More
than three thousand years ago, Abraham had two children. One son had been sent
into the wilderness and was in danger of dying. God saved him with water from a
spring.
The
other son was bound, his throat about to be cut by his own father. But God stayed
the knife. Both sons – Ishmael and Isaac – received promises that they would
father great nations.
With
these narratives, monotheism and western civilization begin. And the Canaanite
practices of child sacrifice to Moloch are forever left behind by the
descendants of Abraham.
Except
they are not.
In
my own lifetime, I have seen Jewish children thrown into the fire. And now I
have seen Muslim children used as human shields, in both cases, by worshippers
of death cults indistinguishable from that of the Molochites.
What
we are suffering through today is not a battle of Jew versus Arab or Israeli
versus Palestinian. Rather, it is a battle between those who celebrate life and
those who champion death. It is a battle of civilization versus barbarism.
Do
the two cultures that brought us the Psalms of David and the rich libraries of
the Ottoman Empire not share a love of life, of transmitting wisdom and
opportunity to their children? And is any of this discernible in the dark
future offered by Hamas to Arab children, to be suicide bombers or human
shields for rockets?
Palestinian
parents want a hopeful future for their children, just like Israeli parents do.
And both should be joining together in peace.
But
before sleepless mothers in both Gaza City and Tel Aviv can rest, before
diplomats can begin in earnest the crucial business of rebuilding dialogue… the
Hamas death cult must be confronted for what it is.
Moderate
men and women of faith, whether that faith is in God or man, must shift their
criticism from the Israeli soldiers – whose terrible choice is to fire and risk
harming human shields, or hold their fire and risk the death of their loved
ones – to the terrorists who have taken away all choice from the Palestinian
children of Gaza.
I
call upon the Palestinian people to find true Muslims to represent them,
Muslims who would never voluntarily place a child in danger.
And
I enjoin the American public to stand firmly with the people of Israel who are
in yet another struggle for survival, and with the suffering people of Gaza who
reject terror and embrace peace.
Let
us return child sacrifice to the darkest corner of history, and work towards a
brighter future with those who choose life, Arabs and Jews alike, all of us
Abraham’s children.
I
call upon President Obama and the leaders of the world to condemn Hamas, use of
children as human shields.
And
I enjoin the American public to stand firmly with the people of Israel who are
in yet another struggle for survival, and with the suffering people of Gaza who
reject terror and embrace peace.
Let
us return child sacrifice to the darkest corner of history, and work towards a
brighter future with those who choose life, Arabs and Jews alike, all of us
Abraham’s children.
Elie
Wiesel
NOBEL
PEACE LAUREATE
This
ad was organized and produced by This World: The Values Network, the world’s
leading organization promoting universal Jewish values in culture, media and
politics.
Rabbi
Shmuley Boteach, Executive Director www.thisworld.us www.shmuley.com
No comments:
Post a Comment