I recently received a communication from my friend Abuna Elias Chacour, Bishop of the Melkite Catholic Church in the Middle East. I have been concerned about him and his community as his school and offices are in Ibillin in the northern Galilee, an area that has seen a great many rocket attacks during the current conflict. His letter provides a wonderful perspective on peace at a time when everyone else is talking about war. It is too bad that the governmental leaders involved don't have this prospective. As Abba Eban, former Israeli diplomat once said "People and governments usually do the wise thing, after they have exhausted all other possibilities"
Dear Beloved Friends,
We used to write newsletters about hope and development but this time the circumstances have changed drastically. We used to think that Galilee was very safe, even the safest in the Middle East. This is true with regards to the past. Presently for the past ten days we have the experience that we live and survive. It is because of mere luck nobody is any more safe from the rockets which rain everyday on the city of Haifa, they also fell in Nazareth, Akko, Nahariyah and almost all the cities, villages and settlements in the Galilee region. These rockets fall indiscriminately on anyone who happens to be at the place of their falling. Exactly as on the other side in Lebanon, no one is protected.
We find ourselves between the fires of hatred on both sides: the occupation and resistance. Both use the languages of hate and revenge and uncontrolled threats. They use the language of total destruction of the enemy. The result is the systematic destruction of the civil infrastructure of Lebanon with thousands of people sacrificed in an absurd way. On the other side equally absurd but a smaller destruction inside Israel and destabilization of everything in the country, add to that the tragedy and free hand to destroy whatever exists in Gaza and the West Bank. It is billions of dollars that have been wasted on the altar of war, pride and arrogance. All sides are angry, all sides are bitter, every side has its own claims, everyone is repeating with modern dimension the first crime we witness in the Bible. One brother was angry. He called his brother outside the house and killed him thinking that his anger will be eased. What happened is that the earth saturated with Abel's blood was crying to God for vengeance while God was asking, "Where is your brother? What have you done to your brother?" The same answer comes out, a denial of responsibility. At the same time a justification of the violence of killing. Today the same situation in their anger the political leaders fearing for their pride, bring out their armies and the machines of destruction, started this time also in Galilee. No one is sheltered; the first rocket fell short 200 meters away from where I was while traveling to Haifa.
Our message to you is a distressed one. Many lives have been lost, many properties destroyed, and many hopes shattered. Again, the Arab community in Galilee, and very specially the Christian community on the border with Lebanon, finds itself with no jobs, no livelihood and no shelter, unlike the neighboring Jewish settlements. Many among our community members were directly hit. Mainly in the villages of: Jish, Rama, Eilaboun, Fasuta, Miilya and Tarsheeha. Besides the several rockets that hit the heart of Nazareth and Haifa not to exclude Ibillin. Thanks be to God, that the students are at home on their summer holidays.
The reason for this conflagration is the conflict between the Lebanese resistant movement, the Hezbollah, and the Israeli government. Israel withdrew from South Lebanon keeping a piece of territory pretended by Israel, being Syrian territory but for Lebanon and Syria it is Lebanese territory. One more reason is the hundreds of Lebanese prisoners inside the Israeli jails. No way to get them free. Hezbollah kidnapped three Israeli soldiers hoping to negotiate and exchange of prisoners but the pride of Israel on one side and the stereotyped image of Hezbollah as being a terrorist movement, blinded the authorities from negotiating. Some say there was a pre-set agenda to find an excuse to invade Lebanon and destroy all the Hezbollah people. It appears that the Israelis were badly informed and the Hezbollah is stronger than what they thought and it enjoys the sympathy of the major part of the Lebanese population and the Arab Moslems who they have trained in guerrilla warfare and it seems that Israel has been humiliated since its creation. Instead of negotiating they used all the weapons they received from oversees to destroy and create havoc in Lebanon. The outcome is contrary to what they expected. The Lebanese population is more determined to help the resistance, the re-destruction of Beirut is a stronger rebirth of violence. Would it not have been better than an instantaneous reaction to wait some time, negotiate the liberation of the Israeli soldiers and save the population on both sides from that immense trouble and widespread destruction, and from the overwhelming fear and the immense economic waste?
We have now more reasons as Christians to voice out loud our mind and call for moderation and appeal to all sides to give up weapons and start negotiating. We feel it is our prime responsibility to get away from the pre-historic attitude and from awkward beliefs, "Tooth for tooth and eye for eye." In fact no one has anymore teeth to exchange or eyes to offer, we have no more teeth. We are blinded because we got deaf from the noise of explosions on both sides. No one hears anymore the whispers of children, frightened, scared to death before they are massacred!
Indeed we are not afraid for our lives, because sooner or later our lives will come to an end. We are rather concerned for our children and grandchildren who deserve life whether they are Jewish, Palestinians or Lebanese. Would they come to terms with military opinions and practice God's commandments or, God forbid, will they implement the Roman saying: "Man to Man is a Wolf". This is not what Christ lived for and taught his disciples. This is not what he believed and this is far from what he invited us to do, " Love your enemy, bless those who curse you and do not return evil for evil but good for evil.”
Allow me to thank you for your concern, your prayers and those who send us some money to help affected families. Your friendship makes a difference in our life and you continue giving us hope that there is so much goodness in human beings. Please keep in touch and be sure we shall be representing you in the building of justice and integrity with the hope to obtain peace and security for all sides here in the Middle East.
Be assured bombs shall stop, jet fighters shall be crippled. Children shall be able to play once again on the streets of our villages; they shall go to school to learn that "Together and only together they are stronger than the storm".
Yours sincerely with tears and hope,
Abuna Elias Chacour† Archbishop of Akko, Haifa, Nazareth and Galilee
President
Mar Elias Educational Institutions
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