In light of the escalating conflict in Gaza over the last 24 hours, the Methodist Church is calling for international pressure on both Israel and Hamas to bring an end to the violence.
Steve Hucklesby, Public Issues Policy Advisor, said; “The devastating death toll resulting from Israeli air strikes has shocked many. Rather than improving security, this action by Israel could compound conflict in the region. It is also likely to make it more difficult to bring regional powers together in a search for solutions. Both Hamas and Israel must respond to the UN Security Council call for an immediate end to all military operations.
“We call on the EU, United States and the UN to bring increased pressure on Israel and on Hamas to refrain from violence. At this time of year when the focus of Christians around the world is on the Holy Land we pray for courageous leadership in the cause of peace.
“Before the recent outbreaks of violence, Gaza was already suffering a dire humanitarian situation has not been helped by Israel’s blockade and restrictions on relief supplies. Now food, fuel and medical supplies are needed urgently.”
(From the Methodist Church News Service)
{ 12 comments… read them below or add one }
Beth 12.28.08 at 11:25 pm
“We call on the EU, United States and the UN to bring increased pressure on Israel and on Hamas to refrain from violence.”
Physician, heal thyself.
dh 12.29.08 at 3:57 pm
I’m sorry, Israel has sent millians of dollars of humanitarian aid after the blockage. The blockade was needed due to terrorist organizations like Hamas and Hezbollah doing their terrorist campaign. There has been a cease-fire for over 6 months with constant rocket-fire from Hamas and the Israeli’s have been patient and have not responded since the cease-fire. Finally after the latest round of attacks by Hamas has killed around 200 Israeli people then enough was enough.
Also, it appears the Hamas and the Palestinians are doing what Saddam did in the first war in 1992 by having innocent people surrounding a known missle complex. I can get you the video. It shows an airstrike on a complex with an unlaunched missle being detotated out of the rubble.
The fact is Hamas and Hezbollah are the ones that should be condemned more than Israel. Israel is the one that has been patient one in the past six months. What should they do? Sit back and let Hamas continue their terrorist campaign? Also, what evidence that a removal of the blockade that you so “call out toward Israel” is going to keep Hamas from doing what what they desire which is a total destruction of Israel as a nation.
You mention the EU and the UN, these groups continue to say that it was a mistake that Israel became a nation in 1948. To me that is totally despicable and indefensible.
Also, while Israel has been sending humanitarian aid (I have the evidence) Egypt continues to blockade WITHOUT (not toward you Richard but for effect toward Egypt) humanitarian aid. Israel has asked the international community to supply humantiarian aide with a lack of resolution from the international community. There the ones that need to “put their money where their mouth is”.
Paul Martin 12.29.08 at 4:37 pm
Dh where do you get the 200 figure?
Acrually Israel has been blocking humanitarian aid.
And before you suggest that I support Hama, any suggestion could not be more wrong!
Ontherun 12.29.08 at 6:12 pm
The actions of Israel seem almost designed to radicalise a greater proportion of the Gazan population, by pushing a beleaguered and impoverished people further and further into a corner.
I’m no supporter of Hamas either, but am getting a bit fed up by the even-handed nature of condemnation of both Israel and Hamas by just about everyone. When my husband and my teenage son get into a bad-tempered wrestling match they’re both in the wrong. But I approach my comments to my husband first because - as the adult and the stronger partner in the fight - he has more options open to him about how to resolve the situation than my son has. I see it as being the same with Israel and Hamas: Israel has the military might and the international friends and influence - all of which give it far more scope for positive action to resolve the conflict than Hamas.
DH 12.29.08 at 6:47 pm
How about these articles which contradict the “blocking of humanitarian aid”?
http://www.israelnewsagency.com/gazaidfisraelhumanitarianaidhamasterrorismun66070207.html
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3562917,00.html
It appears, contrary to your view, that Israel DID allow humanitarian aid but once the aid was sent to Gaza Hamas rockets were fired. It appears that Israel is clearly in a catch-22.
Here are the totals that confirm how many have been killed and injured since the 2nd intifada. It appears as of Apr 2008 the total was in the hundreds and that for the year before the Apr 2008 that my figure is not out of the ordinary like you suggest (did mentioned “killed” I meant to say “killed/murdered AND injured” sorry for the confusion and thanks for the additional clarification):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Intifada
Here is a statement of humdreds of millions of humanitarian aid in 2007:
http://www.arabnews.com/?page=4§ion=0&article=97704&d=19&m=6&y=2007
This also is US aid to Palestine approved by the Israeli government:
http://www.palestine-pmc.com/details.asp?cat=1&id=1774
Paul Martin 12.29.08 at 8:10 pm
Your figures seem to be about P.A rather than Gaza.
So I ask what about blockade of emergency food and medical aid to Gaza?
Would you provide figures of thos killed in last 12 months from Gaza rockets including during an after ceasefire? This sill show disproportionate nature of response.
