Just a throwback to some thoughts I’d blogged about recently on Forgiveness. On the importance of it not just being reserved for individuals, but also for entire people’s/nations/etc. But that it will mean people will have their “rights” trampled on.
Recently, the Palestinian group Hamas began using a 6 month period of peace to re-arm themselves. They currently occupy land known as the “Gaza Strip”. Israel states that it has no desire to re-occupy this land (officially). But with the actions of Hamas, along with a few recent attacks on Israeli cities to the south, Israel responded with the attacks we all saw on the news.In an article I read recently about the entire conflict, some statements stood out:
“In Gaza and southern Israel, enraged citizens backed their respective governments and called for more, not less, violence.”
“It was almost inevitable that the Israelis would use the military option,” he says. “The Israeli government, like all governments, has to protect its citizens. To do otherwise would have created a major political crisis.”
I hope that the ENTIRE WORLD can see what is going on here…and see that it is NOT a problem reserved for the Middle East. This same mentality lurks behind every prideful and “powerful” Nation. We would rather see thousands of people die than “create a major political crisis”.
What was the US response to all this? We defended Israel’s right to retaliate, while at the same time saying peace was our main goal.
Whether it’s nation vs. nation.
Or person vs. person.
Or ____ vs. ____