A Lament for Israel and Palestine, A Year In

by Peter Digitale Anderson

Wake up, O Lord! Why do you sleep?

Get up! Do not reject us forever.

Why do you look the other way?

Why do you ignore our suffering and oppression?

We collapse in the dust,

lying face down in the dirt.

Rise up! Help us!

Ransom us because of your unfailing love.

Psalm 44:23-26 (NLT)

It has been one year since fighters from Hamas and other militant groups fired rockets and crossed the border from Gaza into Israel, brutally killing nearly 1,200 people and kidnapping 251 more, ripping apart families and traumatizing the country.

It has been one year since Israel retaliated with airstrikes against the crowded cities of Gaza, soon to be followed by a ground invasion and blockade that cut Gaza’s access to food and fuel.

It has been one year since the long-standing conflict over land between Israel and Palestine, and ongoing resistance to Israel’s oppressive apartheid state, erupted in the largest escalation of violence in decades.

Since then:

There has been a tremendous loss of life. Over 41,000 Palestinians have been killed, more than two-thirds of whom have been children, women, and the elderly. Tens of thousands more are missing or wounded, and as many as 200,000 more may have died from indirect causes like starvation and disease. More than 60% of Gazans have lost at least one member of their family. Hundreds more Israelis—mostly but not only soldiers—have been killed. Ninety-seven Israeli hostages are still held captive in Gaza, with perhaps one-third of them already dead.

Millions of Palestinians have been displaced, forced from their homes to escape Israeli bombs and troops. In a stretch of land so small—only 25 miles long—Palestinians have nowhere to run, and are not allowed to leave Gaza. Repeatedly, Gazan civilians have been instructed to leave and go to a “safe zone,” only to then immediately be told to leave that safe zone for another one. Many have been bombed or shot in those “safe zones” or on the journey. More than 100,000 Israelis have also been displaced, fleeing bombardment and potential ground attacks from Gaza, Lebanon, and elsewhere.

Israel has stepped up its violent occupation and land theft in the West Bank. Palestinians are being forced from their homes by settlers at an overwhelming rate, supported by the Israeli Defense Force and government. Israeli settlers are terrorizing and attacking Palestinians. Travel for Palestinians has been heavily restricted, as has access to many essential resources. In August, the IDF launched a large-scale military operation in the West Bank. Israel calls the operation “Operation Summer Camps” with the goal of fighting militants; Palestinians call it the “Horror of the Camps” and believe it is intended to drive them from the land. More than 700 Palestinians in the West Bank have also been killed, including more than a hundred children.

The war has expanded across the Middle East. In solidarity with Hamas, Hezbollah have launched rockets and engaged in skirmishes from Lebanon; Houthi rebels from Yemen have launched missiles at Israel and attacked commercial ships; Iran has also launched missile and drone attacks at Israel. Israel has conducted airstrikes and assassinations in Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, and Iran, and killed and wounded many civilians while targeting Hezbollah with exploding pagers and walkie-talkies. Israeli troops are now invading Lebanon, displacing millions of Lebanese and emptying entire communities on both sides of the border.

And this only scratches the surface of what the past year has contained.

Why do we care? Why don’t we just look away and trust these far-off countries to sort it out themselves?

We care because we know this war isn’t “far-off”—we are deeply enmeshed in it, whether we know it or not.

We have neighbors, friends, and family members—Palestinian and Israeli, Middle Eastern, Muslim, Jewish, and Christian—who are directly affected, having loved ones who have been harmed or killed or who have experienced increased hate in the US or elsewhere.

We know the United States is deeply intertwined in this war, prioritizing politics and profit over mercy and justice in their unequivocal support for Israel’s actions. Even as America seeks to send aid and encourage a diplomatic solution, we continue to send billions of dollars in weapons. The bombs dropping on Gaza and Lebanon are American bombs. America is allowing and empowering this Palestinian genocide and widening war.

We also know that the church is deeply complicit in this violence. Historical and modern proponents of Christian Zionism have used theology and politics to encourage unwavering, uncritical support for the state of Israel. Even many churches who are not explicitly Zionist have stayed silent, apathetic, or ignorant, avoiding difficult and divisive topics in pursuit of superficial unity. We—the church—have ignored the pleas of our Palestinian Christian brothers and sisters for the sake of our own comfort.

How long is long enough? How long must this continue? How long will we ignore the destruction of lives, of communities, of an entire people?

On this terrible anniversary, we at Peace Catalyst invite you to pause, to notice your own exhaustion and uncertainty and sorrow, to lament the violence that seems so impossible to stop, and to recommit yourself to listening and learning and getting involved for peace.

As complicated as conflicts in the Middle East are, and as far-off as reconciliation may seem, all those who follow the Prince of Peace and Lord of Life can agree on at least one thing—we all must do our part to see the killing end so that new life can breathe hope.