Is there any hope for peace in the Middle East? As the physicist Niels Bohr observed, "Prediction is very difficult-- especially about the future." It does not take a genius, however, to realize that if Israel and Palestine manage to avoid wholesale warfare, it will be a miracle.
Jerusalem's name may mean "City of Peace," but as Rabbi David Hartman, the Director of the Shalom Hartman Institute, told our group of Christian clergy during a recent study trip in Israel, "This is really the city of holy war." The current Intifada or uprising was touched off here, at Temple Mount. Naomi Chazan, a Knesset member from the dovish Meretz Party, told us that "Our relations with our neighbors are the worst they have been in years, and people on both sides are acting out of anger, despair and hatred. All trust between Israelis and Palestinians has broken down." The Rev. Sandra Olewine, the United Methodist Church's Liaison in East Jerusalem fears that "we are heading for a large scale massacre. . ."
In the Middle East, even more so than in most other situations of conflict, perceptions are diametrically opposed. One Israeli Arab told me that Jews have no roots in his land and did not live here before 1948; a Jewish settler insisted Palestinians migrated here only during the 20th century. Jews are enraged that Arafat rejected Prime Minister Ehud Barak's peace proposal; many Palestinians say Arafat was "lured into a trap." Ariel Sharon claims Barak nearly gave away the store; Palestinians insist they "could never have accepted so little." Israeli Jews say Palestinians are not ready to make peace. Palestinians say the same about Israelis. Most Israelis believe their armed forces have "mostly acted with tremendous restraint, even if they sometimes have responded stupidly," as David Hartman claims; people in Bethlehem see a pattern of brutal overreaction. Traveling here is like wandering through a house of mirrors.
If there is any hope for this beleaguered land, notes Dr. Jonathan Rynhold a political scientist at Israel's Bar-Ilan University, it is that hardly anyone believes they have much to gain by warfare. The Oslo Peace Process may have failed because it was not based on any acts of reconciliation, but it convinced many people on both sides that peace, though extremely hard to achieve, would benefit them. According to the Rev. Alex Awad, a Palestinian-American who teaches at Bethlehem Bible College, a small minority commits acts of terror but "many Palestinian political theorists are turning to non-violence." Palestinians may have thought that they could erode or outlast Israel, notes David Landau, editor of the English edition of the newspaper Ha'aretz, but they see now how Arafat's rejection of Barak's proposal and the renewed Intifada have had the opposite effect, outraging and uniting Jews across the political spectrum.
Israeli settlers are often depicted as presenting insurmountable obstacles to any agreement, but I learned on my recent trip that many have chosen to live in the Occupied Territories out of economic motives, not religious fanaticism. You can get a bigger and cheaper home in one of the "new neighborhoods" of Jerusalem than you can anywhere near the city center. Leaving would be painful and costly for Israel, but nearly all the settlers, we were told, would leave their homes without a fight if the government told them to do so as part of a peace treaty.
We found a consensus on all sides as to what a final peace agreement will include: return of nearly all land occupied since 1967, transfer of territory from pre-1967 Israel to compensate for any land not returned, and the sharing of Jerusalem somehow by Jews, Christians, and Muslims. What no one knows is how to get through the current turmoil to a treaty.
We often remind ourselves in the church that "God can make a way where there is no way." David Landau believes that progress will be made through negotiating modest agreements and leaving more complex issues, such as the final status of Jerusalem, for later. Gadi Golan, an official in Israel's Ministry of Foreign Affairs agrees. The current round of violence may have set back the peace process, he adds, but there will probably still be an agreement with the Palestinians someday: "We are past the point of no return. . ."
Alex Awad thinks progress can be made if the U.S. stops trying to broker a deal. American economic assistance to Palestinians increased significantly in recent years, but we continue to give 15 times as much to the government of Israel. We are so clearly allied with Israelis, Awad claims, that we cannot possibly be mediators. Perhaps, he suggests, Canada or the Scandinavians might have better luck.
There is hope for the Middle East, but as a sign urged at an Anglican church where I worshiped in the Old City, "Pray for the peace of Jerusalem."
In Portugal, many parishes have a literature rack near their entrance which offers a flyer summarizing the history of the congregation. Nearly every sanctuary in the Diocese of Lisbon displayed a large placard about the history of Christianity in their region. The Cathedral in Lisbon had a poster exhibit on the first four centuries of Christian history. Catholics--and tourists--were thus reminded of both their distinctive history and the common roots of all Christians.
Does your congregation have a historian? Does your regional church body? You might encourage them to find a similar way to share your story with both your members and visitors, both printing items in your newsletter and providing information in the narthex or sanctuary for newcomers. You might also encourage them to explore the ecumenical and interfaith aspects of your story. Did a church of another denomination ever provide worship space? Has your congregation worked closely with another congregation?
Mt. Sinai Congregational Church (UCC) found a good way to bring their history vividly to modern readers: their newsletter has included excerpts from a diary which one of their members kept one hundred years ago. Your local historical society or library may be able to help you find such a diary.
Many people have found that their spiritual growth is aided by meeting regularly with a spirtual director who can help them reflect on their faith journey. Many of us who have gone looking for such a person, particularly those of us who are Protestant, have benefited from working with someone from another denomination. Dianne Rodriguez, a certified spiritual director, is available to work with new clients. You can reach her at 516-791-6917 (home) or 516-599-5768 (Bethany UCC in East Rockaway).
New videos available from the LICC lending library:
Last fall the LICC's Board of Governors "stepped forward in faith" as they voted salary increases for our chaplains at the Nassau County Correctional Center and the Juvenile Detention Center, even though the County contracts no longer cover the cost of the payroll. They knew that our chaplains deserved a raise and had high hopes that we could raise additional funds to pay them.
Support for our chaplaincy program has come recently from an unexpected and most welcome source. Maureen Kessler, a member of the Manhasset Congregational Church who did her seminary internship at the jail under Dick Lehman's supervision, graduated from Union Theological Seminary in May and was ordained by the United Church of Christ. In honor of her ordination, a number of her friends made gifts to the LICC for our chaplaincy program. Many thanks to them, to the Rev. Maureen Kessler, and to Goldman-Sachs (where she is a Vice President) for giving her the flexible work hours which have allowed her to complete graduate school and minister with inmates.