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World Focus: Peace On Earth Seems Elusive: How About Peace for A Week? Posted on Friday, December 06 @ 10:39:16 UTC
Topic: World News
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by Ben Roberts
Turn on the news on any given day and its a recurring story: Israeli Soldiers Kill
Four Palestinians. Palestinian Bomber Kills Self And Israelis As They Celebrate
High Holy Day. Israeli Tank Shell Explodes in Gaza Killing Two Sets of Brothers
On Their Way To School. Palestinian Kills Self And Busload Of Israelis Near
Haifa. Six Palestinian Homes Detonated By Israeli Army. Palestinian Girl Kills
Self And Crowd of Israelis In Bomb Blast At Marketplace. Israeli Missile Kills
Palestinians At Gaza Marketplace. It is sickening.
The faces of the victims and
culprits change but the death and carnage is the same every day. It is clear that
our longing for Peace On Earth is not within reach. Is that because the people
involved, and the world in general is unrealistic in its hope for the parties to be
suddenly overcome with an all encompassing outbreak of peace? Maybe we can
start with Peace For A Week. There’s a Chinese saying ‘A journey of a thousand
miles begins with the first step.’ Definitely applicable here. In this time of year
when we speak of, and long for peace, my prescription goes something like this.
Choose a week of this holiday season. Call it anything. Call it The Palestinian
Israeli Peace Week if you like. I would like the Israelis to invade Palestinian
territory. No. No. Not with tanks and infantry or a new wave of settlers. I mean a
wave of Israeli citizens descending upon the towns and refugee camps of West
Bank and Gaza. Whole families of moms and dads with their children. No
government approval sought or needed. Just pick up the phone and call
someone in Palestine. Anyone. Any family. The leadership of Hamas, Islamic
Jihad, Al Axa Martyrs Brigade, even Arafat. Tell them you are coming. Without
guns, knives, clubs, army protection, or prejudgment. Tell them all you’re coming
with is your family. You want to acknowledge them by looking them in the eye
and seeing who they are, and let them see who you are, and let your children
see their children. A good place to rally around is the Church of The Nativity. A
lot of recent violence at this venue. A good focal point for interaction.
Now you’re there. What now? Afraid for your safety? Relax. You’re probably
safer there than back in Israel. After all back there you weigh your chances on
which seat to take on a bus. You worry yourself to death when your kids are
away from you at an arcade, or in daycare. Now introduce yourself to a
Palestinian family. Tell them you would like to spend two days with them. In their
house! I doubt you will be turned down. Spend two days as their guests. Forget
this nonsense about sleeping with the enemy. They will be required to provide for
you and your family for the two days, just as they provide for themselves, running
the gauntlet of the Israeli army curfew as they try to find food to feed both your
families. While with them talk about anything. Your family. Your children. Your
greatest fears. Your hopes and dreams in life. While talking you will be required
to look each other in the eye. Maybe, just maybe you both will see yourself in the
person across from you. Be sure to let your children play with each other. They
will probably teach each other new games. I maintain that ‘the world is in grave
danger when I cease to hear the laughter of children at play.’ My own quote.
Now its the Palestinians turn. Head for Israel with your family, to be hosted for
two days by the Israeli family you hosted. At the Israeli army checkpoints the
soldiers are not allowed to humiliate you. They cannot look at your ID papers and
on seeing everything is in order, throw it on the ground for you to pick it up. They
cannot make you totally undress. They absolutely cannot call you the children of
a whore. They cannot tell you that you speak in a dirty bastard language. You
likewise cannot say anything demeaning to them. They simply look for your
name on a sheet of paper. A list. Not of Palestinians wanted by Israel. This list is
one compiled by all the Israelis who were guests in your homes. The list simply
states that any name listed should be afforded every convenience by the Israeli
army because that person is entering Israel as a guest of an Israeli citizen. Even
if that person is wanted in Israel for something they should be allowed entry with
their family. Here, being a guest of an Israeli family overrides any state concern.
You’re there. What now? You spend two days with the Israeli family, continuing
the interaction begun in your home. Talk and listen. Remember to look them in
the eye. At this point I am sure you would have discovered that the person
across from you is not a despicable monster out to crush you, whilst he should
be realizing that you are not some devious devil bent on annihilating him. You’re
just two people trying as best as you can to find the easiest path from the cradle
to the grave. While there, maybe a trip to an outdoor park is in order, so your
children can play together. I cannot stress the importance of your children
playing together. They will remember for the rest of their lives. Maybe a ride on a
bus is in order so both of you can experience what the ordeal is like. After these
two days the Peace Week comes to a close. But I guarantee that would not be
the end of it. It would be the first step in that long journey of peace. Sometimes
regular everyday citizens have to lead the leaders. Speaking of leaders. Yassir
Arafat and Ariel Sharon will be required at some point during that week to sit
together and listen to the song titled Peace On Earth by U2. Bound to change
one’s perspective. Got me through the dark days following September 11.
Before you begin to label me naive, unrealistic, impractical in my thinking, or
hallucinating, I will say this. For over fifty years your smart logic, practical
thinking, and realistic outlook has produced bombers dressed to kill in explosive
jackets, children blown to bits with missiles while sleeping, electronic fences, girls
blowing themselves and those around them to oblivion, and an ever expanding
cauldron on hate. Sometimes naive doesn’t seem so bad. Peace On Earth.
Ben Roberts is a newsletter editor, freelance writer and published author. His book, Jackals of Samarra, was published in January 2001. Ben can be contacted by email at: grandt730@aol.com
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