that God will change hearts from hatred and fear to seeing each other as fellow human beings, understanding each others anger and fear and desiring also for the other person a space to live in freedom, dignity and safety.

I found the following article by Carol Daniel Kasbari named “Reflections on Israeli-Palestinian dialogue.” in which she articilates the hope of the above mentioned prayer in a very concrete way.

The Ache of Longing for Peace

2010-10-04T09:19:00.001-07:00

We offer this long, but worthwhile, interview of Gideon Levy as an illustration of the pain and ache of seeing the truth and longing for peace.

We have to choose one of many paths:

build a story in our head where war and bloodshed leads to resolution; invoke God, Allah, Hashem, if we must; use holy writs to beef up this story; and from then on cheer on the "wins" by our side, God's side of course. And forget not to brush aside the inconvenient "exceptions" or "incidents" that would disclaim the truth of our story;
Or:
succumb to despair and cynicism;
Or:
continue working and striving for justice, mercy and peace and -- when we lack the ability to hope and to strive some more -- turn to the Prince of Peace to do exceedingly above and beyond what we can dream or imagine from the evidence.

Jim Wallis is quoted as saying "Hope is believing in spite of the evidence, and watching the evidence change." We offer the Independent's interview of Gideon Levy as both an existential piece of evidence and a call to stay away from cynicism and continue praying for those who work for peace.

Eric

******

Is Gideon Levy the most hated man in Israel or just the most heroic?

Friday, 24 September 2010. The Indenpendent.

For three decades, the writer and journalist Gideon Levy has been a lone voice, telling his readers the truth about what goes on in the Occupied Territories.

Gideon Levy is the most hated man in Israel - and perhaps the most heroic. This "good Tel Aviv boy" - a sober, serious child of the Jewish state - has been shot at repeatedly by the Israeli Defence Force, been threatened with being "beaten to a pulp" on the country's streets, and faced demands from government ministers that he be tightly monitored as "a security risk." This is because he has done something very simple, and something that almost no other Israeli has done. Nearly every week for three decades, he has travelled to the Occupied Territories and described what he sees, plainly and without propaganda. "My modest mission," he says, "is to prevent a situation in which many Israelis will be able to say, 'We didn't know.'" And for that, many people want him silenced.

The story of Gideon Levy - and the attempt to deride, suppress or deny his words - is the story of Israel distilled. If he loses, Israel itself is lost.

I meet him in a hotel bar in Scotland, as part of his European tour to promote his new book, 'The Punishment of Gaza'. The 57 year-old looks like an Eastern European intellectual on a day off - tall and broad and dressed in black, speaking accented English in a lyrical baritone. He seems so at home in the world of book festivals and black coffee that it is hard, at first, to picture him on the last occasion he was in Gaza - in November, 2006, before the Israeli government changed the law to stop him going.

He reported that day on a killing, another of the hundreds he has documented over the years. As twenty little children pulled up in their school bus at the Indira Gandhi kindergarten, their 20 year-old teacher, Najawa Khalif, waved to them - and an Israel shell hit her and she was blasted to pieces in front of them. He arrived a day later, to find the shaking children drawing pictures of the chunks of her corpse. The children were "astonished to see a Jew without weapons. All they had ever seen were soldiers and settlers."

"My biggest struggle," he says, "is to rehumanize the Palestinians. There's a whole machinery of brainwashing in Israel which really accompanies each of us from early childhood, and I'm a product of this machinery as much as anyone else. [We are taught] a few narratives that it's very hard to break. That we Israelis are the ultimate and only victims. That the Palestinians are born to kill, and their hatred is irrational. That the Palestinians are not human beings like us? So you get a society without any moral doubts, without any questions marks, with hardly public debate. To raise your voice against all this is very hard."

So he describes the lives of ordinary Palestinians like Najawa and her pupils in the pages of Ha'aretz, Israel's establishment newspaper. The tales read like Chekovian short stories of trapped people, in which nothing happens, and everything happens, and the only escape is death. One article was entitled "The last meal of the Wahbas family." He wrote: "They'd all sat down to have lunch at home: the mother Fatma, three months pregnant; her daughter Farah, two; her son Khaled, one; Fatma's brother, Dr Zakariya Ahmed; his daughter in law Shayma, nine months pregnant; and the seventy-eight year old grandmother. A Wahba family gathering in Khan Yunis in honour of Dr Ahmed, who'd arrived home six days earlier from Saudi Arabia. A big boom is heard outside. Fatma hurriedly scoops up the littlest one and tries to escape to an inner room, but another boom follows immediately. This time is a direct hit."

In small biographical details, he recovers their humanity from the blankness of an ever-growing death toll. The Wahbas had tried for years to have a child before she finally became pregnant at the age of 36. The grandmother tried to lift little Khaled off the floor: that's when she realised her son and daughter were dead.

Levy uses a simple technique. He asks his fellow Israelis: how would we feel, if this was done to us by a vastly superior military power? Once, in Jenin, his car was stuck behind an ambulance at a checkpoint for an hour. He saw there was a sick woman in the back and asked the driver what was going on, and he was told the ambulances were always made to wait this long. Furious, he asked the Israeli soldiers how they would feel if it was their mother in the ambulance - and they looked bemused at first, then angry, pointing their guns at him and telling him to shut up.

"I am amazed again and again at how little Israelis know of what's going on fifteen minutes away from their homes," he says. "The brainwashing machinery is so efficient that trying [to undo it is] almost like trying to turn an omelette back to an egg. It makes people so full of ignorance and cruelty." He gives an example. During Operation Cast Lead, the Israel bombing of blockaded Gaza in 2008-9, "a dog - an Israeli dog - was killed by a Qassam rocket and it on the front page of the most popular newspaper in Israel. On the very same day, there were tens of Palestinians killed, they were on page 16, in two lines."

At times, the occupation seems to him less tragic than absurd. In 2009, Spain's most famous clown, Ivan Prado, agreed to attend a clowning festival on Ramallah in the West Bank. He was detained at the airport in Israel, and then deported "for security reasons." Levy leans forward and asks: "Was the clown considering transferring Spain's vast stockpiles of laughter to hostile elements? Joke bombs to the jihadists? A devastating punch line to Hamas?"

Yet the absurdity nearly killed him. In the summer of 2003, he was travelling in a clearly marked Israeli taxi on the West Bank. He explains: "At a certain stage the army stopped us and asked what we were doing there. We showed them our papers, which were all in order. They sent us up a road - and when we went onto this road, they shot us. They directed their fire to the centre of the front window. Straight at the head. No shooting in the air, no megaphone calling to stop, no shooting at the wheels. Shoot to kill immediately. If it hadn't been bullet-proof, I wouldn't be here now. I don't think they knew who we were. They shot us like they would shoot anyone else. They were trigger-happy, as they always are. It was like having a cigarette. They didn't shoot just one bullet. The whole car was full of bullets. Do they know who they are going to kill? No. They don't know and don't care."

He shakes his head with a hardened bewilderment. "They shoot at the Palestinians like this on a daily basis. You have only heard about this because, for once, they shot at an Israeli."

I "Who lived in this house? Where is he now?"

How did Gideon Levy become so different to his countrymen? Why does he offer empathy to the Palestinians while so many others offer only bullets and bombs? At first, he was just like them: his argument with other Israelis is an argument with his younger self. He was born in 1953 in Tel Aviv and as a young man "I was totally nationalistic, like everyone else. I thought - we are the best, and the Arabs just want to kill. I didn't question."

He was fourteen during the Six Day War, and soon after his parents took him to see the newly conquered Occupied Territories. "We were so proud going to see Rachel's Tomb [in Bethlehem] and we just didn't see the Palestinians. We looked right through them, like they were invisible," he says. "It had always been like that. We were passing as children so many ruins [of Palestinian villages that had been ethnically cleansed in 1948]. We never asked: 'Who lived in this house? Where is he now? He must be alive. He must be somewhere.' It was part of the landscape, like a tree, like a river." Long into his twenties, "I would see settlers cutting down olive trees and soldiers mistreating Palestinian women at the checkpoints, and I would think, 'These are exceptions, not part of government policy.'"

Levy says he became different due to "an accident." He carried out his military service with Israeli Army Radio and then continued working as a journalist, "so I started going to the Occupied Territories a lot, which most Israelis don't do. And after a while, gradually, I came to see them as they really are."

But can that be all? Plenty of Israelis go to the territories - not least the occupying troops and settlers - without recoiling. "I think it was also - you see, my parents were refugees. I saw what it had done to them. So I suppose... I saw these people and thought of my parents." Levy's father was a German Jewish lawyer from the Sudetenland. At the age of 26 - in 1939, as it was becoming inescapably clear the Nazis were determined to stage a genocide in Europe - he went with his parents to the railway station in Prague, and they waved him goodbye. "He never saw them or heard from them again," Levy says. "He never found out what happened to them. If he had not left, he would not have lived." For six months he lived on a boat filled with refugees, being turned away from port after port, until finally they made it to British Mandate Palestine, as it then was.

"My father was traumatised for his whole life," he says. "He never really settled in Israel. He never really learned to speak anything but broken Hebrew. He came to Israel with his PhD and he had to make his living, so he started to work in a bakery and to sell cakes from door to door on his bicycle. It must have been a terrible humiliation to be a PhD in law and be knocking on doors offering cakes. He refused to learn to be a lawyer again. He became a minor clerk. I think this is what smashed him, y'know? He lived here sixty years, he had his family, had his happiness but he was really a stranger. A foreigner, in his own country? He was always outraged by things, small things. He couldn't understand how people would dare to phone between two and four in the afternoon. It horrified him. He never understood what is the concept of overdraft in the bank. Every Israeli has an overdraft, but if he heard somebody was one pound overdrawn, he was horrified."

His father "never" talked about home. "Any time I tried to encourage him to talk about it, he would close down. He never went back. There was nothing [to go back to], the whole village was destroyed. He left a whole life there. He left a fiancé, a career, everything. I am very sorry I didn't push him harder to talk because I was young, so I didn't have much interest. That's the problem. When we are curious about our parents, they are gone."

Levy's father never saw any parallels between the fact he was turned into a refugee, and the 800,000 Palestinians who were turned into refugees by the creation of the state of Israel. "Never! People didn't think like that. We never discussed it, ever." Yet in the territories, Levy began to see flickers of his father everywhere - in the broken men and women never able to settle, dreaming forever of going home.

Then, slowly, Levy began to realise their tragedy seeped deeper still into his own life - into the ground beneath his feet and the very bricks of the Israeli town where he lives, Sheikh Munis. It is built on the wreckage of "one of the 416 Palestinian villages Israel wiped off the face of the earth in 1948," he says. "The swimming pool where I swim every morning was the irrigation grove they used to water the village's groves. My house stands on one of the groves. The land was 'redeemed' by force, its 2,230 inhabitants were surrounded and threatened. They fled, never to return. Somewhere, perhaps in a refugee camp in terrible poverty, lives the family of the farmer who plowed the land where my house now stands." He adds that it is "stupid and wrong" to compare it to the Holocaust, but says that man is a traumatized refugee just as surely as Levy's father - and even now, if he ended up in the territories, he and his children and grandchildren live under blockade, or violent military occupation.

The historian Isaac Deutscher once offered an analogy for the creation of the state of Israel. A Jewish man jumps from a burning building, and he lands on a Palestinian, horribly injuring him. Can the jumping man be blamed? Levy's father really was running for his life: it was Palestine, or a concentration camp. Yet Levy says that the analogy is imperfect - because now the jumping man is still, sixty years later, smashing the head of the man he landed on against the ground, and beating up his children and grandchildren too. "1948 is still here. 1948 is still in the refugee camps. 1948 is still calling for a solution," he says. "Israel is doing the very same thing now... dehumanising the Palestinians where it can, and ethnic cleansing wherever it's possible. 1948 is not over. Not by a long way."

