Hints of Hope for Peace in Future
By The Rev. Dr. L. H. Chamberlain, Jr.
Pastor, First Lutheran Church, Lorain, OH

They argued. They interrupted. They disagreed. They yelled. However, through it all, even the most adamant and angry participants revealed underlying hints of hope. It was as if nobody wanted to give up on the idea that people can live without killing each other. But Israel changes quickly and what exists today as promises can turn into deception and grief tomorrow.

Rabbi Chaim Walder, volunteer member of ZAKA, the Orthodox Jewish organization dedicated to identifying and treating with reverence the remains of bodies after terrorist attacks: "The Israelis have a right to be here. The Palestinians have the right to be here. It is not a football game where one wins and one loses. To win is to have peace."

Hanna Siniora, co-exective director of the Israel/Palestine Center for Research and Information and a member of the Palestinian National Council: "The Israeli army is taught never to trust any Palestinians. there are no two fingers the same. We are all different. There are good Palestinians and there are bad Palestinians. Palestinians have to learn the history of Israel and Israeli children have to learn the history of Palestine. ... Twenty years from now our grandchildren will not want to say we wasted this time fighting instead of working together. ... Even with Hamas in power 70 percent of the Palestinians still want peace."

Asher Susser, director at the Moshe Dayan Center for Middle Eastern and African Studies: "Beware of people who say that the Palestinian/Arab world acts irrationally. It is our fault to say they are irrational. They just act from a different perspective and with different goals and they have every right to do that. ... Israel has stakes in the Palestinians developing a stable, economically productive state."

Rabbi Ronald Kronish, director of the Interreligious Coordinating Council in Israel: "It's important to listen to the narrative of the other side. Not for the truth, but for the stories and how they tell it. Even when it's painful and dissonant with what you heard all your life. ... Most of the Muslims within the state of Israel are what you and I would call moderate. Israeli Arabs, both Muslim and Christian, are non-violent and it could be that 61 percent of the Israeli political party will have been elected saying they want peace."

Rev. Samuel Fanous, Anglican priest serving Christians and Palestinians: "Pastors go to visit in a crisis even if they don't agree with what the person believes. This is what we must do with each other on all levels. People don't understand that if I speak Arabic it doesn't mean I agree with your side. ... And if I disagree with you it does not mean I'm not on your side. We need criticism that helps, not that is hatred."

An American rabbi: "We need to get to a position where when it is good for the other it is good for me. When Israel is safe and flourishing, Palestine is safe and flourishing. Both ways around." Hanna Sinioria, Palestinian National Council: "Our children deserve it. Next year you'll see things are better."

Daniel Rossing, director of the Jerusalem Center for Jewish-Christian Relations: "Everybody lives with a lot of fear here based on historical memories. Fear for survival. It is born out of lack of contact, lack of opportunities to meet one another. When they meet their fear goes down."

Maurice Younan, dean and head of administration of Talitha Kumi Community College, Beit Jala, and previous adviser for vocational training in co-operation with the Palestine Ministry of Labor: "We must go beyond just tolerance to 'I am happy that you are a Jew; I am happy that you are a Muslim; I am happy you are a Christian.'"

Mohammed Darawshe, director of the development at the Abraham Fund and former director of the Chairman's Office of the Democratic Arab Party: "As long as Israel cannot solve the issue between Jews and Arabs inside of Israel it will never solve the issue between Jews and Arabs outside of Israel. ... Victory is through education. Make better students to be better citizens, therefore better ambassadors for Arabs around the world. ... If there is peace in Jerusalem, there will be peace around the world."

An Arab boy about 8 or 9 years old: "The Arabs and Jews couldn't agree on how to share their land. ... I say, if they can't agree, it doesn't belong to anybody. If they can agree, it belongs to everybody."