More violence in the Palestinian areas October 16th 2004 from our correspondent Jamal Saba in Bethlehem

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Four Israelis have died by Qasam rockets (rockets locally made by the Palestinians) in Sderot, which is a settlement nearby Gaza. The killing of the four Israelis has raged the Israeli government and has provoked them to kill, maim, and torture more Palestinians and not forget to mention the destruction of many houses.

Tens of Palestinians have been killed due to the last attack and who knows when the killing will stop among them. Many Palestinians were picking the splattered flesh of their fellow countrymen from the streets and window cells; what an awful seen! The Israelis on the other hand were burying their dead amidst grief and mourning.

The two peoples are devastated but the causalities among the Palestinians are a lot more than the ones on the Israeli side; and that due to the heavy war machinery the Israelis use compared with the modest weapon that the Palestinians use. The Palestinian political situation is down the drain. There is a massive corruption and some leaders are just money lovers; they say they fight for the Palestinian cause but the truth is they feed their own bellies. The lay Palestinian person is the victim! They are the ones under siege; they are the ones who are being detained and imprisoned; they are the ones that are being tortured and killed, and they are the ones whose houses have been demolished.

The Palestinian economical situation is shattered. There is about 65% unemployment among them. Some of them have been out of job for a long time and they live on charity and hand outs. On the other hand the Israelis have been living in fear. Despite the fact that they have a powerful army, top notch and advanced technologies, grand intelligence system and many other advantages that would make them live in security, they live in fear instead. The once full of people streets in many areas are almost empty now; the economical situation is not as good as before, and there is much confusion. And again, their suffering is a lot less than the suffering of the Palestinians; and some Israelis would admit that. There is a circle of violence and this circle seems to be ever going on.

Since I was a child I have been seeing this circle of fire burning the lives of Palestinians and Israelis alike. Many would ask "is it about the land?" or others would say "it is about pride." It's just about the history of the human being! Sin is the dominating factor. "The wages of sin is death…" Death and destruction are the fruits of sin. That is what going on in the so-called Holy Land. It is about peoples who live away from the Living God; peoples who refuse to accept the Christ. Pride, envy, love of money, love of power are evident in the conflict among the Palestinians and the Israelis.

As I am writing this article the Israelis are on their newest killing mission. This Israeli operation has been going on since the beginning of October and the Israelis say that there is no time limit for it; that means more killing, carnage and bloodshed among both but mostly the Palestinians. Until now about 100 Palestinians have been killed in Jabalia and its refugee camp in Gaza strip, and the number is, possibly, going to increase. Is there any thing that can be done? Is there a solution for all of this? Will anybody stop this destructive circle of hatred, apathy, and antipathy? It seems that no human is capable of doing anything.

The USA is saying things and the Palestinians do not trust them, and they say that they are Israel's allies. Europe is saying many things but it seems that they do not have control over anything. And the Arab nations seem to be clanging cymbals to the ears of the Palestinians because they only talk and not act. So, what is the answer for this dilemma?

To me the answer is one, the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the Prince of peace, and He is the only One who is going to bring peace. I cannot deny that there could be some peace agreements on paper, but antagonism will always be there among the two peoples without Christ. As Christians we are the ambassadors of Christ and as the ambassadors of Christ we need to do what Jesus would have done in this situation.

I cannot tell you what to do; only the Holy Spirit can. But I believe as Christians we need to pray for justice and peace among the nations, and we need to proclaim what is right. The least we can do is to pray.

May the Lord Jesus bring His peace in the Holy Land and touch the hearts of both the Palestinians and the Israelis. May He stop this circle of violence and bring to an end the bloodshed. May He touch the hearts of both leaderships and convict them of their sin. In Jesus name, Amen!