II The scam of "peace talks"

Levy looks out across the hotel bar where we are sitting and across the Middle East, as if the dry sands of the Negev desert were washing towards us. Any conversation about the region is now dominated by a string of propaganda myths, he says, and perhaps the most basic is the belief that Israel is a democracy. "Today we have three kinds of people living under Israeli rule," he explains. "We have Jewish Israelis, who have full democracy and have full civil rights. We have the Israeli Arabs, who have Israeli citizenship but are severely discriminated against. And we have the Palestinians in the Occupied Territories, who live without any civil rights, and without any human rights. Is that a democracy?"

He sits back and asks in a low tone, as if talking about a terminally ill friend: "How can you say it is a democracy when, in 62 years, there was not one single Arab village established? I don't have to tell you how many Jewish towns and villages were established. Not one Arab village. How can you say it's a democracy when research has shown repeatedly that Jews and Arabs get different punishments for the same crime? How can you say it's a democracy when a Palestinian student can hardly rent an apartment in Tel Aviv, because when they hear his accent or his name almost nobody will rent to him? How can you say Israel is a democracy when? Jerusalem invests 577 shekels a year in a pupil in [Palestinian] East Jerusalem and 2372 shekels a year in a pupil from [Jewish] West Jerusalem. Four times less, only because of the child's ethnicity! Every part of our society is racist."

"I want to be proud of my country," he says. "I am an Israeli patriot. I want us to do the right thing." So this requires him to point out that Palestinian violence is - in truth - much more limited than Israeli violence, and usually a reaction to it. "The first twenty years of the occupation passed quietly, and we did not lift a finger to end it. Instead, under cover of the quiet, we built the enormous, criminal settlement enterprise," where Palestinian land is seized by Jewish religious fundamentalists who claim it was given to them by God. Only then - after a long period of theft, and after their attempts at peaceful resistance were met with brutal violence - did the Palestinians become violent themselves. "What would happen if the Palestinians had not fired Qassams [the rockets shot at Southern Israel, including civilian towns]? Would Israel have lifted the economic siege? Nonsense. If the Gazans were sitting quietly, as Israel expects them to do, their case would disappear from the agenda. Nobody would give any thought to the fate of the people of Gaza if they had not behaved violently."

He unequivocally condemns the firing of rockets at Israeli civilians, but adds: "The Qassams have a context. They are almost always fired after an IDF assassination operation, and there have been many of these." Yet the Israeli attitude is that "we are allowed to bomb anything we want but they are not allowed to launch Qassams." It is a view summarised by Haim Ramon, the justice minister at time of Second Lebanon War: "We are allowed to destroy everything."

Even the terms we use to discuss Operation Cast Lead are wrong, Levy argues. "That wasn't a war. It was a brutal assault on a helpless, imprisoned population. You can call a match between Mike Tyson and a 5 year old child boxing, but the proportions, oh, the proportions." Israel "frequently targeted medical crews, [and] shelled a UN-run school that served as a shelter for residents, who bled to death over days as the IDF prevented their evacuation by shooting and shelling... A state that takes such steps is no longer distinguishable from a terror organisation. They say as a justification that Hamas hides among the civilian population. As if the Defence Ministry in Tel Aviv is not located in the heart of a civilian population! As if there are places in Gaza that are not in the heart of a civilian population!"

He appeals to anybody who is sincerely concerned about Israel's safety and security to join him in telling Israelis the truth in plain language. "A real friend does not pick up the bill for an addict's drugs: he packs the friend off to rehab instead. Today, only those who speak up against Israel's policies - who denounce the occupation, the blockade, and the war - are the nation's true friends." The people who defend Israel's current course are "betraying the country" by encouraging it on "the path to disaster. A child who has seen his house destroyed, his brother killed, and his father humiliated will not easily forgive."

These supposed 'friends of Israel' are in practice friends of Islamic fundamentalism, he believes. "Why do they have to give the fundamentalists more excuses, more fury, more opportunities, more recruits? Look at Gaza. Gaza was totally secular not long ago. Now you can hardly get alcohol today in Gaza, after all the brutality. Religious fundamentalism is always the language people turn to in despair, if everything else fails. If Gaza had been a free society it would not have become like this. We gave them recruits."

Levy believes the greatest myth - the one hanging over the Middle East like perfume sprayed onto a corpse - is the idea of the current 'peace talks' led by the United States. There was a time when he too believed in them. At the height of the Oslo talks in the 1990s, when Yitzhak Rabin negotiated with Yassir Arafat, "at the end of a visit I turned and, in a gesture straight out of the movies, waved Gaza farewell. Goodbye occupied Gaza, farewell! We are never to meet again, at least not in your occupied state. How foolish!"

Now, he says, he is convinced it was "a scam" from the start, doomed to fail. How does he know? "There is a very simple litmus test for any peace talks. A necessity for peace is for Israel to dismantle settlements in the West Bank. So if you are going to dismantle settlements soon, you'd stop building more now, right? They carried on building them all through Oslo. And today, Netanyahu is refusing to freeze construction, the barest of the bare minimum. It tells you all you need."

He says Netanyahu has - like the supposedly more left-wing alternatives, Ehud Barak and Tzipip Livni - always opposed real peace talks, and even privately bragged about destroying the Oslo process. In 1997, during his first term as Israeli leader, he insisted he would only continue with the talks if a clause was added saying Israel would not have to withdraw from undefined "military locations" - and he was later caught on tape boasting: "Why is that important? Because from that moment on I stopped the Oslo accords." If he bragged about "stopping" the last peace process, why would he want this one to succeed? Levy adds: "And how can you make peace with only half the Palestinian population? How can you leave out Hamas and Gaza?"

These fake peace talks are worse than no talks at all, Levy believes. "If there are negotiations, there won't be international pressure. Quiet, we're in discussions, settlement can go on uninterrupted. That is why futile negotiations are dangerous negotiations. Under the cover of such talks, the chances for peace will grow even dimmer... The clear subtext is Netanyahu's desire to get American support for bombing Iran. To do that, he thinks he needs to at least pay lip-service to Obama's requests for talks. That's why he's doing this."

After saying this, he falls silent, and we stare at each other for a while. Then he says, in a quieter voice: "The facts are clear. Israel has no real intention of quitting the territories or allowing the Palestinian people to exercise their rights. No change will come to pass in the complacent, belligerent, and condescending Israel of today. This is the time to come up with a rehabilitation programme for Israel."

III Waving Israeli flags made in China

According to the opinion polls, most Israelis support a two-state solution - yet they elect governments that expand the settlements and so make a two-state solution impossible. "You would need a psychiatrist to explain this contradiction," Levy says. "Do they expect two states to fall from the sky? Today, the Israelis have no reason to make any changes," he continues. "Life in Israel is wonderful. You can sit in Tel Aviv and have a great life. Nobody talks about the occupation. So why would they bother [to change]? The majority of Israelis think about the next vacation and the next jeep and all the rest doesn't interest them any more." They are drenched in history, and yet oblivious to it.

In Israel, the nation's "town square has been empty for years. If there were no significant protests during Operation Cast Lead, then there is no left to speak of. The only group campaigning for anything other than their personal whims are the settlers, who are very active." So how can change happen? He says he is "very pessimistic", and the most likely future is a society turning to ever-more naked "apartheid." With a shake of the head, he says: "We had now two wars, the flotilla - it doesn't seem that Israel has learned any lesson, and it doesn't seem that Israel is paying any price. The Israelis don't pay any price for the injustice of the occupation, so the occupation will never end. It will not end a moment before Israelis understand the connection between the occupation and the price they will be forced to pay. They will never shake it off on their own initiative."

It sounds like he is making the case for boycotting Israel, but his position is more complex. "Firstly, the Israeli opposition to the boycott is incredibly hypocritical. Israel itself is one of the world's most prolific boycotters. Not only does it boycott, it preaches to others, at times even forces others, to follow in tow. Israel has imposed a cultural, academic, political, economic and military boycott on the territories. The most brutal, naked boycott is, of course, the siege on Gaza and the boycott of Hamas. At Israel's behest, nearly all Western countries signed onto the boycott with inexplicable alacrity. This is not just a siege that has left Gaza in a state of shortage for three years. It's a series of cultural, academic, humanitarian and economic boycotts. Israel is also urging the world to boycott Iran. So Israelis cannot complain if this is used against them."

He shifts in his seat. "But I do not boycott Israel. I could have done it, I could have left Israel. But I don't intend to leave Israel. Never. I can't call on others to do what I will not do... There is also the question of whether it will work. I am not sure Israelis would make the connection. Look at the terror that happened in 2002 and 2003: life in Israel was really horrifying, the exploding buses, the suicide-bombers. But no Israeli made the connection between the occupation and the terror. For them, the terror was just the 'proof' that the Palestinians are monsters, that they were born to kill, that they are not human beings and that's it. And if you just dare to make the connection, people will tell you 'you justify terror ' and you are a traitor. I suspect it would be the same with sanctions. The condemnation after Cast Lead and the flotilla only made Israel more nationalistic. If [a boycott was] seen as the judgement of the world they would be effective. But Israelis are more likely to take them as 'proof' the world is anti-Semitic and will always hate us."

He believes only one kind of pressure would bring Israel back to sanity and safety: "The day the president of the United States decides to put an end to the occupation, it will cease. Because Israel was never so dependent on the United States as it is now. Never. Not only economically, not only militarily but above all politically. Israel is totally isolated today, except for America." He was initially hopeful that Barack Obama would do this - he recalls having tears in his eyes as he delivered his victory speech in Grant Park - but he says he has only promoted "tiny steps, almost nothing, when big steps are needed." It isn't only bad for Israel - it is bad for America. "The occupation is the best excuse for many worldwide terror organisations. It's not always genuine but they use it. Why do you let them use it? Why give them this fury? Why not you solve it once and for all when the, when the solution is so simple?"

For progress, "the right-wing American Jews who become orgiastic whenever Israel kills and destroys" would have to be exposed as "Israel's enemies", condemning the country they supposedly love to eternal war. "It is the right-wing American Jews who write the most disgusting letters. They say I am Hitler's grandson, that they pray my children get cancer? It is because I touch a nerve with them. There is something there." These right-wingers claim to be opposed to Iran, but Levy points out they vehemently oppose the two available steps that would immediately isolate Iran and strip Mahmoud Ahmadinejadh of his best propaganda-excuses: "peace with Syria and peace with the Palestinians, both of which are on offer, and both of which are rejected by Israel. They are the best way to undermine Iran."

He refuses to cede Israel to people "who wave their Israeli flags made in China and dream of a Knesset cleansed of Arabs and an Israel with no [human rights organisation] B'Tselem." He looks angry, indignant. "I will never leave. It's my place on earth. It's my language, it's my culture. Even the criticism that I carry and the shame that I carry come from my deep belonging to the place. I will leave only if I be forced to leave. They would have to tear me out."

IV A whistle in the dark

Does he think this is a real possibility - that his freedom could be taken from him, in Israel itself? "Oh, very easily," he says. "It's already taken from me by banning me from going to Gaza, and this is just a start. I have great freedom to write and to appear on television in Israel, and I have a very good life, but I don't take my freedom for granted, not at all. If this current extreme nationalist atmosphere continues in Israel in one, two, three years time?" He sighs. "There may be new restrictions, Ha'aretz may close down - God forbid - I don't take anything for granted. I will not be surprised if Israeli Palestinian parties are criminalized at the next election, for example. Already they are going after the NGOs [Non-Government Organizations that campaign for Palestinian rights]. There is already a majority in the opinion polls who want to punish people who expose wrong-doing by the military and want to restrict the human rights groups."

There is also the danger of a freelance attack. Last year, a man with a large dog strutted up to Levy near his home and announced: "I have wanted to beat you to a pulp for a long time." Levy only narrowly escaped, and the man was never caught. He says now: "I am scared but I don't live on the fear. But to tell you that my night sleep is as yours... I'm not sure. Any noise, my first association is 'maybe now, it's coming'. But there was never any concrete case in which I really thought 'here it comes'. But I know it might come."

