A prayer for finding balance in the Holy Land

 Palestinians inspect the site of Israeli airstrike on a house, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, on March 24. (OSV News/Reuters/Mohammed Salem)

Palestinians inspect the site of Israeli airstrike on a house, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, on March 24. (OSV News/Reuters/Mohammed Salem)

by Thomas Reese

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God bless and protect the people of Israel; God bless and protect the people of Palestine.

God damn antisemitism; God damn Islamophobia.

Israelis are children of God; Palestinians are children of God.

Jews are children of Abraham; Muslims are children of Abraham.

Israelis have a right to a homeland and a state; Palestinians have a right to a homeland and a state.

Israeli civilians should not be targeted; Palestinian civilians should not be targeted.

Israeli children are precious; Palestinian children are precious.

Hamas should not hide in hospitals; Israel should not attack hospitals.

Israelis have a right to live in peace and freedom; Palestinians have a right to live in peace and freedom.

Hamas soldiers who attack Israeli civilians are terrorists; Israeli settlers who attack Palestinian civilians are terrorists.

Palestine cannot be "from the river to the sea"; Israel cannot be "from the river to the sea."

Israelis need better leadership; Palestinians need better leadership.

Guns and bullets do not foster peace; food and water do not foster war.

Let the aid in; keep the weapons out.

Iran must stop arming Hamas and Hezbollah; the U.S. must stop arming Israel.

No more bombs; lots more bread.

War brings famine; peace brings prosperity.

Israel and Palestine must live together, or they will die together.

Cease-fire now; release the hostages now.

A version of this story appeared in the April 12-25, 2024 print issue under the headline: A prayer for finding balance in the Holy Land.

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