St Edburg's Church - Bicester

Pope hoped to help Gazans

Israel’s government has approved a new plan to occupy the Gaza strip they have devastated.  This goes far beyond any proportionate retribution for the terrible Hamas attack on October 7th 2023. The situation looks worse than it has for many years, and the prospects for peace, when both sides passionately desire the annihilation of the other, look slim indeed.

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A number of Israelis and diaspora Jews have dissociated themselves from Israel’s recent actions.  But there is a strong element of ultra conservative Israelis who believe that the whole of the ancient biblical territory of Israel is theirs.  The gradual occupation of land which is not theirs in international law – the West Bank – had shown no sign of abating.   Settlers take satisfaction in dispossessing the incumbent Palestinians of the land.  And now Gaza is to be added.

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This shows all too plainly the dangers of taking the bible – especially the Hebrew Scripures – literally. The people of Israel are portrayed there as God’s Chosen People, and the land of Canaan as the Promised Land.  However, that claim was written by their own ancestors, and would hardly stand up in a court of law.  There has been an awful lot of history since then.

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That is why in the 20th century the international community decided that a solution which recognises the ancient claims of both Israelis and Palestinians is the only fair and just solution; the so-called Two State Solution.

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While both parties share an intention to destroy the other, only the Israelis have the fire power to do that. In crushing Hamas, they will also crush the Palestinian people who have been ill-served by their leadership.  Here, Israel is Goliath and the Palestinians the David of the ancient story.  Cannot the international community come to the aid of the weaker party?

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The late Pope Francis has made a positive contribution. Before his death he gave instructions that the popemobile used during his Holy Land visit in 2014 should be converted into a mobile health unit for the one million displaced children in Gaza.  Let’s hope it will be allowed in; currently there is an Israeli block on aid deliveries.

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Michael Kingston

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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