Has he ever considered not speaking the truth, and diluting his statements? He laughs - and for the only time in our interview, his eloquent torrents of words begin to sputter. "I wish I could! No way I could. I mean, this is not an option at all. Really, I can't. How can I? No way. I feel lonely but my private, er, surrounding is supportive, part of it at least. And there are still Israelis who appreciate what I do. If you walk with me in the streets of Tel Aviv you will see all kinds of reactions but also very positive reactions. It is hard but I mean it's?it's?what other choice do I have?"

He says his private life is supportive "in part". What's the part that isn't? For the past few years, he says, he has dated non-Israeli women - "I couldn't be with a nationalistic person who said those things about the Palestinians" - but his two sons don't read anything he writes, "and they have different politics from me. I think it was difficult for them, quite difficult." Are they right-wingers? "No, no, no, nothing like that. As they get older, they are coming to my views more. But they don't read my work. No," he says, looking down, "they don't read it."

The long history of the Jewish people has a recurring beat - every few centuries, a brave Jewish figure stands up to warn his people they are have ended up on an immoral or foolish path that can only end in catastrophe, and implores them to change course. The first prophet, Amos, warned that the Kingdom of Israel would be destroyed because the Jewish people had forgotten the need for justice and generosity - and he was shunned for it. Baruch Spinoza saw beyond the Jewish fundamentalism of his day to a materialist universe that could be explained scientifically - and he was excommunicated, even as he cleared the path for the great Jewish geniuses to come. Could Levy, in time, be seen as a Jewish prophet in the unlikely wilderness of a Jewish state, calling his people back to a moral path?

He nods faintly, and smiles. "Noam Chomsky once wrote to me that I was like the early Jewish prophets. It was the greatest compliment anyone has ever paid me. But... well... My opponents would say it's a long tradition of self-hating Jews. But I don't take that seriously. For sure, I feel that I belong to a tradition of self-criticism. I deeply believe in self-criticism." But it leaves him in bewildering situations: "Many times I am standing among Palestinian demonstrators, my back to the Palestinians, my face to the Israeli soldiers, and they were shooting in our direction. They are my people, and they are my army. The people I'm standing among are supposed to be the enemy. It is..." He shakes his head. There must be times, I say, when you ask: what's a nice Jewish boy doing in a state like this?

But then, as if it has been nagging at him, he returns abruptly to an earlier question. "I am very pessimistic, sure. Outside pressure can be effective if it's an American one but I don't see it happening. Other pressure from other parts of the world might be not effective. The Israeli society will not change on its own, and the Palestinians are too weak to change it. But having said this, I must say, if we had been sitting here in the late 1980s and you had told me that the Berlin wall will fall within months, that the Soviet Union will fall within months, that parts of the regime in South Africa will fall within months, I would have laughed at you. Perhaps the only hope I have is that this occupation regime hopefully is already so rotten that maybe it will fall by itself one day. You have to be realistic enough to believe in miracles."

In the meantime, Gideon Levy will carry on patiently documenting his country's crimes, and trying to call his people back to a righteous path. He frowns a little - as if he is picturing Najawa Khalif blown to pieces in front of her school bus, or his own broken father - and says to me: "A whistle in the dark is still a whistle."

Gideon Levy's book 'The Punishment of Gaza' is available from Verso Books. You can buy it HERE [http://www.amazon.co.uk/punishment-gaza-gideon-levy/dp/1844676013/ref=sr_1_1?ie=utf8&s=books&qid=1285252208&sr=8-1].

You can watch Johann's speech to the Protest the Pope rally HERE [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aasspr178zy].

You can follow Johann Hari's updates on Israel and other issues HERE [http://www.twitter.com/johannhari101].

With Talk of Direct Peace Negotiations, It's Time to Turn to the Prince of Peace

2010-09-02T07:57:00.000-07:00

THE NEXT MEETING IN JERUSALEM WILL BE SEPTEMBER 8TH AT 6PM.

President Abbas and PM Netanyahu are meeting today in Washington DC. But few trust that these "Peace Talks" will be much different than past episodes, when the conditions for success still haven't changed.

Daily violence, home demolitions, Gaza closure, and deaths have continued on the Palestinian side.

The violent death of four settlers, on the Israeli side, has made a splash in world news and caused even more local violence.

It is so easy to get discouraged and disheartened. With this comes the risk of becoming bitter, angry... hateful?

We don't want to do that. We want to turn to the Prince of Peace and share with Him our skepticism, our fears. And in so doing, we want to let him give us hope in return. Even poor schemes of man can turn to great opportunities sometimes, and we want to pray for this to happen. If the children of the Prince of Peace can't carry a light of hope, how dark is our light?

Let's start by praying for the people in this land. Not the groups, not the communities, the individuals in their small spheres of life and influence.

Think of the life of someone you know in Gaza... think of a child, a mother, a young man, an old person. Let that person be an image of the million and a half individual realities in Gaza. Now, let's pray for peace for this unique person.
Think of a Jewish settler.
Now, think of him or her, no longer as a settler, think of him or her as a child of someone, a mother, a brother, a son. Think of the ideology and fear that 'Direct Peace Talks' can bring to that person. No matter how insane the ideology is, the fear is real.
Now, let's pray for this person, not just as an occupier or obstacle to peace, but as a creation of God just like all of us are. Did Jesus bring a new kingdom for occupiers too? So, how do we pray for that person.
Let the change in our heart that this stirs become a cry for peace. The revolutionary peace of the Prince of Peace.
We can continue this process, as led, with so many "types" -- but they are not really "types", they are people: the Jewish, Muslim or Christian peace activist, the split Jerusalemite-West Banker family, the mixed family Palestinian-Jewish, the Israeli immigrant from Ukraine who suffered from antiSemitism in childhood, the Jenin mother who lost husband and sons to military operations, to random killing, to retaliation, or to despair. The Jewish husband who lost a wife to a suicide bomber five years ago. The young Arab Hebronite who suffered just one more humiliation at a check point yesterday... the list goes on and on...

Let us pray for the people, the complex sometimes messed up, sometimes confused, sometimes lost in evil ideologies of ethnic cleansing and terror.

Let us pray to their Father for their peace.

2. Now we are ready to pray for the Peace Talks, with faith and hope in the Prince of Peace and the reality of His Kingdom.

We pray for all those who are part of decision making, in the corridors of power. We pray for those in front of the cameras and those behind the scenes. We pray for the good intentions in the heart of men. We pray for the many more delusions, deceptions, calculations, hypocrisy, and evil that has manifested itself so many times.

We pray grace and mercy. As people like Naim Ateek have reminded us, praying for justice will not be enough. We need grace and mercy.

We need better and more than what the mix of politicians can produce.

Lord, we pray for real peace.

Sabeel Calls for a Day of Prayer and Fasting

2010-06-03T11:10:00.000-07:00

We join Sabeel in praying for an end of the Gaza blockade.

We observe that the pointless violence against and death of the peace flotilla trying to break the Gaza blockade has only served to revive sad images of Israeli flag burning. While the emotions leading to such displays are understandable given the shame and intolerability of the Gaza oppression, we can only observe that this feeds into the self-fulfilling prophecy which feeds radical Israeli policies: 'Everyone hates us. Why should we care about doing right by our neighbor?'

We see once again that violence begets violence. For this also we pray.

See the Sabeel call and join in prayer and fasting--

PRAY FOR A REAL PEACE – 2 June 2010

2010-06-02T07:09:00.000-07:00

Prayer topics (adapted from Sabeel)

Ø The Israeli attack on the Gaza Flotilla resulted in numerous deaths, dozens of injuries, and hundreds of arrests. Pray for comfort for the bereaved, healing for the injured, and freedom to the prisoners. Let us also pray for an end to the siege of Gaza. A prisoner exchange that would release Shalit and a healing in the relations between Hamas and Fatah.

Ø This week is the World Week of Prayer for Palestine Israel. In a time when solidarity and action are met by such extreme violence, prayer is especially important. May our prayers throughout the week prevent our frustrations from turning to bitterness, encourage us to love our enemies, and remind us of the hope found in Christ. Pray also that good would come from this tragedy that would bring about Real Peace.

Ø The Tent of Nations, a farm and peace center near Bethlehem, recently received 9 demolition orders for homes and sheds located on the property. Situated on land belonging to the Nassar family for 4 generations, the Tent of Nations is now surrounded on all sides by Israeli settlements. We pray that this latest attempt to displace Palestinians from their land will be unsuccessful. May the military occupation that enables such oppression swiftly come to an end.

May 5th Prayer Topics: Evidence of Things Unseen

2010-05-02T14:04:00.000-07:00

Here at P4RP, we try to look at the situation in Palestine/Israel just as it is; and we try to pray for the real people of this land, be they Arab or Jews or internationals, Muslims or Christians, Israeli, Jerusalemites, or without nationality at all. We believe the history of this place is messy, painful. We reject some commonly held lies -- that there ever was a land without people for example -- while acknowledging that the Jewish people, who took over the land from Arabs in 1948 and 1967, also had a history linking them to this land, as well as a tragic and painful past. This does not have to justify that. In other words, European oppression and murder of the Jews will never justify even one drop of blood from an Arab child. But we see that evil leads to evil, pain to more pain, violence to more violence, until the whole world is "toothless and blind."

So, we confess, we do not know how to pray and intercede [*] and we rely on the Holy Spirit to lead us in the middle of our best efforts to live and pray intentionally, lovingly and with hope. And we pray for all humans -- all children of God -- in the land, without preference for belief, ethnicity, gender, or political affiliation. The child of the settler shares the love of God which goes to the child of the Islamic Jihad militant; the child of the Hamas leader is the repository of the same love given by God to the child of the Shas party member. And even if it's harder to imagine, the parents of both children are also loved by God. We do not believe in a "Kumbaya World" -- we see our world as it is. But the way of Jesus calls us to believe even more in the reality of a New Kingdom, where vengeance has no room, where ethnic cleansing is abolished and absurd, where God's love for any of us does not come at the expense of our neighbor, the "Other". And we pray that some of this Kingdom reality will transpire in flawed human arrangements for peace in this land.

It's happened before and, at any rate, we're not called to be reasonable - we're only called to follow Him. And in this situation, follow His Sprit in a prayer that challenges us.

Let us pray:

1. We pray for the conditions that will allow peace to emerge.

Let's take a minute to mention (remind ourselves) important things from the news:

- a renewed US effort to pressure Israel for a "settlement freeze"

- recent commentaries [**] on Palestinian WB Prime Minister Salam Fayyad's development of state institution for a viable state called for by the Summer 2011

- timid efforts by Israel to at least comply somewhat to the US minimalist requirements

Of course, these possibly positive elements do not overtake what we observe on the ground:

- fearful settlers getting more radical in their violent treatment of Palestinians in the WB

- an overwhelming blind spot of the world concerning Gaza

- the neglect of the Palestinian WB Authority of its own population in Gaza

- the many actors who see no purpose in peace progress, from violent radicals in and out of the Israeli government, to desperate and violent radicals among Palestinian factions

Let us pray for a grace of God that reaches above and beyond all those who would block or sabotage any peace agreement.
Let us pray for Israeli Citizens who would fear the prospects of peace.
Let us pray against the myth that Security is a profitable industry and that peace will not benefit Israel.
Let us pray for the forgotten in Gaza -- forgotten by the World and too often forgotten by their brothers, and too often hated by the Israelis and the world.
Let us pray for the negotiations and choices made in the corridors of power, from the US to Tel Aviv to Ramallah.
Let us pray for breakthroughs we cannot imagine yet.

2. We pray for the conditions that will allow peace to grow after an agreement we still cannot see.

No human agreement can be perfect. And given the history, none can be fair, just AND charitable.

