Dear Father,
I absolutely agree. But, I also agree that Palestinians should
not be throwing rocks at Jews and bombing them either. It continues to
be a two-way street. Does it not?
God bless you.
Smith
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Dear Smith
1) The Palestinians are throwing stones in their cities occupied by
Israeli forces and not in Tel-Aviv against the Israeli Occupation. The
UN Charters, the Geneva conventions and La Hague charters speak about the
right of people to resist occupation by all means.
In fact the Church even support the right of resistance:
The Patriarchs of Jerusalem have affirmed that “it is the right and
the duty of an occupied people to struggle against injustice in order to
gain their freedom.” At the same time, they also asserted that “nonviolent
means remain stronger and more
efficient.” (Patriarchs, Nov. 2000).
Please visit also http://www.al-bushra.org/right/0right.html
2) I agree that Palestinians should not go to Israel and kill people,
this criminal.
But listen to what some people have said about that:
"When you start knocking down buildings with bulldozers, don't expect
people not to respond to this kind of activity. When you start announcing
more settlement activity, this does not create conditions that would cause
the other be less responsive or less violent." Colin Powell, July 15, 2001
* * Palestinians want peace with ISRAEL as a STATE and not with ISRAEL
as an OCCUPATION.
* * "We have only to go to Lebanon ...to witness firsthand the intense
hatred among many people for the United States, because we bombed and shelled
and unmercifully killed totally innocent villagers, women and children
and farmers and housewives, in those villages around Beirut...as a result,
we have become a kind of Satan in the minds of those who are deeply resentful.
That is what precipitated the taking of hostages and that is what has precipitated
some terrorist attacks" Jimmy Carter, N Y Times, 3/26/1989
* * "Jimmy Carter took Bush to task for not pressuring Israel to withdraw
from Gaza Strip, not opposing settlement activity" Assted Press 25 July
01
3) A the Bible say:
* *"Thus says the Lord God of Israel: You shed blood, yet you would
keep possession on the land? You rely on your sword, you do abominable
things...yet you would keep possession of the land? ... Prophet EZEKIEL
33:25-28
* * "And Jesus said: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,
bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you ... Luke 6:27-38)
We need to see things from the eyes of TRUTH.
Do you support the killing of innocent Afghans and the over 5 million Afghani Refugees and starving, do you support the death of over 1,500 Iraqi children since the sanctions imposed on them...
And if these people are angry like us, the People of the USA because of the 6:000 BELOVED innocent People New York and Washington ...and give our government the right to kill people who did not choose their own government (because the Taliban soldiers have also families and they are obeying to their rulers...) then how we dare saying that the Palestinians has no right to throw stones against the LONGEST Occupation of a country in amodern times, and who build SETTLEMTS everywhere ANYWHERE on the Palestinian soil.
Yes, we are against any kind of killings or violence and as Patriarch
Sabbah of Jerusalem wrote to the Israelis on October 20, 2001, I believe
it is up to the Israelis to stop violence:
"To the Israeli people we say: you merit also security and peace. We
wish you security and peace. In everybody and in everyone of you we see
the dignity which derives from that of God and which is a gift to every
human person being Palestinian or Hebrew. The key of death or peace is
in your hands and in that of the government you have elected. It is the
government that can open or close the gates of death. It is the government
that can give you peace or take it away from you. Those who today fight
eachother and are thrown into the abyss of death have the right to live
and enjoy security. Therfore, it depends on your government to put an end
to all occupation that has been pressing upon the Palestinians during decades
from this part, depriving them from their dignity and liberty. The United
Nations have formulated regulations as base of peace. It would be sufficient
to implement them. "
With love and respect,
Father Labib