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Edward Gomperts
First of all, I would like to welcome Farouk back to the 'Forum'. I hope you remain with us. Good discussion all. Farouk raises a number of important points in his most recent note and I agree with him that over the centuries, Jews and Moslems have interacted positively. Some periods of Moslem Spain, the Ottomans as well as in Central Asia over centuries has shown that Jews and Moslems can and have lived peacefully together with the advancement for both societies. However that narrow strip of land between the river and sea is our main focus at this time and there is no doubt in my mind as well as many of my co-religionists, that although emotions run high regarding the land, a true peace between Israelis and Palestinians, when viewed by the majority of Jews, Israelis and diaspora, has been a realistic possibility from early in the 20th Century through the present. Not so with the majority of Moslems (but not all) wherever they have resided.
Although I do not reside in Israel, I have visited on a number of occasions and currently there is peace between Jewish Isrealis and Moslem Israelis, with freedom to work, raise families, fight in the Army and vote across all members of that society. Unfortunately that is not the case in Moslem countries and certainly not the case in the Palestinian Territories as few Jews live there. I doubt there was a single Jew permitted to live in Gaza before the current war. Jerusalem, that eternal city, is open to all religions and Moslems pray regularly at holy sites, which was not the case when the city was under the control of the Hashemite Kingdom. Unfortunately the current Gaza conflict widens the gap between these two societies, as the hate and death-pursuit demonstrated by Gazans has caused a deep concern among life-loving Jews. As I understand my religion,Judaism views life as a gift that is precious and vigorously to be protected.The religion is focused on the individual and the improvement of his/her behavior through all stages of life. Gazans and indeed many Palestinians have not demonstrated this reverence for life, either in the past or recently. Peace is possible and has been possible between Israel and Palestine for decades, but the Palestinian leadership and people must accept the reality of Israel as the home to all Jews as it has been through the centuries since the Roman expulsion. That traumatic event however drastic, did not result in the absence of Jews in that land, but rather there has been continuity of presence via a small and at times highly religiously productive nucleus. It is a small area, with a momentous history, but there is room today and tomorrow for both Israeli and Palestinian societies to live and thrive in peace.
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