We pray against the resentments of tomorrow. We pray for the ministry of healing that will have to come tomorrow.
We pray for the groups calling themselves pro-Israeli, and we pray that they may transform themselves into groups that can accompany peace and healing (instead of too often enabling the worst demons of conquest, racism and hatred).
We pray for the groups calling themselves pro-Palestinian, and we pray they will be ready to remain friends and accompany peace and healing.
We pray for those who fight for the 'least of these' - we see Gaza today as among the least of these. And we pray for special grace for those who will serve there.
We also see that children of settlers will in some measure suffer from changes which, while necessary and justified, cannot but impact them personally in a challenging way.
So we pray for those who will continue to bring people together. We pray for peacemakers who will work for peace after some peace is reached.
We pray for the heart of men -- which opposes peace today and will oppose healing tomorrow through resentment, greed, and vengefulness.
We pray for the Grace of God upon His undeserving but equally loved children.

[*] If you're looking for a reference in the bible, that would be in the book of Romans, Chapter 8 and verses 26-27.

[**] See notably the following references:

A challenging piece by Aaron David Miller in Foreign Policy, 'The False Religion of Mideast Peace'
Roger Cohen's NYT column, 'Beating the Mideast Black Hole'
Speech by John Mearsheimer at the Jerusalem Fund, 'The Future of Palestine: Righteous Jew vs. the New Afrikaner'[+]

[+] with a passing note that P4RP also recognizes that Afrikaners are far more and far better than the stigma of the appalling Apartheid Era.

Photo credit: http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p39/servantsavant/bendib-3-22-Palestine-Bread.jpg&im

Taanit Tzedek - Jewish Fast for Gaza - Resisting the Siege: Conversations with Gazans

2010-04-15T03:55:00.001-07:00

The following e-mail has been brought to our attention and we would like to share it with you.

"B'Tselem is proud to be co-sponsoring the following event.
Taanit Tzedek - Jewish Fast for Gaza
Resisting the Siege: Conversations with Gazans

PHONE CONFERENCE CALL

A CONVERSATION WITH YOUNG PEOPLE IN GAZA

Thursday April 15, 12 noon EST

The second phone conference of our new program, Resisting the Siege: Conversations with Gazans, will be held on our next fast day, Thursday April 15 at 12:00 noon EST. Our guests on the call will be young people in Gaza who have participated in The Popular Achievement program in Gaza, sponsored by the American Friends Service Committee. The program that focuses on 14-17 year olds, aims at sustaining the values of youth civic engagement and empowerment of youth to invent/generate creative spaces for democratic participation in order to achieve positive social transformation and
sustainable development, through the following objectives:

1. Stimulate democratic participation of youth in the community.

2. Support civil initiatives for youth and enabling them to develop creative strategies to accomplish their community actions and make their voices heard.

Amal Sabawi, the director of the program, will also join us on the call. It will be a unique opportunity to hear about a remarkable program and to hear directly from young people in Gaza how they grapple with the difficulties of growing up in a community under siege.

For more information about the Public Achievers program click here"

I am reminded of the words of the prophet Isaiah in chapter 58 verse 6: "Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke?"

Prayer topics of 7 April 2010.

2010-04-09T11:59:00.000-07:00

At the prayer meeting of 7 April 2010 in Jerusalem the following prayer topics were suggested by Eric and Past. Alex. We would like to continue praying for these and other topics mentioned in previous postings.

*We can be thankful that most militant groups in Gaza made a decision not to engage in rocket launching attacks against Israel. We can be thankful that Israel is allowing more clothing and food items into Gaza. (A)

*We can continue to pray for a breakthrough on the Palestinian/Israeli peace prospects. Certainly we are pleased with the efforts of Salam Fayyad to promote peace, but he does face many challenges with Hamas and some radical Palestinian groups. Let us pray that Hamas and the current Israeli administration will know how to moderate their positions to promote peace and reconciliation. (A)

*We can pray for the peace activists who stand non violently against injustice, whether protesting in marches against the wall or other means. (A)

*We can pray that Christians, both Palestinian and Messianic believers in this land, will speak with one voice when it comes to peace and justice.(A)

*We can pray for the tension between Israel and the US. Accept that conflict is necessary to break the impasse, but pray that this conflict serve to find new ground in US-Israeli relations, where the efforts of peacemakers are supported and not undermined by politics.(E)

Learning Peace

2010-03-28T08:52:00.000-07:00

{Scroll down to read Sami Awad's speech "A Palestinian Christian Evangelical Response to the Holocaust.}

Every now and then we try to point to folks or organizations who are providing inspiration, or simply teaching us something about engaging with God in the struggle for peace. We do this because there are two mistakes we can easily make:

First, it is easy to get discouraged and cynical and lose hope that peace is, if not possible given the insanity of man, possible and expected given the grace of God manifested in flawed humans.
The second mistake is to take on the commitment to work for peace, in words or in actions, on our own volition -- forgetting that the God of all creatures has been in this battle before us and precedes us in our initiatives.

The first mistake is the greatest because it leads to hopelessness. The latter is a temptation to believe in our efficacy and lose faith in God's operation in us--regardless of our creed, color or mood for the day.

This is a little bit about the purpose of Praying for A Real Peace (P4RP)--to bring us back to prayer, not instead of activism but before, during and after, as a way to (re)learn to follow the Prince of Peace.

In this Spirit, there have been two significant events coming from the Christian Community in the Holy Land. (We don't want to ignore those coming from Jewish, Muslim or Secular groups, but today we'll cover these two recent events from the Christian community.)

1- Kairos Palestine is a call from the unified (an impressive achievement!) churches in the Holy Land, both mainline and evangelical / independent, to themselves, to the leaders of Israel and Palestine, to the Body of Christ at large and to the world, about the situation in Palestine.

"This document is the Christian Palestinians’ word to the world about what is happening in Palestine. It is written at this time when we wanted to see the Glory of the grace of God in this land and in the sufferings of its people. In this spirit the document requests the international community to stand by the Palestinian people who have faced oppression, displacement, suffering and clear apartheid for more than six decades. The suffering continues while the international community silently looks on at the occupying State, Israel. Our word is a cry of hope, with love, prayer and faith in God. We address it first of all to ourselves and then to all the churches and Christians in the world, asking them to stand against injustice and apartheid, urging them to work for a just peace in our region, calling on them to revisit theologies that justify crimes perpetrated against our people and the dispossession of the land."

2- In a parallel moment, the Evangelical community in Bethlehem organized a conference, 'Christ at the Checkpoint' actually dealing with how current Evangelical theology has been corrupted and used against the prospect of peace for Jews, Palestinians, all people of the Land. All the lectures from that conference are available if you click on the link above. But we want to leave you with the lecture from our friend Sami Awad.

Sami speaks of 'the Holocaust and the Evangelical Church.' Even if you are not Evangelical or not a Christian this text is worth reading (see Note below). We draw attention to it, because it illustrates one of the steps we must take to engage in peace, from the moment we pray, til the moment we act, til the moment we rest and act no more. We must recognize our neighbor, and to do this we must occasionally try to walk in his/her shoes. How would I feel if I were a teenager growing my whole life in a refugee camp in Gaza? How would I think if I had been raised on a Jewish settlement on a hilltop of the West Bank? How would I respond to the news if my family had been deported from their land in 1948, or if my son had been placed in administrative detention by Israel for years without trial, for one day throwing a stone? How would I think if I had lost a loved one to a suicide bomber? How would I react if my child had been shot by a settler near the Gaza fence or had his arm broken by soldiers using a rock?

The struggle for peace is painful and requires a lot of surrender. Prayer is one of the essential ways to find this surrender. Looking at The Other as a Child of God, human just like me, is the painful imperative. We offer Sami's text as a contribution, maybe an example of this personal struggle. (You can download the PDF from the link above or scroll down and read it here.)

Read it and Pray.

Eric

Note: authors of this blog are from different Christian groups, not necessarily 'Evangelical' or any other particular flavor of followers of Jesus. But given the influence of Evangelicalism, notably in the US, it is worth paying attention to a specifically Evangelical and Palestinian voice.

A Palestinian Christian Evangelical Response to the Holocaust.

Sami Awad. March 2010

I come to you today, claiming no expertise on the issue at hand. Five years ago, if you asked me to speak on such a topic I would completely refused, but now I come with a deep heart and desire to share with you my story, or I can even say my pilgrimage in wanting to look deeper into the core issues that have allowed and continue to allow violence, fear, hatred, mistrust and mass resignation to be the main mechanism of how Palestinians and Israelis are dealing with each other.

I am fully convinced that what we as Palestinians experience is only a product, not the goal, of something deeper that lies in the Israeli Jewish community, especially those who came from Europe. This of course does not mean I justify or excuse it, but declare that when we are able to understand deeply the cause and not the effect, then we are able to develop and engage in the right actions and in speaking the right words that would allow for violence to stop, and for racial and ethnic discrimination to end, for healing to take place and for new realities to be established.

This personal pilgrimage, if I may call it that, took me several years ago to Poland, to the death camps of Auschwitz and Birkenua. …………. I have been there again since that time…

What I experienced….

I went there as part of retreat organized by a group called Peace Maker Circle International.

They bring people from all around the world, representing different religious and national

group to “Bear Witness” to the catastrophe that did not only affect the Jewish people but many other ethnic and minority groups. In Auschwitz, I came as close as possible to witness this tragedy, to see the death chambers, the bunkers, the cells, the places where thousands on a weekly bases were gazed and the oven where their bodies were burned. I saw the ponds where their remains were thrown in.

I had the opportunity one whole night to spend it with a Jew and a Muslim for prayers and

meditation, reflection in what was called the Children’s bunker. It was a cold and snow

November night and the three of us with all what we needed to stay warm, being in the place where thousands of children were kept because they had some potential for work, until their time came to be killed. It was an incredible experience. Being in that place where children on a similar night had nothing, absolutely nothing to keep them warm other than their bodies. On the walls of the bunker, children had drawn pictures of other children playing and singing. In the midst of their deepest pain, they had hope for a better day…

This experience was a shock; a shock that had a great affect on my life. But the shock was not only of historic proportion. I discovered that in that place of pain something new happening; a shock for the present and for the future.

As we were sitting there for hours a day in prayers and meditation and reciting names of

individuals that were killed there, we witnessed hundreds of young Israelis (123‐16 years old),

come to visit the place in tours organized by Israel. They would wear big Israeli flags on their

back and walk on the railway in Birkenua singing nationalist songs. They would take the tour of the site and then sit in circles similar to what we were doing, and then the Israeli guide would begin talking. At this time you imagine how important it is for the guide to tell these children how important it is that something like this does not happen again. Something else was happening. These guides were telling the children, “You see what happened to your

grandparents, great‐uncles, and great‐aunts? Well this is not over. You are living in that same

threat and if given the opportunity, Palestinians, Muslims, Arabs will do the same to you.”

Just imagine the shock for these children realizing that it is not a historic trauma they have to deal with but a modern threat to be conducted in the same way…

These children come back, graduate from High School and then sent to the army, because they are now taught that the only way, the only means to deal with this potential threat is through violence, through the military. No other way…

Then this 18 year old is handed a machine gun, thrown at a checkpoint in the West Bank that

has nothing to do with providing any security for Israel and is now told, deal with the new

“Nazi”…. Fear is planted in their heart from day one.

Israel claims security, that is the match face, but in the background it is a process of planting

and sawing fear…

This experience transformed my life and transformed even my understanding of Nonviolence…

Where it is not just about resisting oppression but also deeply engaging in actions that heal

those who cause it from their real or manipulated fear, and I want to say here that I distinguish real and manipulated fear not for the sake of excuses but also for the sake of wanting to develop the right language to address both… How do I deal with a person who is really afraid and how to deal with a person that is manipulating fear are two different questions?

I believe as the world has neglected addressing the real outcomes of the Holocaust by assuming that financial support and political support for Israel is the only way to deal with what happened and by giving Israel political legitimacy to be over‐international law and human rights, what a call a “surplus of power.”

