Something to Think About . . .

Although this cartoon is from 2009 I believe it is relevant to the current situation involving Israelis and the Palestinians of Gaza. That's because I've come to the conclusion that the vast majority of both Israelis and Palestinians are caught between two extremist leaderships – the Israeli government of Benjamin Netanyahu and the armed wing of the Palestinian Sunni Islamic organization Hamas. The tragic result of this is that innocent people on both sides are victims of indiscriminate violence. Of course, while neither side in this ongoing conflict is justified in using such violence, the fact that the Israeli government has the greater arsenal means we repeatedly see greater violence and destruction inflicted on the Palestinian people – most recently in Gaza. The militant wing of Hamas responds with rocket fire into Israeli territory . . . and the cycle of violence continues.

It's a situation that reminds me of William Cleary reflection/prayer, "Unfolding at Every Moment," and in particular the part that reads:

[H]ow shall we deal with the insidious evil
– epidemic in world cultures and societies –
of human egotism,
cruel in its delusional ignorance
and destructive of human life and its environments?

Egotism produces war, crime, cruelty,
disappointment, isolation,
impoverishment, ignorance, illusion:
we are all too familiar with these. . . .

To read Cleary's prayer in its entirety, click here.


Related Off-site Links:
Netanyahu's Ugly Game in Gaza – Stephen Zunes (The Progressive, July 9, 2014).
The Indiscriminate Compassion of Haneen Zoabi – Alexander Reed Kelly (TruthDig.com, July 13, 2014).
Between Hamas and Israel, What Might an Endgame Look Like? – Ari Shapiro (NPR News, July 14, 2014).
You Can't Kill Hamas, You Can Only Make It Stronger – Mark Perry (Foreign Policy, July 14, 2014).
Israel is Captive to Its 'Destructive Process' – Chris Hedges (TruthDig.com, July 14, 2014).
Israel Resumes Airstrikes After Hamas’ Armed Wing Rejects Truce – BBC News (July 15, 2014).
Why Opposing the Israel Lobby Is No Longer Political Suicide – Phyllis Bennis (The Nation, July 15, 2014).
The Periodic Slaughter of Palestinians – Lawrence Davidson (Consortium News, July 16, 2014).
Mowing the Lawn in Gaza – John Feffer (Foreign Policy in Focus, July 16, 2014).
We Single Israel Out Because We in the West Are Shamefully Complicit in Its Crimes – Mehdi Hasan (New Statesman, July 16, 2014).
What Happened When Palestinian Children Were Killed in Front of a Hotel Full of Journalists – Adam Taylor (The Washington Post, July 16, 2014).
When Will Gazans Finally Get Fed Up With Hamas? – Alan M. Dershowitz (National Post, July 17, 2014).
Does Hamas Provoke Israel to Attack Gaza? – Hamid Dabashi (Aljazeera, July 17, 2014).
Israeli Ground Assault Pushes Deeper Into Gaza – Ibrahim Barzak and Aron Heller (Associated Press via Yahoo! News, July 18, 2014).
New York Times Rewrites Gaza Headline: Was It Too Accurate? – Peter Hart (FAIR, July 17, 2014).
Glenn Greenwald: Why Did NBC Pull Veteran Reporter After He Witnessed Israeli Killing of Gaza Kids? – Democracy Now! (July 18, 2014).
What Putin and Netanyahu Have in Common – Andrew Sullivan (The Dish, July 18, 2014).
Falluja and Gaza: Why Counter-Terrorism Fails When the Problem is Political – Juan Cole (Informed Comment via Common Dreams, July 18, 2014).
20 killed as Israeli Troops Push into Gaza – Tia Goldenberg and Ibrahim Barzak (Associated Press via Yahoo! News, July 18, 2014).
Israel Ground Assault Overwhelms South Gaza Hospital – Sara Hussein (AFP via Yahoo! News, July 18, 2014).
Pope Francis Phones Peres, Abbas to Call for Gaza Ceasefire – AFP via Yahoo! News (July 18, 2014).

UPDATES: Bloody Sunday as 97 Gazans, 13 Israeli Soldiers Killed – Sara Hussein and Mai Yaghi (AFP via Yahoo! News, July 20, 2014).
"Death and Horror" in Gaza as Thousands Flee Israeli Bombardment – Peter Beaumont and Harriet Sherwood (The Guardian, July 20, 2014).
Massacre in Shujaiya: Dozens Killed as Israel Shells Eastern Gaza City – Ali Abunimah (The Electronic Intifada, July 20, 2014).
Truce Elusive as Hamas, Israel Stick to Positions – Ibrahim Barzak and Peter Enav (Associated Press via Yahoo! News, July 21, 2014).
Equality is Necessary for Lasting Peace Between Israel and Palestine – Drew Christiansen and Ra'fat Aldajani (National Catholic Reporter, July 21, 2014).

See also the previous Wild Reed posts:
"We Will Come Together in Our Pain"
Prayer and the Experience of God in an Ever-Unfolding Universe
Quote of the Day – September 7, 2013
In Search of a "Global Ethic"