O God, we pray for the children,
That the children may live,
That they may have children of their own
And that it will go on-
This great blossoming that is meant
To go on and on.
We pray for peace, in their name.
That they would have a world
Worth being born into,
A future worth dreaming about,
And that they might become, in their own time,
All they were meant to be
We pray for peace in their name. Amen.
(from Praying for Peace:Reflections on the Gulf Crisis)
God Almighty, give all the leaders in this land light and strength to
do what is right and what is just. For all we pray, for Palestinians
and Israelis, for Christians, Muslims and Jews, may God inspire justice
and reconciliation in the hearts and minds of all. Amen
(from a statement by the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Michel Sabbah)
SEEK ALTERNATE INFORMATION
The information we receive in our media is often very incomplete and
presented in a biased way.
Log on to these websites:
www.addameer.org (Palestinian)
www.Gush-Shalom.org/Jerusalem (Israeli bloc of peace)
www.IPCRI.org (Israel/Palestine Center for Research & Studies)
www.Btselm.org (Israel Center for Human Rights)
www.BirzeitU.edu/hrap (Human Rights center at BirZeit University
The following came from reporter, Suzanne Goldenberg of The Guardian
(London)
A survey of Palestinian hospitals conducted by the local chapter
of Physicians for Human Rights found 30% of injuries were from the stomach
up, and that there was a disproportionate number of eye injuries.
"Many people were shot with M-16, high velocity bullets that
shatter on impact," Wahib Dajani, a doctor at Makassad Hospital in East
Jerusalem told reporters. "This is a weapon you use armed soldier
to armed soldier, world war three, but not against civilians."
Here is an excerpt from a Christian colleague, Tom Getman, who was
in Gaza on Tuesday at Netzarim junction. (We didn't read this in
the paper either, did you?)
"As ambulances ferried the dead and wounded we spent nearly an
hour in the Red Cross/Red Crescent triage center where skilled medical
staff were working under the protection of the International Committee
of the Red Cross to stop the bleeding before the casualties were taken
to hospital operating rooms or morgues. Most of the wounds were from
American Apache helicopter gun ships or snipers. Several people far
from the onerous fortress intersection dropped to the ground from head
wounds as we observed from less than 30 meters. The only explanation
is that snipers from a 1000 or more meters were picking people out of crowds
from hill or roof tops like the evil shooters from Snipers Alley in Sarajevo.
"Four of the awful gunships kept flying over th residential area
spraying it with machine gun fire and directing antitank missiles at home
and apartment buildings. The guilt and shame already being felt was
only increased when I discovered that the shell casings are clearly marked
with serial number indicating American sources."
WRITE TO PEOPLE IN POWER
1. United Nations Secretary General, Kofi A. Annan, urging him to continue
meeting with both sides and to press for an end to the use of excessive
force. (inquiries@UN.org)
2. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Mary Robinson, to condemn
the blocking of Palestinian ambulances and medical workers and to uphold
the Geneva Conventions on protection of civilians in conflict. (webadmin.hchr@UNog.ch)
3. UN Security Council to investigate the violence and report to the
General Assembly (inquiries@UN.org)
4. Mr. Barak and Mr. Arafat to end the hostilities now. (See below)
5. Pres. Bill Clinton and Dr. Madeline Albright to urge the investigation
of Israel's use of U.S. made helicopter gunships against Palestinian civilians
and to press for a just peace. (President@whitehouse.gov and Secretary@State.gov)
6. Mr. Barak to rescind the shoot-to-kill orders and to end the excessive
violence. (rhom@pmo.gov.il)
7. Mr. Arafat can be faxed at 011.972-7-282.2365
JOIN
Churches for Middle East Peace (of which the United Church of
Christ is a part) has a Shared Jerusalem Advocacy Network urging the United
States government to call upon negotiators to move beyond exclusivist claims
and create a Jerusalem that is a sign of peace and a symbol of reconciliation
for all human kind. You may sign up online at cmepdc@aol.com or send
you name, address, Email address, and denomination to Churches for Middle
East Peace, 110 Maryland Ave., NE, Suite 108, Washington, DC 20002,