Then the question, what is our role as Palestinians, what is our role as the evangelical

Palestinian Christian community in dealing with this and not allowing this to continue?

What do we need to do in order to bring lasting healing to this land and all those who live in it?

Language

First, the realizing that we have used a language in the past to describe the issue in way that

only creates opportunities for deeper victimization and violence. “They are doing to us what

happened to them” … this line, which I have also used in the past only, creates dead ends,

allows for both communities to fall into deeper claims of victimization and argumentation it

creates bitterness, revenge, anger, excuses and justifications.

Just imagine for a moment that if we create this distinction in our language and say, as

Palestinians something like “they are treating us in a way that was born out of the horrific

experience they had.” In this lies a possibility, recognition, not blaming the victims or the

perpetrators, and allow for action that addresses both our and their pain and suffering.

Truth

Second, speak the truth as the truth… not to allow our ego, interpretations, justifications; even

opinions lead us into affecting the truth... We sometimes engage in falsehood because we

allow our anger to take over reason and distort our Godly truth. In His letter the Ephesians,

Paul said, “Put on the new self created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness … put

off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body.” It is

vital for us, as the Palestinian Christian community to be a voice of truth in the suffering, not

only of our people but all peoples around the world, including Jews who suffered and continue

to suffer, as my personal opinion is, they have not also had the opportunity to engage in

healing. Let us speak the truth as the truth.

Healing

Third, We must not let anything or anyone intimidate or lead us to lose focus or be off track

with being in and answering to God’s will in our lives and others. We must not create in our

words or deeds anything that allows for bitterness or hatred to be planted in the heart of any

other human. Paul says in his letter to Ephesians, “Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger,

brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one

another; forgive each other, just as Christ God forgave you. Ephesians 4:31… This does not

mean that there will be no anger and no feeling of being violated, but let us challenge

ourselves, through God’s Grace, to always seek the ways that allow our inner healing in order to engage in words and actions that fully and completely put an end to those actions that cause

bitterness and anger and rage….

Justice

Fourth, seek the justice of God for us and our people and for the Jewish people… “The

righteous cry out and the lord hears them, he delivers them form all their troubles” Psalm 34

17… and in our seeking of God’s justice and God’s Kingdom then everything shall be added unto

us. We have to be fully aligned in what we seek as justice and how that fits into God’s plan for

humanity to live in justice and peace.

Love

The last point, engage in continuous acts of love to your oppressor for it is not a choice we have

as followers of Jesus but a commandment we are to abide in. I will not accept any argument

that says that engaging in actions of expressing God’s love to the other undermine or

underestimate our goals and aspirations as Palestinians or it makes us look weak or vulnerable.

Nonviolence

Yes, for me, I do interpret these acts of love through my involvement in nonviolent action and

in speaking words that allow for deep healing to take place. We must love and must forgive and

must engage in opening real opportunities for the other to love and forgive. Too many

apologies and compensations and declarations of guilt have take place and not enough

forgiveness and closure has happened. How many apologies do we need to hear from political

and religious figures around the world, from the Vatican to German Prime Ministers before we

have one Israeli leader say, “we accept, forgive, and are ready to move forward”?

In conclusion, my call and prayer is to the local Palestinian Evangelical community is to take the

lead in this work. To develop from within the experience of the Holocaust and our Nakbah (the

Catastrophe of 1948) not the undermining or the surrendering of our legitimate aspirations but

engage in the actions and words and develop our own theological understanding for the Holy

Land that heals and create possibilities for this sacred land to be a beacon for God love, mercy,

justice, and thanks to Him, his continues forgiveness ….

I pray this in God’s Grace…

An Easter Peace Meditation in a Time of Violence

2010-03-12T06:58:00.000-08:00

An Easter Egg of Hope --

On this Friday of violence, this day when the opponents of peace can breathe a sigh of relief that violence was once again restored, I feel pain. click here to read the rest of this text from Evelyn>

ps: read about courageous efforts of peace workers in our previous entry...

Praying for Peace - Thinking of Peace - Acting for Peace

2010-03-08T13:44:00.000-08:00

Pending announcement of our next meetings and prayer topics, it's worth considering that thoughts and actions prompt us to pray, and that prayer prompts us to new thoughts and better actions.

Here's a quick link to three worthy groups thinking and acting for peace. (Full disclosure: they are not endorsing us in anyway, but we're quite happy to endorse them!)

1- Elias and Rima Khoury lost their son to the second Intifada. To add further absurdity to the dead spiral of violence, their son--George--was killed in a Palestinian terrorist attack (the Khoury's are obviously an Arab family).

What is remarkable - and an Act of Peace - is how this family chose to respond to the tragedy.

Elias Khoury chose to translate “A Tale of Love and Darkness” by Jewish writer Amos Oz into Arabic .

Read about the thoughts and motives for this act in a recent NYT column. A quote from the introduction to the Arabic translation of the book:

“Weren’t both sides of the conflict totally immersed in their own tragedies, each one oblivious to, or even antagonistic toward, the narrative of the other? Isn’t this inability to imagine the lives of the ‘other’ at the heart of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict?”

We are far from believing that the situation of each group, Israeli and Palestinian, is today comparable at a time when the occupation shows no lessening. But the humanity and the validity of the respective tragedies are. It's inspiring to hear of the choice made by the Khoury's to truly honor their son in a gesture creating a space for peace.

2- The Israeli (and Sderot-based) group 'Other Voice' continues to reach across the infamous man-made divide isolating Gaza to create a new future for the people of Israel and Gaza trapped in absurd cycles of violence.

Recognizing that, "the leaders have tried every possible idea that involves violence and military force – with no success at all", Other Voice defines itself as "a grassroots group that has no political aspirations... citizens of the Sderot region and the Gaza region", "interested in finding creative ways of hearing a new voice from the region and for promoting hope and non-violent actions for the benefit of the locals who live here in Sderot and in the Gaza Strip."

3- The Sabeel Ecumenical Liberation Theology Center will hold a Study Circle at its office in Shuafat on Tuesday March 9 from 5:30 - 7:00 p.m. on Chapter 13 "The Two-State Solution Is Not Enough" of the Book "A Palestinian Christian Cry for Reconciliation" by Dr. Naim Ateek.

This is probably a good place to hear and meet people who care deeply about peace for all in the land. [

Sabeel can be contacted at sabeel@live.nl or by phone 972-2-532-7136.]

******

As for us, we can continue learning to pray for a real peace by praying a blessing on the efforts, the thoughts, the capacity for imagining of different future of these different groups.

Jesus said: "Blessed are the Peacemakers" - maybe this is an invitation. Indeed, let's pray a blessing on these creators of peace.

Prayer pointers for March 2010

2010-03-01T11:54:00.000-08:00

As we reported last month, the situation in Israel and Palestine is a false status-quo, where daily actions erode the fragile hope for peace.

As we have often prayed for Gaza - let us take a minute to pray for the internal Palestinian relations which contribute to the quagmire of Gaza.

One of the critical issues is how each side has groups which each represent specific constituencies. And each of these groups can fear that overall progress toward peace for all might undermine the rights or welfare of their constituency. This is certainly as true in Israel as it is in the case of Palestine, where the power is divided between that of Fatah in West Bank and Hamas in Gaza. While Hamas won a democratic election with 40% of Palestinian votes, it has been isolated from the community of nations, its authority taken away through arrest of its elected members by Israel, and ultimately faced Fatah in a short intestine war, which left Hamas in charge of Gaza, while Fatah kept control of many public servants in Gaza, and of the whole of the West Bank. Hamas has used and endorsed attacks against civilians as a tool in its nationalistic struggle. Sadly, almost every group on both Israeli and Palestinian side have in action or in words supported violence against civilians to achieve their goal. This is the mad spiral of terrorism with all its destruction.

There is an upcoming Arab League Summit next month in Tripoli. While Israel currently shows no intention of jumping ahead to a final status agreement (about the conditions of a peaceful two-state resolution), there are some efforts to define and support a common Arab voice for what this agreement should be. Chief Palestinian Negotiator Saeeb Erekat (working for West Bank President Abu Mazen) describes Hamas as "an obstacle to reaching an agreement with Israel" and identified the agreement with the Arab League Resolution as a litmus test for Hamas' world standing (or at least standing with the Arab League consensus).

It is virtually impossible for the casual observer to distinguish political posturing from true negotiations, and to second guess these political debates. The fact remains that Hamas continues to represents a vast part of the Palestinian population in both Gaza and West Bank -- a population which feels very much under the heel of a crushing occupation, not at the door of a promising future.

Let us pray:

* For the ever escaping capacity of political leaders to see the welfare of people before their tactical calculations. This goes for Palestinians in their internal dealings, and this goes for Israelis. This goes for the Arab League and Egyptian efforts, which so often carry competing agendas. This goes for the UN and EU and Russia in their small role and this goes for the United States in their salient and central role. Let us pray for political leaders of all ilk to see as God sees the place they have chosen to occupy. Let us pray for their conscience to be so troubled that they are willing to lose their political capital and future in order to secure a viable peace for all people. Let us pray against the dead-end strategy of alienation of the voice of so many people. Let us pray against the belief that no one can change, that despairing belief that one group of people can only be "terrorists" or "ethnic cleansers" or "racists" or "murderers". Praying for peace is praying for people to change and praying for people to change what they believe about other people.

* For the recognition of people and their history and the miracle of mutual respect. Let us pray that the trauma and pain of the Shoah be heard and understood by non-Jewish groups, even if it has been abused to try and justify a war and occupation against Arab populations which had nothing to do with European abuse. Let us pray that the trauma and pain of the Nakba and the years of occupation be heard and understood by Jewish groups and non-Arab nations. Let us pray that victimhood would ceise to be justification for more violence of any kind. Let us pray for a time of peace to move people away from trauma, past and immediate, feared and actual, possible and imagined.

This vision is now beyond what we can dream.

This is why we pray.

* For the ability of the United States to move beyond its prejudiced and one-sided blind support of war and conquest; for its ability to see the pointlessness of providing humanitarian assistance without addressing dispossession and oppression. Let us pray for what can be best in that nation, as we pray for what can be best in both Israel and Palestine. Let us pray that --when it comes to advancing true peace efforts in the Middle East--the US political status quo would be shattered and that this nation may be inspired again to speak for peace, to speak for freedom for Palestine while staying a truer friend to its Israeli partner.

Eric

A Degrading Status Quo: Prayer Topics for the Week of Feb.1-7, 2010

2010-02-01T01:47:00.001-08:00

We'll have 2 meetings across the Atlantic this week (see Introduction/Next Meeting ->).

If we look back over the past year, even though there was a lot of skepticism about the arrival of Barack Obama, there was also some hope that his leadership, the involvement of George Mitchell, something would bring a measure of change. But very little has happened. The closure in Gaza is still as drastic - with the only relief coming from the tunnel economy. The Israeli and American attention is focused on the potential risk for smuggling of weapons through the tunnels, and the UN goes through unending negotiations to achieve occasional openings of the main checkpoints. To people in the Strip, this closure feels like a siege.
In the West Bank and East Jerusalem, restrictions for the circulation of people increase, with restrictions to the circulation and denial of the visas of internationals increasing. Demonstrations have taken place in Sheikh Jarah to protest forced expulsions of Arab families and expansion of a settlement. This scenario is often repeated. And of course the settlements are growing in the face of the minimalist request of the US government to have at least a "freeze" on settlements.
On the Israeli side, there has at least been continued quiet in terms of suicide attacks. The rudimentary rocket attacks on Southern Israel have also stopped. Some claim it is proof of the "success" of the Gaza war; others relate it to the near absence of commando targeted killings, Apache and other air attacks.
On both sides, courageous peace groups continue speaking out to the best of their abilities.
But politically nothing moves. Fatah and Hamas have not resolved their differences and the Egyptian proposal for a unity government has not been accepted by Hamas. If it were, it is still not clear whether Western Powers would support the government. And in Israel, the energy seems to be on preempting the pressure (more potential than actual) from the Mitchell efforts, and quieting down the international storm following the Gaza war and Goldstone Report.

