Does It Ever End?

Conflict broke out between Israel and Palestine over the weekend. It’s such a tragic, complicated mess. There are the decades of official and unofficial provocations from both sides. During the recent feast of Sukkot, thousands of ultranationalist Jews had been storming the Al-Aqsa Mosque, also known as Temple Mount. Muslims were prevented access to the site. This conflict regular arises around the holy sites around feast days.

Things heavily escalated when Hamas, which currently has political leadership Palestine, unleashed ground troops and rockets on Saturday, attaching Israel from Gaza. Within hours, Israel responded with jet strikes and a declaration of war. Hundreds of civilians on both sides have been killed. More than 150 Israeli civilians have been taken hostage. Israel has threatened to cut off food and water to the Gaza Strip. Tens of thousands have fled their homes.

People immediately compared the actions to the Yom Kippur War of 1973, which had started 50 years ago to the day. It’s easy to lost in the quagmire of who’s wrong and who’s right and who’s more victimized and who’s really profiting off the endless warring. It’s bleak and infuriating and, ultimately, unhelpful.

Church leaders in Jerusalem have called for international leadership “to engage in sincere dialogue, seeking lasting solutions that promote justice, peace, and reconciliation for the people of this land, who have endured the burdens of conflict for far too long.”

I don’t know how this ends. I can only hope and pray that leaders wiser than me can find a path to peace. History tends to show otherwise, but we have to keep trying and praying.