user icon Karita Hummer in Quick Posts Feed of
8/19/2007 at 8:52 PM EST
Cross-posted from blog at johnedwards.com
http://blog.johnedwards.com/story/2007/8/19/12590/1165
At the center of and underlying so many other problems in the Middle East, and, indeed, the world, is th ongoing festering and many times bursting, conflict between Palestine and Israel.
The Palestine/Israel conflict must be addressed to solve so many others: Iraq, Iran, Syria, for starters.
Pace e Bene, a group devoted to combining spirituality and the practice of active non-violence, alerted its readers to a little known group of former solders from both sides working together for peace now.
Based on a story, in the Capital Times (Madison, Wisc.), Pace e Bene gave this quote from Combatants for Peace, "After brandishing weapons for so many years, and having seen one another only through weapon sights," they say, "we have decided to put down our guns, and to fight for peace."
http://paceebene.org/pace/nvns/nonviolen ce-news-service-archive/israeli-and-pale stinian-fi
From Combatants for Peace' own web-site they cite their mission this way:
We are a group of Israeli and Palestinian individuals who were actively involved in the cycle of violence in our area. The Israelis served as combat soldiers in the Israel Defense Forces and the Palestinians were involved in acts of violence in the name of Palestinian liberation.
We all used weapons against one another, and looked at each other only through weapon sights; however today we cooperate and commit ourselves to the following:
* We no longer believe that the conflict can be resolved through violence.
* We believe that the blood shed will not end unless we act together to terminate the occupation and stop all forms of violence.
* We call for the establishment of a Palestinian State, alongside the State of Israel. The two states can exist in peace and security beside each other.
* We will use only non-violent means to achieve our goals and call for both societies to end violence.
http://www.combatantsforpeace.org/
Isn't this a hopeful story?
Karita Hummer
San Jose, CA
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