The one year view could be summarized as: degrading status quo to incremental worsening.
This leads to a lot of discouragement.
Some of this reality may be described by an Haaretz article of Bradley Burston: "Fear of Peace will be the Death of Israel."

Let us pray:

Against acceptance of any part of the occupation, both the violence it requires, and the violence it faces, the racism and the alienation of people it demands. Let's pray against the daily silent (to the media) violence, and against the risk of a new outburst of violence--neither can achieve anything good.
Let us just open and pour out our heart/concerns about the situation before the Lord. Let us pray against the growing hopelessness that any solution can come, that peace efforts are just talk, that no one can be trusted (and this goes in many directions), that nothing is possible. Let's pray to see the possible against human impossibilities.
Let us continue to pray for the end of the blockade of Gaza, for a more normal life and hope for its 1.5 million inhabitants.

Carry this prayer during the week, and we look forward to meeting some of you in Jerusalem or in Sliver Spring.

Salam - Shalom

Evelyn and Eric

Prayer meeting of 2 December 2009.

2009-12-10T03:01:00.000-08:00

Here is my servant, whom I uphold,
my chosen one in whom I delight;
I will put my Spirit on him
and he will bring justice to the nations.
He will not shout or cry out,
or raise his voice in the streets.
A bruised reed he will not break,
and a smouldering wick he will not snuff out.
In faithfulness he will bring forth justice;
he will not falter or be discouraged
till he establishes justice on earth.
In his law the islands will put their hope.

Isaiah 42:1-4

At the prayer meeting for a real peace of 2nd December 2009, we meditated on the above verses. I was especially encouraged by: “In faithfulness he (Messiah) will bring forth justice; he will not falter or be discouraged till he establishes justice on earth.” To me this is something to hold on to. Evil, injustice, violence and hatred will not prevail. God is working at establishing justice and He will not stop until it is done.

One of the other prayer partners again was encouraged by the verse which says: “I will put my Spirit on him and he will bring justice to the nations.” She then specifically prayed for the Spirit of God to be present and powerful in the Land.

We prayed around three topics:

1. The negotiations surrounding Shalit’s release in exchange for Palestinian prisoners. For wisdom for the negotiators.
2. The freeze of construction in the settlements in the West Bank (which is either too much or certainly not enough).* For honesty from leaders about this step.
3. A raising up of communicators that can refute fundamentalist ideologies (on both Israeli and Palestinian sides), that encourage people to be rigid and violent – against compromise and peace.

And so we partner with the Messiah / the Christ in bringing justice to Israel/Palestine through prayer and obedience to His commandments.

Evelyn

* "You cannot "freeze" settlements: people make babies and more babies demand more space ultimately. So, a freeze has no long term viability.
(2) The problem is that the settlements are illegal, are a form of conquest and dispossession". A quote from Elrig’s blog: www.livingbetweenworlds.blogspot.com

What most honest people understand that a first step to peace is (from Gush Shalom)

2009-11-09T05:29:00.000-08:00

While the arguments for a "One State" solution are sometimes strong and inspiring, they are -- as of today -- beyond the imaginable. Good fences make good neighbors. For now, two people living without soldiers or settlers, each in their own land is the only way to move forward. The Geneva Agreements say it (Rabbi Michael Lerner wrote a short book on that). And now Gush Shalom - speaking at the J Street Meeting, puts things back plain and simple on the table. There can be a real peace process - and it's not open to splitting hair and deciding that one people keeps an eternal right of controlling the lives of another people. The street goes both ways, if you look at the last 10,000 years. But at this time in history - we pray for and stand where the principled of equality of people and peace are violated.

Read Gush Shalom's address at J Street about what the yardstick for a real peace process should be. Click here to read the article. Also copied below--

More importantly - let's pray that those voices for sanity and peace rise among the surrounding madness. Let's pray that people who profess following the Prince of Peace would start feeling attracted to a path to peace, as they work with either party.

A REAL PEACE PROCESS - Gush Shalom addresses J Street
Almost everybody agrees that peace between the State of Israel and the State of Palestine is the only solution.

All the relevant governments say so, including the government of Israel. Why, then, does it not happen? Why does it often look hopeless?

For the simple reason that the government of Israel does not really want it. Binyamin Netanyahu has no intention whatsoever to implement any such solution, because it would mean dismantling all - or almost all – of the settlements. All his statements on the subject are but thinly-disguised lip service.

To make the lip-service into reality, an enormous effort is needed – by Israelis, Palestinians and people of good will everywhere, government officials and grassroots activists alike. In particular, the involvement of Americans in general and American Jews in particular is most vital.

There are several yardsticks which distinguish a true commitment to peace from hollow lip service:

The Gaza War – We must – also for the sake of our own moral fabric – establish an independent judicial commission to thoroughly, impartially and openly investigate all allegations and accusations of war crimes committed by our forces in the Gaza Strip in December 2008 and January 2009.
Settlements: There can be no Palestinian state without dismantling of settlements, and there can be no meaningful negotiations while settlement construction and land-grab is going on. Settlement construction must stop completely and without exception, as a declared first step towards their dismantling.
Representation: It is up to the Palestinians, and to them only, to decide who would represent them. In the past, this meant that the PLO had to be recognized as representing the Palestinians. Nowadays, it means that Hamas represents a part of the Palestinian people, a part so significant that an agreement which does not include Hamas would be worthless. Israel, the US and the entire International Community must actively promote and facilitate unity among Palestinians, so as to produce a real negotiating partner – rather than foment discord and civil war among Palestinians, as has been done until now.
Borders - the borders of June 5, 1967 are Israel's internationally recognized borders. Israel must either withdraw to these border or - If it wishes to annex some small parts of the West Bank – cede to the Palestinians, in exchange, parts of its pre-67 territory equivalent in both extent and quality. (In the "generous offers" which Ehud Barak offered at Camp David, he proposed that for every nine square kilometers of fertile West Bank land given up by the Palestinians they would get one square kilometer of, they would receive one square kilometer of completely waterless desert land in the Negev.)
Jerusalem – Israel and Palestine must share Jerusalem – Israel's capital in West Jerusalem, Palestine's capital in East Jerusalem, and a special regime for the holy places of the three Monotheistic religions. A freeze of settlement construction must apply also – and especially – to the penetration of sraeli nationalist-religious fanatics into the Arab neighborhoods of Jerusalem.
Refugees: The problem of the Palestinian refugees, the most painful and difficult of all, must be resolved by a just and agreed solution including repatriation to the State of Palestine, return of an agreed number to Israeli territory, payment of compensations and settling in other countries.
The Golan: Peace between Israel and Syria is an indispensable complement to peace between Israel and Palestine. Both are needed to make Israel a true, legitimate part of its geographic region. This needs a complete withdrawal from the occupied Golan Heights.

Every statement by any leader, any summit and "peace process", must be held up to these yardsticks – and if found wanting, this should be said as loudly and clearly as possible.
Gush Shalom

Prayer Focus for Sunday November 8th, 2009

2009-10-31T13:55:00.000-07:00

A lot is happening in the news but sadly very little positive is happening on the ground.

We suggest the following topics for focus of the next meeting:

1- The tensions and escalation of violence on the Haram al-Sharif / Dome of the Rock / Temple Mount are worrisome.
Let's pray against the spirit of the zealots who want to inflame passions and trigger chaos, all in the name of god. Let's pray for leaders who will defuse rather than throw oil on the situation. Let's pray against the curse of feeling prisoner to the repetition of the past. Generally let's pray that this situation diffuses and a climate is restored creating space for thinking about peace, one where one doesn't have to agree with a religion to respect it, and where armed forces protect freedom of religion rather than domination by any religion.

2- Let us pray for Mr Goldstone and his report. We recognize in Mr Goldstone a man who happens to be Jewish and South African, and who shows a strong commitment to fairness and truth as a way to uphold justice. He has been the subject of many attacks since his report came out, and much controversy has come about. Let's be grateful that J Street --the new Jewish American political action committee -- has accepted to discuss this report, and let's pray for all those, from Tikkun Community, Christian peace groups and Arab Human Rights groups who are insisting that the voice of truth be heard. More than praying for yet another inquiry, let's pray that this report -- which condemned both Israel and Hamas (for the death of, respectively, over a thousand and ten innocents) -- finally be heard and used to hear the desperate need for a peace, where human lives -- Arab, Israeli, Jewish, Muslim, Christian, Secular -- are deemed equally precious.

3- Finally, let us pray that the world leaders receive a sense of urgency about the need to achieve peace in the land. We need to pray against complacency or sabotage. We need to pray against fatalism. We need to pray for opportunities to be created, seized and kept open. And finally we need to pray for people of courage and determination to walk through the many roadblocks that are and that will be raised.
This sense of the possible -- ultimately if invisibly the fruit of faith -- will also have to infuse thinking, propositions and decisions about Jerusalem. The fate of the city is one of the central elements that will need resolution and where tensions are building up as houses are demolished, demarcation lines are drawn and religious tensions rise.
We are all to a large extent powerless, but we seize on faith and refuse to be hopeless.
Let's pray.

E&E

Suggested Focus for October 11th Meeting

2009-10-02T23:53:00.000-07:00

Hi Friends --
As announced, the next meeting will be held on October 11^th, 2009 at East Jerusalem Baptist Church at 13h00 (instead of the usual 13h30).

For long-time observers of the situation here, it's difficult to get excited or optimistic about any new effort, Nth re-initiating of the 'roadmap', and promises. There are some positive signs in the air, but a lot of distressing actions on the ground. We are reminded that we do not pray for peace because we lack realism, we pray for peace because three things are really going to remain when the dust settles:

Faith -- that the children of God, (that's all of us, irrespective of passport or DNA) will ultimately learn to abide by the principles of a Prince of Peace;
Hope -- that their can be peace, a small step toward the more perfect image of a Kingdom on earth as it is in heaven; and
Love -- of neighbor, any neighbor.

We'd like to suggest the following topics for this coming meeting:

1- Continued prayer about the spirit of and the reality of the settlement enterprise on ordinary life for Palestinians and their impact on the hope for a viable home. But also prayer for the settlers themselves, perhaps zealots, perhaps mistaken, perhaps engaged in a misled battle, but children of God also, who will have to face either the crime of success or the pain of withdrawal.
The spirit of the settlements has to break -- we see its fruits on the ground now. Changing things about the settlements requires a revolution that is earth-shaking for Israel. And true friends of Israel would be needed to help it walk toward justice and peace, just as friends of Palestine are needed to support peaceful steadfastness.

2- If not love, respect for the life of the enemy needs to come along with peace. The exchange of prisoners (Shalit vs, a number of Palestinian prisoners) can be a sour issue or it can at least bear the mark of the respect for life. Let's pray that this act takes place and serve to send a message to the heart of people.

3- Let's continue praying for Gaza and its people. In all the international negotiations, nobody mentions Gaza. Gaza is a human and legal exception in the world. It is not about whether Gaza is or not the worst place in the world with the most suffering. The point is its place "outside of human rights and international relations," along with the dehumanizing of the people. In this context we should pray for the people involved in the Goldstone Report and pray that truth and justice be heard. Let's be grateful for the relative quieting down of the nightly military incursions into Gaza and the "targeted killing" and all its collateral damage. Let's also be thankful that the Qassams and other rockets which threatened Southern Israel and its population have also virtually disappeared. Even if all this has come in the aftermath of a war devastating to civilian population, and regardless of the political calculations, this lessening of daily violence can only be positive. Let's pray for the opening of Gaza, in all the meaning of the term, including a climate valuing diversity, progress and the rejection of fundamentalism and radicalism. Let's pray for the possibility of cleaning up the damage of the war and rebuilding in short delays.

