Pilgrim Notes

Reflections along the way.

Tag: middle east

The Peace Movement in Israel

Michael Totten interviews a peace activist in Israel. But don’t expect him to sound like an American peacnik.

“I think what’s different from our peace movement,” Amichai said, “from the peace movements in the United States, in other countries, and in Europe is the question of serving in the army. Peace movements are usually pacifists and they don’t encourage their members to serve in the army. The Israeli peace movement believes that Israel would not exist if we didn’t defend it. There is a slogan that’s going around: If the Arabs put down their arms, there will be peace. If the Jews put down their arms there won’t be any Jews left. And I think there’s a basic truth to that.”

If you’ve got a moment, this is a worthy read.

Tony Blair on the Middle East and the War on Terror

Just finished reading Tony Blair’s speech to the Los Angeles World Affairs Council delivered last Tuesday. Interesting read. Help me to understand his position on Iraq and the Middle East. Gave me some food for thought.

Tom Friedman on Fresh Air

Finally, I’ve heard some thoughtful analysis of the situation in the Middle East. If you have a moment, listen to Tom Friedman’s interview on Fresh Air yesterday. Highly recommended!

War, Middle East and a World Divided

Like the war in Iraq, it seems this war in Israel divides people all around the world. Reading the Iraqi bloggers on Global Voices Online, I found bloggers who believe this war must continue until Syria and Iran are also broken whereas other who feel Israel needs a stunning defeat to break their aggressive tendencies. Just like the Iraq situation, I read various opinions and see points by both sides. I am painfully aware of the de-personalization of humans on both sides, and yet what is the resolve? Eugen Rosenstock-Huessy believed that war is the natural state of man and that peace is a rhythm that must be created and maintained. Unfortunately, our world does little to even seek out this rhythm. Many of the voices I hear in Iraq and the Middle east often speak with war in the voice even when they advocate peace.

Violent spirits cannot bring peace. The pattern of peace is the cross. The true peacemaker doesn’t throw words like knives but lays down his life. But that’s another topic.

Iranian Bloggers

Lisa Goldman continues to provide interesting comments, links and information on the Middle East conflict. She also provides content for Global Voices Online. This is a great clearing for what bloggers are saying about various issues around the world. I ran across this interesting piece on Iranian bloggers commenting the current Israel-Lebanon war.

Middle East Blogging

While I haven’t commented much on the current war in the Middle East, it has occupied my mind from day one. I’ve been tracking blogs and media, but the bloggers over there provide so much more info. Lisa Goldman, in Israel,writes about the cross-border conversation going on between the Lebanese and Israelites. While this may not solve our issues now, it gives me hope for the future.

Tammuz

Israel just entered a three week period of mourning known as Tammuz. Many of their great tragedies have happened during this season. Tammuz mourns the brokenness and evil present in this world and longs for the day when good will overcome evil and Tammuz will shift from mourning to rejoicing.

I mourn for the anguish all across the Middle East. I am not a foreign policy expert, but I am a human. And I anguish over the suffering among the Jews and Arabs, and long for the day when peace will blanket the region. May both sides find wisdom in the midst of this darkening calamity.

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