Reflections after another war May 2021

 

11 days went by, 11 days of bombing, of bloodshed, of destruction of devastating fear and anxiety. 11 days by and in the saferoom, 11 days of calling my friends in Gaza and listening to their desperation not knowing where to hide from this horror. At the same time, an open eye on the news seeing the pictures and listening to the commentary both here in Israel and on Arab broadcasts. I was torn between my love and loyalty to my country, Israel, and the understanding that this is also another people’s land, as Woody Gutherie, an American singer-songwriter said:

“This land is not your land,

This land is not my land,

This land was meant for you and me.”

Thousands of years ago it all started, in the days of Abraham. Two sons were born unto him by two different women, Hagar and Sarah - Ishmaael and Isaac.

According to the Torah, Sarah said to Abraham: “Get rid of that slave woman and her son, for that woman’s son will never share in the inheritance with my son Isaac.” 

According to the Quran it was Allah who told Hagar to take her son Ishmael and he will make him unto a great nation.

Hagar the Egyptian princess sacrificed all for the sake of God. God chose Hagar to bear Ishmael, Abrams eldest son. He sent His Angels to guide Hagar due to her pious, God-fearing and self-less character.

Either way, from then onwards there is a dispute the children of Isaac and the children of Ishmael, both claiming that this land is mine, not realizing that this land is ours, the children of Abraham.

There is a story told about Ben Gurion, the first Prime Minister of the State of Israel. He was asked once why  God gave the The children of Israel this particular piece of land, barren, dry - much desert land when He could have given us somewhere rich and fruitful with rivers and natural resources? Ben Gurion’s answer was that God wanted us to take an active part in the creation.

I ask why did we not rise to the challenge of ending a brotherhood dispute by uniting a broken family relationship? Why did we continue on this road of hate, dispute and aggression and not join hands in the creation of a just, dignified and free people, each in their own right, side by side in whatever format is best suited to us both. I believe that what has always been does not have go on being. The story can and must change course.

 I saw this picture at the end of the last war and at the bottom it said: A picture worth a thousand words… The dove of peace was hit by a splinter from a rocket. The question is will it recover??? Mum, she is counting on you!”, wrote my son. My answer was that I refuse to give up and will continue to do everything in my power, though not great to make a change, to make us all realize that there is another way.

I hear so many saying that we will forever live at war. Neither will forever surrender. Our children, grandchildren and great grandchildren will continue to live at swords end, will continue to injure and be injured, kill and be killed. NO! I refuse to accept this as the only reality because as soon as I do, I will stop trying. I will stop making the effort for people to realize that there is not one narrative, there is a collision between two, that if only we both want to, can and will be resolved. Going through history for thousands of years, we are both telling the story based on dates and references but each one from their own perspective. How far back in history do we go to prove our point, to build up more and more hate and cause more devastation, pain and loss?

Let us stop here, not forget the past but learn from it, and look forward.  Put aside the arms and put our heads together to find a way for this to work. Listen to one another, understand where each one is coming from and where we want to go. Start building instead of destroying, educating to love instead of to hate. Let us for one moment stop blaming one another, each one has a great deal to be blamed for but look inside ourselves and see how we can forgive and ask for forgiveness. Let us see one another for once not as an enemy but as people with dreams and wishes that they want to come true, as people with love in their hearts they want to share, with ambitions they want to fulfil.

I am turning to our leaders and plea with them to understand that you can never really win a war, but with a strong and heroic leadership we can win peace. Is it not time to accept the fact that we are both here to stay, that neither of us are going anywhere? We might go on killing one another for ever, destroy every house, school and hospital until a cease fire is achieved but there will always be those who will later get up on their feet full of hate, bitterness, and vengeance, to only continue the bloodshed. On the other hand we might say STOP, look at one another in the eye and say we can be partners, equal partners at making a dignified successful and secure life for us all. This could be a region that sets an example to the world. Think of all the wonderful things we could do with all the monery spent on arms, interseptions and protection. Think of how much we could learn from one another and build a healthy society moving forwad in economy, infastructure, education and culture. Each one of us proud of their  heritage, language and people.  That is true leadership. That is how you will go down in history as true victorers who had their peoples’ interst at heart and did their utmost to give us all a horizon with hope and success.

Don’t say it cannot be, show us all it can as soon as we all realize that,

This land is your land,

This land is my land,

This land was meant for you and me.

From North to South,

From East to West

Through mountains and rivers,

Fields, towns and villages,

A human web of beautiful people,

Regardless of religion and nationality,

Yes, this land was made for you and me.

To live in, be free in be equal in,

Be recognized each in their own right,

People who want to work, prosper, sing, and dance,

Love not hate, embrace not fight.