Those are just suggestions -- we hope you will come and pray with us or find time wherever you are, alone or in a group to pray for this peace we dare not believe in.

Salaam, Shalom,

Eric & Evelyn

October Update - next meeting October 11th

2009-09-24T08:44:00.000-07:00

Hi All,

The prayer meeting of September 13th in Jerusalem went ahead as planned. There were few of us for different reasons, but I was glad we did come together to pray. We meditated first on the Beatitudes (found in Matt 5). Eric was visiting from the US--where a group has started--and he led the intercession time. In addition to the points presented in the announcement, we took a special time to continue praying for Gaza.

I would like to encourage you with two verses. The first is from 2 Cor 4:18

“So we fix our eyes on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”

And the second is from Hebrews 11:1 where faith is explained as follows:

“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.”

What I want to say with these two verses is, that we do not see yet the results of our prayers on the ground, but the things that we pray for are eternal: Faith, Hope and Love. Let us fix our eyes on that and continue with this work of prayer.

The next meeting will be held on October 11^th, 2009 at East Jerusalem Baptist Church. We would like to hold the meeting at 13h00 in stead of the usual 13h30.

We've heard from individuals joining us in France and the US, but we hope some of you will be motivated and inspired to form a small group at your own time and in your own way encourage others to pray for the peace God's children long for.

Peace,

Evelyn
ps: we're still working on the Arabic and Hebrew versions of the brochure and statement of principles - if you want to help or translate into other languages, 'ahlan wa sahlan' (we welcome your help.)

In the meantime, let the art and music of people of goodwill rise like a prayer or the promise of a possibility we do not see today.

Next Meeting - Sunday September 13th in Jerusalem

2009-09-09T05:30:00.000-07:00

The next prayer meeting in Jerusalem will be on September 13th at 13h30 at the East Jerusalem Baptist Church.

Let us know if you organize a group or prayer effort in another place or another time.

We would like to encourage each other to consider ourselves, through prayer, as watchmen on the walls of Jerusalem. It is crucial to pray for the different leaders in the land at this time . Regardless of their possible good or ill-will, we need God to lead and direct all of them unto a path of peace and justice. (Doing what is right even when it hurts - and achieving a just peace will certainly require to face huge fears.)

Very small steps have been made from the outside to put pressure toward stopping the worsening of the situation on the ground -- these small steps are already leading to fierce opposition and reactive opposition. The issues are not simply rational; let's pray for leaders to get a nudge in their heart the belief that, 'Now is a good time to make peace.'
Let's pray specifically for Israel to be ready for courageous steps; that its leaders move away from delaying tactics and state violence.
Let's pray that Palestinian groups will overcome internal fights to be ready to achieve peace. In the already painful time with possibly more turbulence on the horizon, let's pray that violent resistance will lose its appeal.
The new United States administration has taken small steps toward a more balanced approach, and called for a freeze on settlement. While this does not address the impact of existing settlements, it has made their problematic nature more obvious. But the US is facing challenges of its own. Let's pray that political leaders have the courage to continue and strengthen their pressure on Israel, even as they reassure Israel about their long-lasting support, under a peace scenario.

Many other groups can play important roles to help lasting progress toward peace. Let's keep them in mind and in prayer, from Arab nations, the EU, the media, and civil society's pro-peace organizations inside and outside the land.

Blessings,

Evelyn & Eric

Welcome to Pray for a Real Peace

2009-06-30T22:50:00.000-07:00

Welcome-- this web page is meant to inform and invite. We hope to have friends join us, in Jerusalem and in the world, and we hope you will share with us your experience and hope as you engage in this effort.

FOR NEXT PRAYER MEETING JULY 5th IN JERUSALEM, CLICK HERE.

There is also a short report from our June 7th day of prayer, which you can read here. Last month's suggested topics are also here.

Scroll down the right side of the page and download our brochure and statement of principles.

Click here to read our purpose statement--the philosophy which calls us to prayer-action.

Click here for a short testimonial from Evelyn, who originally got us going on this journey.

Finally, while we hope to post future prayer topics more regularly--if nothing else to remind them to memory and allow open sharing about efforts to take them up by all participants, you can click here to read about topics we have prayed for during past weeks and meetings.

We hope to translate some of this material into Hebrew, Arabic and other languages. (Don't hesitate to volunteer and give us a hand...)

Shalom - Salaam

Eric

July 5th Topics - praying a blessing of peace on all the people of Palestine and Israel

2009-06-30T16:05:00.000-07:00

Praying for peace – hoping for peace… we see so many obstacles and our prayers are often geared to ask that these obstacles be lifted. Today, let's try something different.

Let God guide us into praying a blessing over the people of the land. Let’s pray for the realization of a vision of peace in the holy land. Let’s pray for the possibility, for the hope, for the rise of a real peaceful future.

The first thing our prayer can do is confront our fatalism, the false belief that the future is already written without a line in its pages for peace, even for a season of peace.

The second thing which this prayer can do is open our hearts to the future God wants for all people, all loved equally with an eternal, unchangeable and unconditional love.

How should we then pray?
“We do not know how to pray” – this is true.
So, our prayer is not about presenting our preferred scenarios, political arrangements or best thinking. We do not have one opinion about the respective merits of a one-state versus a two-state solution, for example. But as the latter is where feeble efforts are made and the only one people are ready to imagine today, let’s assume for a moment that the two-state solution is the one that will emerge. What would peace look like for all the people involved? What would peace look like for the two states and nations? What would be the attitudes of the heart which would grow in peace? How would fears be assuaged? What changes would we see in how each group interacts with ‘The Others?’ What changes would we see in the internal workings of different groups living in peace? Let’s look at each people as God does – He who is “not a respecter of persons”, He for Whom there is “neither Jew, nor Greek, nor male, nor female.” Let’s open the eyes of our heart and open our mouths to pray a blessing upon an Israeli and a Palestinian states at peace, within and without.

(1) Suggested elements of a prayer of blessing for Palestine

We pray for Palestine:

To be a place where he Palestinian people can live free to move about, free to trade and organize, and free to develop their nation.
A place where fear from military violence has disappeared, and where the rule of law protects people’s rights and people’s property.
A place where people can travel, visit other countries, have a passport, and not fear the loss of their home when they travel.
A place where religious and political diversity are accepted, encouraged and appreciated. A place where minorities are valued for their presence and contribution.
A place where economic development and prosperity take the place of humanitarian assistance, but a place where neighborhood and community have greater standing than wealth.
A place where children and youth grow with hope, aspirations and a sense of the possible. A place where violence loses credit and the appeal of terrorism is looked upon as an odd seduction of a traumatic past growing more distant each day.

… what other blessing do we pray upon our brothers and sisters? Let God inspire us and give a new vision.

(2) Suggested elements of a prayer of blessing for Israel

We pray for Israel:

To be a place where the Jewish people can live without fear and where the logic of fear also will lose its power.
A place where the promise of the neighbor has more currency than the fear of terror.
A place where peace has been made and accepted with surrounding Arab nations.
A place where control and domination of the Palestinian ‘other’ is no longer acceptable. A place where the days of occupation are remembered as an odd anomaly and corruption of the nation’s purpose, growing more distant every day.
A place where religious and political diversity are accepted, encouraged and appreciated.
A place where military power takes a more reasonable place in the people’s psyche.
A place where economic development and prosperity build on the exchange of goods, services, and people with surrounding Arab nations, including a free Palestine.

… what other blessing do we pray upon our brothers and sisters? Let God inspire us and give a new vision.

(3) Suggested elements of a prayer of blessing for Gaza specifically

Recognizing that the people of Gaza are still suffering a unique trauma, let's continue praying specifically for their healing and restoration in this peaceful future we want to pray and act into a reality. Let's pray for their liberation and the normalization of their life, for the healing of psychological trauma which increases radicalization in response.

Short Report on June 7th Meetings - Steps forward and growth

2009-06-30T16:02:00.000-07:00

The Lord encouraged me very much with the Jerusalem meeting of June the 7th. A lot of new faces were present and we had prayers in English and in Arabic. (How we will rejoice when we have prayers in Hebrew as well.) We had a wonderful time of meditating on the Word (Jeremiah 7:1-8) and praying for a change in attitudes that prevents peace.

Eric & Judy also opened their home in Washington D.C. on the same day, just a little bit later (or earlier) and reported that they (3 of them) had a good time of prayer. Other friends in the Baltimore-DC area joined on their own. So, this prayer initiative is growing. I am reminded of the verse that says that if the Lord does not build the house the laborers labor in vain. So we trust the Lord to build this "House of Prayer."

Evelyn

June 7th, 2009 Jerusalem Meeting -- Prayer Topics

2009-05-28T16:37:00.001-07:00

The next prayer meeting will be held at East Jerusalem Baptist Church at 13h30 on June 7th, 2009. (Download a one page leaflet and invite others in your community to join. Click here for PDF.)

We invite you to join in the following prayer topics from now until then.
Don't hesitate to use the "Comments" option to leave a thought or an encouragement.

Shalom - Salaam.

Evelyn & Eric

Settlements in the West Bank.

Context (June 09)
* Israeli settlement expansion on land conquered in 1967 continues, against international rules and Geneva Conventions. Even settlements considered illegal by Israel itself multiply and grow. Very few have been dismantled—as some “outposts” were recently (May 09) under much media attention.
* These settlements not only cause and justify the closures and control of all movement over the West Bank, but also project hopelessness about peaceful coexistence of the two populations in the land.
* Creative suggestions for the future made in the past and even recently proposing that—in a two state solution—some settlements could remain should Jewish citizens choose to apply for residency in a new Palestinian state are laughed at and scorned. It remains that no viable future exists if settlements remain and expand.

PRAY:
- for the end of illegal settlement expansion and the building of new ones.
- for the ultimate dismantling of settlements or the emergence of new creative thoughts allowing peaceful coexistence of two equal people.
- a change in the mindsets which promote the logic of the settlements.
- for the victims of the settlements, displaced from their land and their homes: that God would send workers to heal, encourage and restore.
- for the settlers themselves, in all their different motivations, that they may be guided toward a new vision and respect of their neighbor

Status of Jerusalem

Context (June 09)
* The status of Jerusalem has been a cornerstone “end-status” issue since the days of Oslo. There is currently little incentive for Israel to go back over the logic of the “indivisible capital of one Jewish state.” But its centrality—geographically and historically—to the Arab population is also undeniable.
* Proposals for working arrangements have been made, for example for a single capital of two states. But the bigger challenge may be the willingness of people and the openness of their minds to a shared and peaceful coexistence.

PRAY:
- for a breakthrough in thinking about how the status of Jerusalem can be resolved.

For the political leaders and influencers in Israel, Palestine, the US, and the political processes under way

Context (June 09)
* Back and forth and negotiations are taking place between the new US and new Israeli administrations about going back to peace negotiations.
* The US administration is taking new steps in reaching out to the Muslim world and Middle Eastern nations, but it continues to officially boycott all dialogue with Hamas.
* Internal Palestinian negotiations continue and endure in Cairo, with very little progress to show so far.
* Some Israeli and US voices are pushing for solutions, bringing back transfer (to Jordan or Egypt) to the table

PRAY:
- for morality where there is calculation; for new thinking where there are stale political battles
- for new thinking to emerge, for the ability of enemies to talk and meet, including with those that are repugnant to one another (including Hamas)
- for the voice of peace groups—Israeli, Jewish, Arab, Muslim and Christian—to be heard and to recognize the humanity and equality of the Palestinian Other under occupation
- specifically for the Israeli government factions and opposition, for Hamas, Fatah and independent Palestinian political figures
-for courage on the American side, to move through its own complex political landscape and take fair but difficult positions pushing its foremost ally—Israel—toward a just peace

Why Pray Now for Peace in the land of Palestine/Israel?

