At the time of writing, a French school teacher has been murdered in the city of Arras, some four and a half thousand kilometres from the Palestine/Israeli border.
The killer allegedly shouted “Allahu Akbar” (God is greatest) during the attack. The invoking of God to justify murder is a blasphemy. The militant Islamists who use this chilling battle cry defile the very name of the God/Allah they profess faith in.
This senseless murder demonstrates clearly how interconnected the world is, as events which occur thousands of miles away can have ramifications much closer to home.
It’s been harrowing to watch the tragedy which is unfolding in the Middle East. There’s nothing ‘holy’ about the Holy Land, as the unnecessary deaths of innocent Palestinians and Israelis leaves a trail of destruction, devastation and mistrust. Arab and Jew are suffering alike.
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Water runs out at UN shelters across Gaza
The River Jordan, an essential source of life for both Israelis and Palestinians, and where Jesus of Nazareth was baptised, runs deep with blood. On this small patch of contested, scorched earth Israelis and Palestinians seem incapable of living side by side in mutual respect and tolerance.
Of course, the supporters of Israelis and Palestinians claim with some justification the tensions and perpetual state of mutual aggression is the fault of the other side. No side is without blame.
That said, the appalling Israeli treatment of Gaza is self evident. It was described by one visiting Catholic bishop as “an open prison”. There’s no doubt the hawkish Hamas leadership and right-wing government of Mr Netanyahu has made matters much worse.
The Hamas strike on Israel was unjustified. It’s a war crime to deliberately attack civilians and to take hostages. Hamas slaughtered those young people at the music festival. It was a barbaric, apocalyptic rampage by murderous militant zealots.
Israel has a right to defend its territory and respond to extremist attacks by Hamas and/or others.
But in militarily responding to the violence of Hamas, the Israeli Government must do so proportionately and with regard to Geneva Convention. There can be no descent into the lawless, sewer-swimming tactics of terrorist organisations.
Pope Francis has called for restraint by Israel and for Hamas to immediately release the hostages taken. His calls are likely to fall on deaf ears. Netanyahu is going to use this opportunity to boost his flagging popularity. His language is about dehumanising all Palestinians.
Both Netanyahu and the leaders of Hamas care little that the brunt of their aggression will be borne by Israeli and Palestinian civilians, or that violence is cyclical and only begets more violence.
The Israeli blockade of Gaza, which is starving its residents of food, water and electricity, impacts most on ordinary Palestinians, not the intended belligerents.
In fact Hamas, burrowing beneath residential areas, is callously and cynically using its own citizens as human shields.
Gaza is already a humanitarian disaster. A prolonged blockade could have devastating consequences for infrastructure. In advance of the land incursion by Israel, expecting over a million displaced people to get up and move to an already over-populated and under-developed part of the Gaza Strip is ludicrous beyond belief, not to mention inhumane.
The only sensible way ahead is for a complete cessation of all hostilities with immediate international intervention and facilitated talks between both Israeli and Palestinian authorities.
Israel and Palestine need to learn to co-exist in the joint stewardship and shadow of one another. Israelis have a right to security and Palestinians have a right to a homeland – these are not mutually exclusive objectives.
Northern Ireland politicos taking sides in the Israeli/Palestinian conflict have nothing to offer or learn.
The real fear is the downward spiral of violence and destruction which could expand beyond the borders of the Middle East, bringing with it intolerable grief. “Grief”, of which the Holocaust survivor and writer Primo Levi said, “has no shores, no bottom; no one can sound its depths”.
