For peace in the Middle East

BY JANESSA GANS

This year marks the 60th anniversary of the creation of Israel, and an even longer history of strife between Israelis and Palestinians. Perhaps no other issue has consistently dominated news headlines with stories of tit-for-tat violence and an intractable conflict that defies peaceful resolution. Consider the figures of just the past eight years. Since the outbreak of the second Intifadah in 2000, over 4,700 Palestinians and 1,040 Israelis have been killed; over 32,000 Palestinians and nearly 7,000 Israelis have been injured.

During my three months living in the West Bank in the fall of 2006, and various visits to Israel, I witnessed first hand the realities and consequences of the persistent conflict. For me, the players in the conflict ceased to be nameless statistics and took form as real friends, neighbors, and colleagues who were faced with movement restrictions, ubiquitous checkpoints, and encounters with suicide bombings. Along with that experience came the compulsion to pray earnestly to understand God's control and peace.

When one looks at the picture portrayed in most news coverage, it's easy to feel hopeless about the prospects for peace. Leaders on both sides blame each other and call for revenge, while the attempts at peace seem to be decreasing in seriousness, interest, and intent. Both sides have at various points distanced themselves from efforts to achieve a full-fledged peace agreement by the end of the year. But perhaps this 60-year anniversary is an opportunity to reflect, assess, and reevaluate our thoughts of, and prayers about, the conflict. In reality, situations that seem so humanly hopeless force us to look to divine solutions, which are, ultimately, the only solutions.

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