October 7 has returned, marking a full year of a cruel war that is ravaging not only human beings but also a wounded land. With the dawn of each new day this year came the hope that the hatred would end, that the destruction would stop, that government leaders would rediscover some semblance of responsibility, and that for once the world’s rhetoric would turn into action. Sadly, the scourge and quagmire of war has spread. After the tragic attack of October 7, the violence continued in Gaza and spread to the West Bank, Lebanon and the entire Middle East, ushering in an even darker phase.
Where are we headed? Has the search for peaceful solutions reached a point of exhaustion? Does anyone expect the Holy Land to be depopulated? Are the warmongers just waiting for the opportunity to surround themselves with like-minded people? This is the land upon which God Almighty has bestowed peace. Has humanity collectively rejected this gift? Sadly, this is the reality in Palestine and the Middle East today. After 35 years of service in the Holy Land, I have come to realise that this new, painful reality is different from all tragic periods that came before. Not only do we face immense destruction and the huge numbers of innocent victims, there is also a pervasive sense of despair and hopelessness among the people.
Memories. I recall with clarity the entirety of my experiences in this land and among its people, over the course of many years. I recall the First Intifada, marked by sacrifices and suffering, as well as the First and Second Gulf Wars and their consequences.
I remember leaders with a pragmatic outlook who demonstrated their commitment to attaining a lofty goal: peace for their people. Those leaders consistently demonstrated that they were working with and for their people, rather than exploiting them. They took courageous steps for peace, overcoming great hardships for the sake of their people.
In those experiences, hope, determination and challenges were embraced and not stifled under the weight of violence. However, the spectre of evil was to return, igniting the second Intifada, marked by cruelty, viciousness, destruction and death. It spared no men or land, living stones and memorial stones of the Holy Land. The population endured the harsh experience of a siege, with significant restrictions and challenging conditions. Nevertheless, even in those circumstances, the people cherished hope, a vital instrument of faith to rebuild and renew the journey towards the freedom enshrined in human dignity. As time passes, it seems that the world is increasingly failing to fulfil its obligations.
Decisive stage of the conflict. The force of evil has reemerged with the intention of disseminating its venom, and this time it managed to strike an almost fatal blow. Not just to the stones and the people, but to the very notion of commitment, challenge and hope that this people set as an example to the rest of the world. This is a crucial stage in the conflict, and after this war, the Holy Land will never be the same again.
Losing hope can be extremely dangerous.
I was shocked by the exodus of families in general and of Christians in particular, especially in Bethlehem. Thousands of children have been killed and thousands more orphaned. These children will live the agony of death, oppression and pain every day of their lives, if they survive at all. The numbers are staggering and they do not bode well. War is not just about armies and missiles. It is also about economic crisis and the destruction of people’s future prospects and opportunities.
Bitter truths. Sadly, everything that has happened to Gaza and its people is beyond words. This war must end, and we pray to God that it will happen soon. Bitter and painful truths will emerge, along with the overwhelming toll of deaths and destruction, the number of disabled and orphaned, migrants and displaced is bound to increase.
Shame on the world that champions civility, human rights, freedom, and all the values that it prides itself on so much.
The world’s powerful will be remembered for this bloodshed and destruction, and they will have to be ashamed of themselves. What kind of civilisation is this? Innocent people are being killed, killed by starvation and for one sin only: that of being born in the Holy Land.
A theatre of death. The international community’s apathy and indifference towards peoples suffering from wars, the scandal of the arms trade, which hides the interests of a few: are these some of the reasons why we have fallen into the abyss? This decline will continue unless this society finally wakes up, comes to its senses and uses all its resources, all its power, to exert pressure on the relevant parties to bring an end to this tragedy. That which previously symbolised the splendour and uniqueness of the Eastern world, and the Holy Land in particular, has now become a theatre of death.
Let us pray that political leaders will move beyond rhetoric and engage in meaningful, deliberate action. Who will ever be able to revive hope if it is lost in the beloved Holy Land and in other places?
A future that serves the interests of a few. Those who plan and spread destruction on such a massive scale, with no concern for the people, their lives, their present and their future, are building a future that serves only their interests and the interests of those who perpetuate death and destruction. The conditions have been created to drive from their land those entitled to a life of dignity, respectful of human values. Are they trying to cleanse the land of the ancestors of this people to make way for their own lust for power? And if they succeed, we shall see them follow the same path, this time against those who were once their allies. A good tree bears good fruit, and a bad tree bears bad fruit, and every tree is known by its fruit.
That is why all peace-loving leaders and peoples must unite and take action before this tenuous thread of hope is irreparably severed.
* Custodial Vicar, Custody of the Holy Land
