Pray for the peace of
Jerusalem
© 2001 WorldNetDaily.com
by Joseph Farah
Joseph Farah, an Arab-American
journalist, is the editor and chief executive officer of WorldNetDaily.com,
a leading independent news site. See more articles
by Joseph Farah
Unlike many other observers, I blame much
of the Middle East conflict, not on misunderstandings, not on a failure
to communicate, not on an inability to compromise, but on evil -- pure
and simple.
And evil, I believe, can only be overcome
with God's love and blessing, and it can only be resisted by man through
prayer and force.
The truth is, there's a lot of evil in
the world. This is something that many of our elected officials, top international
diplomats and certainly the press fail to factor into the equation when
they look for solutions to intractable problems.
In the annals of history, there have been
many disputes between righteous and unrighteous causes. Is it just possible
that one side in this debate might be right -- or, at least, more right
-- than the other? In my mind, there is no question about it. Why?
Israel is not and has not been an aggressor.
And it is the only state in the region offering any real freedom to its
people.
Most people in Israel, including its leadership,
truly seek a just and lasting peace with the Arabs. Arab leaders can be
divided into basically two camps -- those who preach war and annihilation
openly and those who pay lip service to peace while planning war and annihilation.
Take, for instance, Jerusalem's Grand Mufti
Ekrima Sabri. Make no mistake about it -- this guy is a hard-line, anti-Jewish,
war-mongering zealot. He tells anyone who will listen to his ravings that
the imaginary state of Palestine extends "from the sea to the river." For
those of you weak on geography, the sea is the Mediterranean and the river
is the Jordan. That includes all of Israel. He also declares "to all infidel
nations that Jerusalem is Arab; we shall not respect anyone else's wishes
regarding her." This is the same Islamic cleric who refuses to condemn
deadly terrorist bombings in Jerusalem and other suicide attacks on Jewish
civilians.
"We cannot judge," say the Mufti.
This a "holy man." This is Yasser Arafat's
"spiritual leader."
You see, sometimes in international affairs,
people just think differently. They are, figuratively speaking, on different
planets. They don't speak the same language. They live in opposite parallel
universes. There is no common ground.
There is no room to negotiate with people
who want only to destroy you. Even the best multicultural vibes can't change
people's hearts and minds. And that's the real root cause of the Mideast
crisis.
I don't pretend to have any monopoly on
the truth. But as a journalist of 25 years, I recognize it when I see it.
One truth is certain. The troubles in the
Middle East today will not be solved by the creation of a "Palestinian
state."
Another truth is that Jerusalem has a unique
importance to Jews. It has always been a place described and revered in
Jewish law. For centuries since the Diaspora, Jews around the world have
prayed toward Jerusalem, mourned the destruction of their Temple and hopefully
repeated the phrase, "Next year in Jerusalem."
There is no chance for peace in the Middle
East -- no chance whatsoever -- as long as those involved on both sides
allow themselves to believe myths, to see the past through a prism of lies.
The first and most important step toward peace is seeking truth -- not
compromise.
Psalm 122:6 says, "Pray for the peace of
Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee."
I really believe some people in this world
of ours are misreading this verse. They must think it says, "Pray for a
piece of Jerusalem." That's not what it says.
Meanwhile, Zechariah 12:3 says, "And in
that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that
burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people
of the earth be gathered together against it."
Surely Jerusalem has become that burdensome
stone for all people. And we've seen what happens to those who try to divide
the city -- even those with the best of intentions. They, indeed, are cut
to pieces.
Sad to say, this is not a struggle that
will be solved at the bargaining table. Jews should understand this better
than any other people, but even many Israelis have misplaced their faith
-- the very faith that returned them to their homeland a generation ago.
I have a simple (some might say simplistic)
prescription for peace in the Middle East -- and everywhere else, for that
matter: Forsake pride, lies and covetousness, and rediscover the power
of prayer, supplication and obedience.
Joseph
Farah is editor and chief executive officer of WorldNetDaily.com and
writes a daily column.
This page was produced by Joseph
E. Katz
Middle Eastern Political and Religious
History Analyst
Brooklyn, New York
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