To: All for a just peace

Attn: Israeli and Palestinian Leaders,

First, you are Jews and you are Arabs. These words are not just descriptive. They are emblematic of the deepest, bravest heritage of devotion to compassion, justice, caring, sharing and introspection It is these qualities that have promoted your survival, not merely fighting. Hitler and the tenets of nazism fought and perished, as they always will.

Asher Ben Yechiel, The Ethical Will, 13th century, said " ...misuse not thy power against anyone; who can tell whether thou wilt not someday be powerless thyself. "

Second, you are brave and you do what you believe is right. There are those who will refute this, but disagreement does not invalidate its truth.

Among you are persons and groups advocating for peace such as Gush Shalom. Al Haq, Peace Now, and whom you apparently want to silence by various means, e.g. vilification and a campaign of demonizing.propaganda. Especially now, this campaign is targeting Gush Shalom.

This organization, and the others, needs to be cherished for they are trying to save us from ourselves. Of course you know this, you are too smart, and at heart too good as human beings not to know this.

I am but one, unproven modern man; listen to the voices of those whom we revere:

Eleazar Ben Judah Of Worms, Harokeach 13th Century said " ...cherish no too fixed good opinion of thyself, but lend thine ear to remonstrance and reproof. " And " ...make peace whenever thou canst among people, lead them gently into the good path. " Which, of course, means that we must take charge to make the first steps to peace, not to wait for the other guy (who is waiting for us to do so, meanwhile we are blowing up children, mothers, fathers, brothers and sisters of both sides). We are just feeling rage and frustration and we rail against those who do not join us in our whipped up passions.

Eleazar ben Judah Of Worms said " ...Surrender not thyself a slave to hate...keep peace both within the city and without, for it goes well with all those who are counsellors of peace. "

Moses Maimonides said " Disdain reservations and subterfuges, evasions and sharp practices. " And " Defile not your souls by quarrelsomeness and petulance. I have seen white become black...great cities laid in ruins...the honourable held lightly and despised, all on account of quarrelsomeness. Glory in forbearance, for in that is true strength and victory. "

You know that Gush Shalom are not traitors, they but want our soldiers, as they do what they are called upon to do, to refrain from acting on their own anger, fear and frustration, and keep within the law; the law of the land, the law of humanity and God. " Kurdie Bear, " of Jenin demolition infamy, and the killing of Amjad Abdel Hadi Jebour are prime examples of acting on just such painful emotions. Gush Shalom wishes the Israeli Court to step in and put a stop to the brutality. If Official Israel remains deaf to calls for control in the name of humanity, then the next resort is to the International Court.

Is this betrayal? Do we call the parents of children, who are rampaging and killing one another, traitors by calling in the police to help restore sanity, when the parents can't do it alone? Or do the parents love their children enough to want them to live, and to live in peace?

The mistake Gush Shalom makes, what almost all make, socialized as we all are in a combative and distrustful society, is to use an adversarial tone. To get another's attention and best thinking, we must validate that which is good in the other (all have good in them, since it is inherent), point out what is wrong and offer good things to improve the matter; above all to listen to one another.

(International offices, where are you? U.S., EU, Quartet, Russia, UN, WHERE ARE YOU? To hell with political niceties and rhetoric, children, mothers, fathers, societies are dying in front of your eyes. Shall this be a repeat of the '30s and 40s? Bring in the peacekeeping forces now, large enough to keep both sides from the insanity of mutual destruction, and the real danger of further escalating world wide inflammation).

Why do we lose control over our blind emotional urges? Brutal conflict, need for approval from authorities and peers, demonization, play on our repressed angers, fears, and often low self-esteem (almost all of us grow up with such pain due to the authoritarian control of - even loving - parents, and society). Those of us who are put in the front lines to face the " enemy. " are acutely subject to these pressures. They puncture the shield of decency and all our rage erupts to blast out upon those whom we face: soldier, militant or innocent civilian. Our blind pain can't tell the difference. This insanity happens in all societies among all ethic groups.

Hillel said (Sayings Of The Fathers, Ch. II - 7) " Because thou drownest others, they have drowned thee; and, at the last, they that drowned thee shall themselves be drowned. "

Who knows this better than Jews and Arabs who have been thus treated for centuries? Who knows better than Jews and Arabs to not fall into the pitiful roles of victim and oppressors to one another, but to rise above the fray and model those qualities of confidence, compassion, sharing and respect for each other, and everyone? In doing this the world restrains its hate and comes to love you; will come to help defend you against the real terrorists and the slaves of hatred.

Ben Azzai said (Sic, Ch.IV-2) " Run to do even a slight precept, and flee from transgression; for one good deed draws another good deed in its train, and one sin, another sin. "

R. Eliezer, the son of Jacob, said (Sic, Ch, IV - 13) " He who does one good deed has gotten himself one advocate; and he who commits one transgression has gotten himself one accuser. Repentance and deeds of charity are as a shield against punishment. "

Treasure Gush Shalom, and the others, though you disagree with them. Discourse not destruction!You all are and can be what the revered sages say you can be.

Who is saying do not defend yourself? No-one, of course not. Merely do not defile yourselves with brutality, nor set up a shroud to hide it.

Ben Zoma said (Sayings Of The Fathers, Ch.IV-1) " Who is mighty? He who subdues his passions: as it is said. He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he that ruleth over his spirit than he that taketh a city. "

Jack Doner

Psychotherapist

Personal and Cultural Relations