Like Ontherun I am very critical of Hamas. Her point re obligations of the stronger are very valid. In any unequal contest the less conventionally string will respond in unconventional and often repugnant ways to counter imbalance of strength.
Still what really matters is how to get a peace process going. Frankly I think the israeli gov’t have probably strengthened Hamas within the Palestinian community and singularly failed to win their own people the security they deserve.
DH 12.29.08 at 8:21 pm
Well onthe run, I get tired of Israel always being looked at as the bad guy when they have held back from attacking once cease-fires have been agreed to. It is only when violation of cease-fires occur by Hamas that Israel has no choice but to retaliate. For years Israel has asked for help from the international community and for years they continue to be looked at as the bad guy. What is even worse is when the EU and the UN injucnct how it was a mistake to have Israel as a nation. They even go as far as not even condemn the Arab initiated attack on Israel in 1967. To me because Israel successfully defended itself in 1967 from an Arab initated attack they should have the right to at least exist let alone the right to post-1967 borders. At the same time I somewhat agree with Palestine having rights to the West Bank like they do now but they must agree to stop the continued terrorist aggression to obtain those added benefits. Even Palestinians having control of the West Bank is not good enough for them. The fact that the people voted for Hamas which condemns Israel’s right to exist as a country should be more than enough for people to stop this “equal blame” game.
Onthe run, Israel has pursued those options that you request and it works for a period of time and then the violatations by the parties Israel is working with happens.
Referring to your analogy, at some point the parent has no choice, after trying all alternatives, but sending the hostile teenager to away to a place where the hostile teenager can get some help. A more acurate situation to your analogy, sometimes the parent has to turn in their own son to the police to go to jail when a son murders, uses drugs, etc. Some of these parents were wonderful parents but the child falls into choices that require alternatives for the childs own benefit. For the sake of the good “younger” children within Palestine the bully child who has commited crimes must be punished or sent away to protect those “younger children” (aka those children who voted for Fatah as opposed to Hamas or Hezbollah).
DH 12.29.08 at 8:27 pm
Paul, the major point is while there were periods of time where blockades occurred and were lifted, the point of the periods of blockade only occurred when violations by Hamas and Hezbollah of cease-fires began. When there were no violatations of cease-fires milli0ns of dollars of aid were able to get to the Palastinian people in contrary to some people who say Israel has NEVER (not yelling)supported the Palastinains with aid let alone the millions that actually were given.
The facts remain that Hamas and Hezbollah have been dramatically reduced in their ability to continue their missile campaigns. Will support from Iran and Syria continue? probably but they will continue to do that no matter the response by Israel for their goal is to have no country of Israel at all which I believe is reprehensible.
The lack of security occured when Hamas and Hezbollah violated their won cease-fires with Israel. You are carrying the cart before the horse with regard to Israel/Palestinian relations.
Steve Jolly 12.30.08 at 3:15 am
This may be a problem with no human solution.
Check out my Methodist-based blog on discipleship, evangelism and church revitalization at:
Ontherun 12.30.08 at 11:08 am
DH: We are never going to agree on the historical background to this. There are so many versions of the story that can be told - and every proponent can summon up “evidence” to support their claim. So you’ll excuse me if I don’t engage further.
I visited Israel, the West Bank and Gaza almost a decade ago now- and one of the things which saddened me greatly was to see that both Israelis and Palestinians were shaping their own children’s identities in terms of being both the victim and the enemy of the “other”. Whilst this continues peace is very far away.
Even if our perspectives differ, I hope we might be able to share in a prayer from Christian Aid (which I accept also has it’s own perspective as an organisation, but nevertheless I think this prayer is coming from a very good - and Godly - place)
“Pray not for Arab or Jew;
for Palestinian or Israeli
but pray rather for ourselves
tha we might not divide them in our prayers
but keep them both together in our hearts.”
DH 12.30.08 at 2:45 pm
Onthe run, I don’t want to give you the wrong impression. I just get tired of the “Israel is more to blame than Hamas/Hezbollah” mantra that I hear from some people. My mom and dad have been to the West Bank as well (Bethleham) and I know there are hundreds even thousands of Christian Palastinians. I also know there are many Palastinians (48% of them) who do not support terrorist leaders who voted for Fatah. I will continue to pray for these people that they would experience the terrorism that many of their own people are facilitating. I also pray that there could be a peaceful solution which can really only be achieved by people not supporting Hamas or Hezbollah. Any group that says “Israel has no right to exist” does not deserve to be heard. Does Palastine deserve some land as an independent country? absolutely but only if the Palastinian people get rid of the idea that Israel doesn’t deserve to exist at all and get rid of the concept of supporting terrorism.
I believe by the power of God people can change Israeli’s toward a concept of having Palastinians having a country and Palastinians stopping their support of terrorist leaders and stopping the idea that Israel does not deserve to exist as a country.
DH 12.30.08 at 2:46 pm
I’m with Steve Jolly on this one. Great job.