Let us lay down the arms,

Let us think and talk and no less listen.

There is not a dispute that cannot be thus resolved,

Violence is not the answer for either of us,

Violence only insights the fire that will consume us all.

We deserve better!

“Nobody living can ever stop me,
As I go walking that freedom highway;
Nobody living can ever make me turn back
This land was made for you and me.”

Show us how great you really are.

Torah                                                                                                    

וַיהוָה פָּקַד אֶת-שָׂרָה, כַּאֲשֶׁר אָמָר; וַיַּעַשׂ יְהוָה לְשָׂרָה, כַּאֲשֶׁר דִּבֵּר.  ב וַתַּהַר וַתֵּלֶד שָׂרָה לְאַבְרָהָם בֵּן, לִזְקֻנָיו, לַמּוֹעֵד, אֲשֶׁר-9דִּבֶּר אֹתוֹ אֱלֹהִים.  ג וַיִּקְרָא אַבְרָהָם אֶת-שֶׁם-בְּנוֹ הַנּוֹלַד-לוֹ, אֲשֶׁר-יָלְדָה-לּוֹ שָׂרָה--יִצְחָק.  ד וַיָּמָל אַבְרָהָם אֶת-יִצְחָק בְּנוֹ, בֶּן-שְׁמֹנַת יָמִים, כַּאֲשֶׁר צִוָּה אֹתוֹ, אֱלֹהִים.  ה וְאַבְרָהָם, בֶּן-מְאַת שָׁנָה, בְּהִוָּלֶד לוֹ, אֵת יִצְחָק בְּנוֹ.  ו וַתֹּאמֶר שָׂרָה--צְחֹק, עָשָׂה לִי אֱלֹהִים:  כָּל-הַשֹּׁמֵעַ, יִצְחַק-לִי.  ז וַתֹּאמֶר, מִי מִלֵּל לְאַבְרָהָם, הֵינִיקָה בָנִים, שָׂרָה:  כִּי-יָלַדְתִּי בֵן, לִזְקֻנָיו.  ח וַיִּגְדַּל הַיֶּלֶד, וַיִּגָּמַל; וַיַּעַשׂ אַבְרָהָם מִשְׁתֶּה גָדוֹל, בְּיוֹם הִגָּמֵל אֶת-יִצְחָק.  ט וַתֵּרֶא שָׂרָה אֶת-בֶּן-הָגָר הַמִּצְרִית, אֲשֶׁר-יָלְדָה לְאַבְרָהָם--מְצַחֵק.  י וַתֹּאמֶר, לְאַבְרָהָם, גָּרֵשׁ הָאָמָה הַזֹּאת, וְאֶת-בְּנָהּ:  כִּי לֹא יִירַשׁ בֶּן-הָאָמָה הַזֹּאת, עִם-בְּנִי עִם-יִצְחָק.  יא וַיֵּרַע הַדָּבָר מְאֹד, בְּעֵינֵי אַבְרָהָם, עַל, אוֹדֹת בְּנוֹ.  יב וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹהִים אֶל-אַבְרָהָם, אַל-יֵרַע בְּעֵינֶיךָ עַל-הַנַּעַר וְעַל-אֲמָתֶךָ--כֹּל אֲשֶׁר תֹּאמַר אֵלֶיךָ שָׂרָה, שְׁמַע בְּקֹלָהּ:  כִּי בְיִצְחָק, יִקָּרֵא לְךָ זָרַע.  יג וְגַם אֶת-בֶּן-הָאָמָה, לְגוֹי אֲשִׂימֶנּוּ:  כִּי זַרְעֲךָ, הוּא.  יד וַיַּשְׁכֵּם אַבְרָהָם בַּבֹּקֶר וַיִּקַּח-לֶחֶם וְחֵמַת מַיִם וַיִּתֵּן אֶל-הָגָר שָׂם עַל-שִׁכְמָהּ, וְאֶת-הַיֶּלֶד--וַיְשַׁלְּחֶהָ; וַתֵּלֶךְ וַתֵּתַע, בְּמִדְבַּר בְּאֵר שָׁבַע.  טו וַיִּכְלוּ הַמַּיִם, מִן-הַחֵמֶת; וַתַּשְׁלֵךְ אֶת-הַיֶּלֶד, תַּחַת אַחַד הַשִּׂיחִם.  טז וַתֵּלֶךְ וַתֵּשֶׁב לָהּ מִנֶּגֶד, הַרְחֵק כִּמְטַחֲוֵי קֶשֶׁת, כִּי אָמְרָה, אַל-אֶרְאֶה בְּמוֹת הַיָּלֶד; וַתֵּשֶׁב מִנֶּגֶד, וַתִּשָּׂא אֶת-קֹלָהּ וַתֵּבְךְּ.  יז וַיִּשְׁמַע אֱלֹהִים, אֶת-קוֹל הַנַּעַר, וַיִּקְרָא מַלְאַךְ אֱלֹהִים אֶל-הָגָר מִן-הַשָּׁמַיִם, וַיֹּאמֶר לָהּ מַה-לָּךְ הָגָר; אַל-תִּירְאִי, כִּי-שָׁמַע אֱלֹהִים אֶל-קוֹל הַנַּעַר בַּאֲשֶׁר הוּא-שָׁם.  יח קוּמִי שְׂאִי אֶת-הַנַּעַר, וְהַחֲזִיקִי אֶת-יָדֵךְ בּוֹ:  כִּי-לְגוֹי גָּדוֹל, אֲשִׂימֶנּוּ.  יט וַיִּפְקַח אֱלֹהִים אֶת-עֵינֶיהָ, וַתֵּרֶא בְּאֵר מָיִם; וַתֵּלֶךְ וַתְּמַלֵּא אֶת-הַחֵמֶת, מַיִם, וַתַּשְׁקְ, אֶת-הַנָּעַר.  כ וַיְהִי אֱלֹהִים אֶת-הַנַּעַר, וַיִּגְדָּל; וַיֵּשֶׁב, בַּמִּדְבָּר, וַיְהִי, רֹבֶה קַשָּׁת.  כא וַיֵּשֶׁב, בְּמִדְבַּר פָּארָן; וַתִּקַּח-לוֹ אִמּוֹ אִשָּׁה, מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם.  {פ}

