Fighting for Peace?

The conflict between Israelis and Palestinians seems to have gone on longer than many can remember and with each new news report it escalates and gets worse. It seems to be a complicated conflict rooted in significant historical events, one of the most recent being the resettlement of Jewish people in 'Israel' following the holocaust of WWII.

I feel largely unqualified to speak on such a topic as this but as i sit there and watch the news reports of Israel's conflict with the West Bank and now it's all out war on the Gaza strip, I can't help but wonder what both sides are hoping to achieve. I mean come on, fighting for peace is the ultimate oxymoron so peace can't be the goal.

It's interesting the sorts of images and statements that make our headlines. We get the picture that the Palestinians are the bad guys and Israel are the powerful nation with the big weapons seemingly with the support of some of the most powerful countries. USA sits in the background egging them on (let's hope that changes when Obama takes office) while most other remain silent. There's a school yard name calling match between Middle Eastern leaders playing the blame game and talking up who has the bigger gun, while innocent civilians on both sides become the casualties of war.

What we don't see in the news in the efforts of peacemakers in these regions. The ones who condemn fighting altogether and advocate for a better way to acknowledge the pain of the past and to move forward together. There are some wrongs that will never be righted so it seems because we are now into a 3rd generation of Israels settlement in Palestinian land. Some leaders may never say sorry in our lifetime (God know it took Australian leaders a couple of generations to say it after the fact). But there is at least one Palestinian, Arab, Christian leader who is bringing a light of hope to the region. He grew up in Galilee during the time of the 2nd World War and underwent the suffering of take over and resettlement as a child. He lives in Israel as a peacemaker, surrounded by conflict, a voice of hope and a voice of reason. He is the Archbishop of Galilee, his name is Elias Chacour.

I met Elias earlier this year at a conference. He was the keynote speaker. He is an amazing man with an amazing alternative to offer the region. In the school he started in Galilee Israelis & Palestinians; Christian, Muslims & Jews all sit side by side in the classroom, learning together and appreciating one another. His hope is that they will be the future leaders of the region. Elias Chacour is doing so many things to bring peace to the region so I encourage you to pray for him and his community as they become a force of great influence and bring an alternative solution to the violence and bloodshed. Pray also for the UN and other influential world leaders because they still don't seem to get it.

I have been reading Elias Chacour's book 'Blood Brothers: the unforgettable story of a Palestinian Christian working for peace in Israel'. It's an autobiography with a powerful message. I strongly recommend it, it will change you.

A summary on the history of the conflict you may find helpful can be found by clicking this BBC link.

Shalom
Mark