2009-05-11T15:00:00.000-07:00

Part 1—What We See

I have posted watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem; they will never be silent day or night. You who call on the Lord, give yourselves no rest, and give him no rest till he establishes Jerusalem and makes her the praise of the earth. [Isaiah 62:6-7]

First, we observe that the situation in the so-called Holy Land is disastrous, painful, insecure and unjust. What peace there is in Jerusalem is the silence of walls and guns, the antagonization of neighbors and silencing of victims. This is not peace. We may diverge on our understanding of causes, responsibilities, destinies and aspirations but we start by recognizing that the land now hosts two alienated people, each divided in many groups.

As it stands today the state of Israel continues to expand geographically and feels compelled to do so in a way, which ensures a control of resources and demography. In this process and perhaps too because of this process, the nation of Israel continues to feel threatened by hostilities and by terrorism. Yet some feel that it has also become resistant to calls for peace, including those voiced jointly by all its Arab neighbors, which would put a hold on its geographic and demographic ambitions. Others feel that these calls for peace are disingenuous and that hostility and hatred against the Jewish people and against Israel are growing in the larger Middle-Eastern region on their own account. Israeli political leaders compete to out-hawk each other. Far too many see the security of Israel as a dangerous us-versus-them dead-end game; none tackle the real issues for peace.

From here, we also see a Palestinian population fragmented, placed under a rigid and violent control against which it has no recourse. From Hebron to Jenin, each city becomes a prison and Gaza continues to suffer more than its lot. Neither the prospect of an independent and viable state, nor that of integration of all inhabitants of the land into one equitable multi-ethnic and multi-religious state seems close at hand. Radicalization of Palestinian polity into competing religious-political movements has increased. When political movements remain aligned with a violent resistance agenda, it has yielded the fruits of terrorism but no liberation. When Fundamentalist Islamic groups have joined a political process, it has led to more international isolation and more division for the Palestinian population. Suffering, loss, stigmatization, and hopelessness have only increased. Also the Palestinian church has been bleeding its members seeking a better future abroad, as many Palestinians are tempted to do.

Numerous Christian, Secular, Jewish and Muslim groups are working and striving for peace and justice to the best of their understanding on both sides. But their voices often remain unheard to the larger world opinion. When world figures raise their voices in truth to propose a path of healing, these voices can be silenced by attacks and slander from those who place peace and justice as distant seconds to a sectarian agenda. Many feel discouraged by the evolving situation in the land, in spite of 1,001 small lights flickering in this sad darkness.

Part 2—What We Seek
While we may ourselves feel this discouragement, our second observation is that Jesus calls us to pray. He did so in words and through His example while He walked the land of Palestine as a man. He does so in His written word and we believe He still does so in the breath of His Spirit in our hearts. Jesus always prayed and called His followers to prayer. He spoke and acted in peace, when dealing with gentile or Jews, occupiers and occupied, zealots and religious fundamentalists of His day, and He demonstrated the centrality of prayer in His mission. Not all of us understand why God wants or seems to need us to pray, but we observe that He commands us to, and pleads with us to pray.We want to obey and follow Him. But many of us need help to learn how to do so with consistency, inspiration and faith. In order to be helped by each other, to be encouraged and motivated, and inspired by the Holy Spirit, we meet to be guided in prayer, to be motivated and to learn how to pray in His Spirit for the situation which we witness in the land. As followers of Jesus, we are compelled by the necessity to learn how to pray and to pray for a real peace.

This is our purpose.

Past Prayer Topics

2009-05-11T14:19:00.000-07:00

While we pray for peace in a large sense - a Shalom / Salaam, which is all encompassing, we feel it is important to pray for practical and immediate issues which cause human suffering, increase violence and hinder progress in the here and now.

We are determined to look at all people as children of one God, and sharing in the same love. This means that we refuse to justify or ignore the sufferings of one group of people for another - and our prayers go to all: Arabs, Jews, Muslims, Christians, and Secularists. God desires freedom from fear for Jews and Arabs and dismisses none of those fears. The fear of terrorism cannot be dismissed by the wrong of the occupation and the fear of a house demolition is not denied by anyone's past or possible existential fear. Both the occupier and the occupied suffer, certainly. We, however, will not try to create a false sense of "balance" by tallying which "side" our prayers take or ignoring that one group today lives in weakness, occupation and lack of options about its future.

In the future we hope to post prayer topics and allow sharing by participants in this initiative, for example by using the "comments" feature. Over the past few months we have prayed for some of the following topics:

For the Israeli and Palestinian Political Processes

Context (April 2009)
* Israel has formed a new government. Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu has long spoken of wanting to keep Palestinians isolated in their cities, something which cannot bring peace. And the new Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman has already taken his distance from prior agreements of Israel vis-a-vis the Palestinians. There is general pessimism about this government's interest in peace.
* Palestine is not only geographically but still also politically divided between Hamas in Gaza and Fatah in Ramallah. The resulting leadership is confused, divided and not showing leadership in finding ways for peace within and without the land. Negotiations between the parties continue in Cairo, with concerns that too much time is spent on re-hashing old political and internal debates and not enough on serving the people and finding the path of peace.

Pray for:
- for morality where there is calculation
- a concern for the people, and the vulnerable people - the poor, the excluded, the sick
- that miracles would occur leading the Israeli government to hear the voice of Israeli peace groups and to recognize the humanity and equality of the Palestinian Other under occupation
- that miracles would occur leading the Palestinian factions and authorities to be renewed, to hear the voice of Palestinian peace and justice groups, and to support and be influenced by those who meet and work with the Israeli Other to find a path of peace.

For the ongoing settlements and home demolitions

Context (May 2009)
* Settlement expansion on Palestinian land continues, along with the wall and in Jerusalem with ongoing Arab house demolitions.
These actions are immoral and recognized as illegal under the modern rules of war influenced by Christians like Henri Dunant who started the Red Cross and led to the Geneva Convention, a feeble human effort to bring morality to the ugliness of war.
* House demolitions are violence against civilians in themselves, and settlements provoke always more violence, from Jewish settlers who push out the Palestinians or from Palestinians as has been the case this week with the tragic killing of a 13 year old Israeli boy.

Pray for:
- for the end of illegal settlement expansion and house demolitions
- for the victims, displaced from their land and their homes: that God would send workers to heal, encourage and restore.
- for the victims of violence, Palestinian or Israeli, wounded or killed or suffering loss in their family. That God would bring forgiveness and healing, and keep us from cycles of violence and retribution.
- for those who are misled into philosophies which negate the Other - whether it leads to dispossession or violence and killing - sometimes with very pious or pseudo-spiritual reasons. That they would become aware of their actions and repent, find ways to turn around, find other directions.
- for those who push for such policies and for violence: that they be found, uncovered, discredited, led to repent, and kept from furthering their goals.

Praying for Palestinian and Israeli prisoners,for the burden their detention represents against peace and the human cost for all involved.

Context (May 2009)
* Prisoners suffer harshly from the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and represent on either side a wound, a symbol of inhumanity of the other side and an obstacle toward peace.

The numbers are one way to look at this reality--

The Israeli legal and military systems report nearly 7,900 Palestinian prisoners. Other sources count over 10,000 prisoners. Some have gone through legal proceedings for acts of resistance or terrorism; some have not undergone a legal trial and are referred by human rights groups as detained arbitrarily - possibly for political reasons - and, according to Israeli government sources, 548 of these prisoners are "administrative detainees" -- meaning imprisonment of undefined length for undefined reasons under undefined rules. Some prisoners have spent decades in jails, sometimes for acts conducted years ago against an occupying army of a state which has officially engaged in peace and political resolution talks since then, particularly after Oslo; this should arguably and by agreement have resulted in the release of many of these prisoners.

On the "other side" an Israeli soldier - Gilad Shalit - was captured by a Palestinian group just outside of the wall surrounding Gaza in 2006. Two other soldiers were captured and killed by Hizbollah around the Israeli-Lebanese border in 2006 and were subsequently killed. The negotiations between the Israeli government and Hamas for Shalit's release - presumably in exchange for the release of Palestinian prisoners - have been unending and unsuccessful.

But the numbers are only part of the reality--

Prisoners - whether they are given a name or not by world opinion - represent years of suffering for themselves and their families. This burden is obviously a huge reality for and part of the crushing burden of occupation. And Gilad Shalit has become a cause célèbre in Israel; his parents have multiplied actions and demands on their government to obtain his release. Failure to achieve this release was at least one of the emotional popular energizers for the devastating war against Gaza last December.

Violence is inherent in a conflict and imprisonment becomes justified by one side while it is considered part of heroism and resistance on the other. But prisoners also become bargaining chips for each side. As these 'bargaining chips' they become another manifestation of the dehumanization of The Others. And detention without even a semblance of due process makes a mockery of the concept of justice.

We see that prisoners are an unresolved and significant hurdle against finding the way to peace, in addition to representing a mass of human suffering.

Pray for:
* For the success of Israeli, Palestinian and International human rights group who fight against unjust and illegal detentions of Palestinian prisoners.
* For the successful and honorable release of Gilad Shalit and Palestinian prisoners tossed back and forth without control for their fate.
* For the role played by the group of Palestinian prisoners which have gained moral and political clout in their society and could play a strong role in the pursuit of peace. That God would lead them to be a positive influence on their society.
* For all the individuals detained for months and years, for their families who bear this collateral price of the conflict.
* For those families of prisoners who have found the courage and vision to strive for peace. That they may be encouraged and persistent.

Other recent topics

We continue to pray for the role played by the US administration and George Mitchell as they still define what this role will be, while facing internal (US Congress) and external opposition.
*Pray that they may have wisdom in discovering that peace starts by talking to enemies.
*Pray that their wisdom may reach to their level of influence.

We also continue praying for the Cairo negotiations of the Palestinians
* That a breakthrough may happen and voices of true leadership for peace may emerge.
* That old generations of leaders may find new vision and that new generations of
leaders may emerge with character, vision and integrity.

Small Beginnings of a Prayer Initiative

2009-05-11T14:00:00.000-07:00

A personal testimony of the member of the group who got the ball rolling…

As a result of reading the blog of Gush Shalom in December 2008, I felt a call from the Lord to call for a 30 days of prayer before the Israeli Elections. With the help of a few friends I wrote a prayer calendar for the 30 days with daily items of prayer over a broad spectrum of topics concerning the elections. Then on Sunday afternoons we gathered together to pray in community for the elections. During that time, the war in Gaza broke out and it became a central concern of our meetings.

The prayer meetings were characterized by honesty and by a willingness to pray for the good of all the people living in the land. There was a strong longing for peace, justice and security for everybody.

On the day of the elections (February 10^th, 2009), a few of the people that were involved in the 30 day prayer initiative felt that we should not stop praying, but rather that we should continue with a monthly prayer meeting for real peace in the land. This is what we have started.

We are only a small group of people in this new initiative, but the spirit of the prayer time is that of wanting to learn how to pray for this land. We confess that we do not have the answers, but we trust in the God who loves all the people of this land. For this reason, we have used, as a foundation in our prayer times, a time of listening to God by means of Meditative Reading of the Scriptures (Lectio Divina). Other than that we want to come to God in all honesty, (truthfully, fearlessly, facing the realities that we see in this land) and in humility.

In our first monthly meeting on 8 March 2009 we meditated on Matt 22:36-40: "Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law? Jesus replied: 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the prophets hang on these two commandments."

We then prayed around three topics: house demolitions; the formation of the new Israeli government and US policies towards peace.We left the meeting encouraged by our common prayers and the fellowship of being in God's presence.

Since starting with this prayer initiative, I have become more than ever before convinced of the fact that it is God's desire to have peace in this land. I am inspired by the verse: "I have posted watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem; they will never be silent day or night. You who call on the Lord, give yourselves no rest, and give him no rest till he establishes Jerusalem and makes her the praise of the earth." (Isaiah 62:6-7) and therefore I would like to invite others to join in this prayer initiative. Let us grab hold of God together, in order for real peace to come to this land.

Watchwoman