7th Thought

The article I will be discussing, from the Jerusalem Post:
Here

I am a supporter of Israel. Therefore, I am also a supporter of the two-state solution; Palestinians need a place to live. I was thus impressed with the Pope's comments during his visit to Bethleham. He protested both the Wall in Gaza and Palestinian violence against Israel. One comment especially stuck out to me: "Palestinians, like any other people, have a natural right to marry, to raise families, and to have access to work, education and health care." Currently the Israeli government is making those rights tenuous, economic pressures making them more something to attain than to have.

Maybe it's not fair, but I want to hold Israel to a high standard. I think the Jewish system of ethics is one of the most complete, liberal, humane epistemes in the world. Right now, the government isn't meeting that standard. I don't know enough to offer answers, of course, nor do I know the constant fear of terrorism. But I agree with the Pope (huh, that's unusual to type) that, "Just and peaceful coexistence among the peoples of the Middle East can only be achieved through a spirit of cooperation and mutual respect, in which the rights and dignity of all are acknowledged and upheld."

There was a comment from President Mahmoud Abbas that I disagreed with. He "accused Israel of working to drive Christians and Muslims out of the country so that it could turn the holy places into archeological sites for tourism."

I remember reading in Martin Gilbert's Israel: A History that in fact, Jewish ownership of holy areas (like the Caves) ensured they were open and safe for all. This would encourage religious visitation and archeological study. There also seems to be the suggestion that they places aren't holy for Jews themselves, only "sites for tourism". Each religion, of course, has individual locations they considered sacred, but many of them do overlap. This comment seems to deny that Jews hold them sacred, which I find very troubling.

Overall, though, I thought the visit and comments were significant. It's my understanding that the two-state system will allievate Palestinian suffering and increase Israeli safety. These are certainly worthy goals, and I think in the abscence of a better proposal (which I'm quite willing to hear) it should be followed up along. Hopefully the next time Christians and Jews and Muslims gather, it will be to celebrate their common humanity, not fight over a wall.