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the importance of friendship be–
tween peoples.
0 :
What would it take to bring
peace to the Middle East?
A:
First of all, peace in any part of
the world depends on justice. If
there is justice, there is peace. If
there is no justice, there is no peace.
If eaeh one likes the other, then they
wiU be all right together - even if
they're black or white, Moslem or
Jew, Christian or anything else.
[Musa is a Moslem, but is "not so
religious."]
If
there is no friendship, it
means there is no peace, because each
one wants to take what he believes is
his. That's why friendship is the most
important condition for peace.
0 :
What can be done to eliminate
the bittemess between tbese
peo–
ples?
A:
It's not easy. Why? Because
when they are young, they are
taught that so and so is his enemy,
that side his friend. When they grow
up, this idea is ingrained in them.
It
takes time to live together and to get
to know each other. That is the way
to change people for the better.
Q:
Then it's a matter of education?
A:
Yes.
0 :
Wbat should be included in a
practica) solution to tbe problem?
A :
The problem is, you know, a
land problem.
lt
happens every–
where, but not as big as this prob–
lem here. In this case, it's very big.
People a re pushed out of their
homes and other people live in
them. lt's not a piece of land like a
desert or a mountain where nobody
lives.
lt
would be easier if it was. But
homes and many families are in–
volved. It's a very difficult feeling,
you know, when I am outside of my
home and someone else is in it.
[Many Jews who have suffered a
similar experience would agree.)
If
he divides my borne to me and to
him, it would be better. All people
should live together, even if we are
Moslem, Christian or Jew.
But How?
Who is to determine what justice
is? The decision admittedly must be
made by a third party respected by
PLAIN TRUTH February 1974
both sides and not by the Arabs and
Israelis themselves. For this reason,
sorne consider the U.N. likely to be
the fairest j udge. However, U.N. de–
cisions are not formu lated according
to moral considerations but accord–
ing to política! ones. Consequently,
it has been unable to bring peace to
the world in the 28 years of its exis–
tence. Although the U.N. does provide
sorne valuable services to mankind
through its branch agencies, it has
failed its central purpose.
World leaders say negotiations
are the only way to a just peace, but
in the same breath, they talk of
" negotiation from a position of
strength." This attitude automati–
cally precludes the chances for an
impartial decision.
l nternational politics aside, the
root cause of any war lies in the
nature of the warring parties them–
selves. "From whence come wars
and fightings among you? come
they not hence, even of your lusts
that war in your members? Ye lust,
and have not: ye
kili,
and desire to
have, and cannot obtain: ye fight
and war, yet ye bave not ..." wrote
James, the brother of Jesus, nine–
teen centuries ago (James 4:1-2).
Unfortunately, as the Palestinian
headmaster observed, the Israelis
and the Arabs have "different
ways." "Can two walk together, ex–
cept they be agreed?" (Amos 3:3.)
Peace is impossible to attain unless
people can reach genuine agree–
ment. What will it take before both
Arab and Israelí replace their mu–
tual distrust with the outgoing con–
cern typified by the selfless !ove of
true friends?
A Needed Chango
Joel Horowitz, a soldier who
served in Jerusalem during the 1967
war, was asked if he thought peace
would come. He replied: "Some–
thing can take place, but under the
present circumstances, nothing will
change. l f men's minds would
change as a result of war, per–
baps ...."
A change in the human attitude
toward the Creator God and bis law
is the first requirement for lasting
peace. War is proof that none of the
peoples in the Middle East are gen–
uinely obeying God, for "When a
man's ways picase the Lord, he
maketh even his enernies to be at
peace with him" (Proverbs 16:7).
Joel Horowitz observed that it
wouldn't be easy to change the
human mind. It would take sorne
drastic action. In fact, man by him–
self cannot change his nature.
lt
takes the personal intervention of
God. "A new heart also will 1 give
you, and a new spirit will I put
within you: and 1will take away the
stony heart out of your ftesh, and I
will give you an heart of flesh. And 1
will pul my spirit within you, and
cause you to walk in my statutes,
and ye shall keep my judgments,
and do them. And ye shall dwell in
the land that I gave to your fathers;
and ye shall be my people and 1will
be your God" (Ezekiel 36:26-28).
Notice that God includes the so–
lution to the question of territory
along with how he is going to make
it possible for man to obey
him
and
live
in
peace. God has already set
aside for Palestinian Arabs, Jews
and every other people their own
"nationa1
hom~."
After all, he is the
only one in the position to decide
where the diverse human families
should live: "The earth is the
Lord's, and the fulness thereof; the
world, and they that dwell therein"
(Psalm 24: 1).
Th roughout history , God has
given man the opportunity to obey
him
and live in peace. Mankind has
done neither. So what will God do
for mankind?
"Come, behold the works of the
Lord, what desolations he hath
made in the earth. He maketh wars
to cease unto the end of the earth;
he breaketh the bow, and cutteth
the spear in sunder; he burneth the
chariot in the tire. Be still, and know
that 1 am God: 1 will be exalted
among the heathen, 1will ·be exalted
in the earth" (Psalm 46:8- 10).
Yes, peace will come to the
Middle East. But it will take God to
bring
it.
o
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