Now the Lord was gracious to Sarah as he had said, and the Lord did for Sarah what he had promised. ² Sarah became pregnant and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the very time God had promised him. ³ Abraham gave the name Isaac^[a] to the son Sarah bore him. ⁴ When his son Isaac was eight days old, Abraham circumcised him, as God commanded him. ⁵ Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him.

⁶ Sarah said, “God has brought me laughter, and everyone who hears about this will laugh with me.” ⁷ And she added, “Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have borne him a son in his old age.”

Hagar and Ishmael Sent Away

⁸ The child grew and was weaned, and on the day Isaac was weaned Abraham held a great feast. ⁹ But Sarah saw that the son whom Hagar the Egyptian had borne to Abraham was mocking, ¹⁰ and she said to Abraham, “Get rid of that slave woman and her son, for that woman’s son will never share in the inheritance with my son Isaac.”

¹¹ The matter distressed Abraham greatly because it concerned his son. ¹² But God said to him, “Do not be so distressed about the boy and your slave woman. Listen to whatever Sarah tells you, because it is through Isaac that your offspring^[b] will be reckoned. ¹³ I will make the son of the slave into a nation also, because he is your offspring.”

¹⁴ Early the next morning Abraham took some food and a skin of water and gave them to Hagar. He set them on her shoulders and then sent her off with the boy. She went on her way and wandered in the Desert of Beersheba.

¹⁵ When the water in the skin was gone, she put the boy under one of the bushes. ¹⁶ Then she went off and sat down about a bowshot away, for she thought, “I cannot watch the boy die.” And as she sat there, she^[c] began to sob.

¹⁷ God heard the boy crying, and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, “What is the matter, Hagar? Do not be afraid; God has heard the boy crying as he lies there. ¹⁸ Lift the boy up and take him by the hand, for I will make him into a great nation.”

¹⁹ Then God opened her eyes and she saw a well of water. So she went and filled the skin with water and gave the boy a drink.

²⁰ God was with the boy as he grew up. He lived in the desert and became an archer. ²¹ While he was living in the Desert of Faran, his mother got a wife for him from Egypt.

Quran

He (Ibrahim] said: “I will go to my Lord! He will surely guide me!  O my Lord! Grant me a righteous (son)!  So We gave him the good news of a boy ready to suffer and forbear.  Then, when (the son) reached (the age of) (serious) work with him, he said: “O my son! I see in vision that I offer thee in sacrifice: Now see what is thy view!” (The son) said: “O my father! Do as thou art commanded: thou will find me, if Allah so wills one practicing Patience and Constancy!  So when they had both submitted their wills (to Allah), and he had laid him prostrate on his forehead (for sacrifice), We called out to him “O Abraham! Thou hast already fulfilled the vision!” – thus indeed do We reward those who do right.  For this was obviously a trial- And We ransomed him with a momentous sacrifice: And We left (this blessing) for him among generations (to come) in later times: “Peace and salutation to Abraham!””[41]