One hears more and more stories about mothers feeding their children bread and water, because there is no other food in the home. In conversations with a number of Palestinians over the weekend, every single one expressed to me that they didn't want countries to send them aid or food. All they wanted was to be able to go back to work, to provide by themselves for their families needs. The Israeli government keeps demanding for the violence to end and yet keeps pulling the noose tighter and tighter around Palestinians who have no interest in terror attacks or killing Israelis, seemingly not understanding the very violence of the siege. To not understand this, though, means that Palestinian desperation will continue to grow.
Desperation is the soil for desperate acts.
As more and more tanks are placed around Palestinian villages and the siege grows tighter and tighter, we are certainly likely to see more and more Palestinian and Israeli families mourning their loved ones. Below I've copied an editorial which appeared in the Ha'aretz on Sunday. Gideon Levy, one of Israel's most respected journalists, wrote a compelling piece about the impact of the Israeli siege. I offer it to you for your reflection and action. In these days of Lent, the suffering of all God's people here is great.