The American Spectator

Yes, amen, God bless Israel. But our beloved Ben apparently, inadvertently, left off item #5 to his article: “God bless the Palestinian people.”

Yes, amen, evil has been wrought by Hamas. But battle alone is not a solution, as ignorance and evil cannot be destroyed…only recognized and dealt with. Evil, particularly, can only be bolstered in its energies when drawing others into its own hell.

Yes, amen, wars can be won. But warring itself cannot be won, as it is the purest definition of loss.

It is regrettable that not much has changed here on Earth since the days documented in 1 Samuel 17, wherein the armies of the Palestinians, i.e., the Philistines, and Israel engaged in war. One could say these were “struggles to the death,” except for the fact that, clearly, this struggle hasn’t died.

Perhaps only a child could observe this multi-millennia situation and ask the only questions that matter: “Why…? Why are they fighting…? Why don’t they love each other…?

Yes, amen, love is the answer, but naive, sympathetic love is not a solution. Unceasing, meaningful, true love is. In the language of ancient Israel and Jesus, Aramaic, the root word for “love” occurs in only two other words: “mercy” and “compassion.” When — and only when — Israel shows unceasing true love, mercy and compassion to the Palestinian people, the warring shall end. And “happy are the merciful…for they shall obtain mercy.”

How do we all win the struggle…? By listening. By listening to the singular, principal words of both the Hebrew Bible, Deuteronomy 6:4 and the identical words given by Jesus Christ in Mark 12:29:

“Hear, O Israel: the LORD our God, the LORD is one. And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.”

When we truly listen to the above words, we’ll come to know that Israel is struggling with itself. We are all children of God. We are all “one.”