Hoping and Praying for Peace

I am an unabashed Zionist. I love the State of Israel. I love its people, its multiculturalism, its place at the center of the Jewish world. I love the values that drive so many Israelis, who face constant existential threats, to pour their energy into education, research, arts and culture and into providing aid all around the world in times of need. I love the sacred history that connects us to our ancient homeland, and I love the hope symbolized by the State of Israel as a safe haven for Jews in an increasingly dangerous world.

So it breaks my heart to see the conflict between Palestinians and Israelis continue and intensify, and to see the loss, suffering and pain of both peoples.

I pray for peace, and I hope you do as well: peace for both Israelis and Palestinians. I pray for a peace that will allow us to live next to each other, with mutual respect and security, prospering together as neighbors, embracing not only our similarities but our differences, and reflecting the image of the Divine to each other. I offer my prayer as an expression of hope and faith - even as I worry that we are farther than ever from achieving that peace

The latest round of violence started because of tensions over the status of the Temple Mount/al-Haram al-Sarif. The Temple Mount (as it is called by Jews) is the single holiest site in the world for Jews because it is the place where both the First and Second Temples once stood. Muslims call the site al-Haram al-Sarif (the Noble Sanctuary) and have built both the Dome of Rock and the al-Aqsa mosque on its grounds. For them it is the third holiest site in the world, after Mecca and Medina.

Israeli law guarantees freedom of religion for all peoples, however, as a goodwill gesture towards Muslims, Israeli law also states that only Muslims may pray at the top of the Mount. This law has been scrupulously enforced since 1967, when Israel gained control over the Old City of Jerusalem. Please note that although it allows people of all faiths to visit, the law - passed by the Jewish State - prevents Jews from praying at our holiest of holy sites. It is an extraordinary concession that continues to be ignored not only by the Palestinians, but by the world.

Tensions increased over the summer, as the number of Jewish visitors to the site began to increase. Two groups of Palestinians organized separate campaigns on the Temple Mount to harass Jewish visitors. As a result, Israeli security forces banned those groups from entry to the Temple Mount.

​Almost immediately, Palestinian leaders accused Israel of trying to take al-Haram al-Sarif away from the Muslims. According to one commentator, this is equivalent to walking into a movie theater and yelling "fire!". Never mind a proven history of Israel's commitment to the exact opposite, and a constant stream of assurances that the Israeli government remains committed to maintaining the status quo. The result has been a series of violent and often deadly attacks by Palestinians incited against Israelis. Israelis have, in turn, used force, sometimes lethal force, to defend against the attacks. Both sides continue to mourn their dead.

Here in Buffalo I mourn as well, and offer my prayer, feeble as it may be, in the hope that one day it will be answered:

​Ribbono shel Olam, Master of the Universe, please help us. Banish the terror and violence from Your Land, and let peace once again settle upon Jerusalem. Inspire us with Your wisdom, clarity, patience, compassion and strength. Help us, all of us, Palestinians, Israelis, Jews, Christians and Muslims, Arabs and Westerners, to find a path to peace. Teach us to seek your reflection in each other, to speak truth rather than rumor and to listen to each other's suffering and aspirations. Open our eyes to see that in our different ways, we all serve You and that there is room for us all in Your Holy Land. 

For a Palestinian perspective on how to achieve peace, here a powerful article recently written by peace activist Bassem Eid:
http://blogs.timesofisrael.com/we-palestinians-hold-the-key-to-a-better-future/