It breaks my heart when a place of which I have fond memories come into the public eye as the latest victim of a cruel aggressor or mad tyrant. Gaza has been on that sad list for some time, but now without doubt heads it. The Gaza I know is a desperate place, but full of decent, hardworking people that have (or had) dreams far beyond the grim reality of the moment. To retain hope in such an environment is truly a triumph of human spirit over grim facts.
What is happening to Gaza is almost inconceivable--a million and a half people living in what is effectively a prison, cut off from the world and starved by Israel for years, and now being left homeless and completely destitute as Israeli aircraft (paid for by the United States) pound Gaza's paultry infrastructure to rubble. A recent UN report found that a large percentage of Gaza's children are literally starving to death, and many are also dying for lack of access to clean water or simple medical care. Why? Because Hamas thugs have persisted in shooting occasional rockets at Israel, and Israel has chosen to brutalize the civilian population in retaliation.
Can hope survive the onslaught being unleashed upon Gazans by Israel? God gives us all the ability to hope far beyond what present reality may suggest. All we can do is pray for the poor people of Gaza, and do what we can to end this insanity. A few years back I remember telling a some friends (Europeans, Americans, and Israelis) that, given peace and quiet, Gaza could be the Dubai of the Mediterranean. Of course, they laughed at me. They were looking at the facts, and perhaps they were justified in laughing. I said the same things to a group of Gazans, and they did not laugh. Instead, they agreed most earnestly, and started listing all they HAD accomplished against incredible odds. I pray that this can-do spirit survives the current horror, and will still be there when peace finally does come.
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