| Bishop's CornerThe
"Cycle Of Violence" In Israel
By Bishop Timothy W. Whitaker
 It
is with dismay that most of us observe the escalation of political
tensions and violence in Israel and the occupied territory. Almost every
day there is a disturbing report about a terrorist attack in Israel or a
military incursion by the Israeli army into a residential neighborhood
in Palestinian territory.
Most of us have feelings about what is happening and opinions about
who is most responsible for the continuing conflict. Most of us are also
not qualified to make definitive judgments about the conflict. We do
know that terrorist attacks by Hamas against Israelis are wrong and
forceful suppression by the Israeli army of Palestinians in the occupied
territory is wrong.
As we grow dizzy observing the attacks and counter attacks we become
overwhelmed by a sense of powerlessness to halt the violence permanently
and to secure a lasting and just resolution of the conflict between
Palestinians and Israelis. We speak in tones of resignation about the
“cycle of violence.”
Of course, there is truth in the phrase “the cycle of violence.”
Every action causes a reaction. There is also deception in this phrase.
The phrase conceals a fatalistic view of history in which it is believed
the same things occur over and over again. History, we think, consists
of “cycles” that repeat themselves.
The biblical perspective upon history is that every moment is new and
open to new possibilities through the freedom of God and the freedom of
human beings. Things are not fated to being repeated over and over in a
continual circle of events.
Most of us do not know all the answers to the conflict in Israel. We
do believe that human beings have been given freedom to act in every
situation with reason and resolve to make things better. This freedom is
an expression of the transcendence of the human spirit created by and
empowered by God who possesses absolute freedom.
Trusting in divine and human freedom to bring forth that which is new
and good, let us continue to pray for the persons in authority and those
who exercise power that the violence in Israel will end and that there
will be a future of dignity for the Palestinians and a future of
security for the Israelis.
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