South Florida Muslim Federation: find compassion for all in Israel, Gaza | Opinion

With this recent wave of horrific loss of civilian life for both Israelis and Palestinians, we have once again seen a very divided South Florida, along tribal lines.

With passions running high, it is unlikely anyone will be looking to better understand the reasons that brought the Israelis and Palestinians to yet another round in the long-running war. A war that starts and stops for the Israelis and never ends for the Gazans. However, if we do not recognize that real human beings are being impacted on a daily basis by this cycle of violence, we will never find peace. Humanizing each side to the other is a necessary step.

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To be clear, we stand firm against any terror inflicted on anyone and equally feel the loss of life, irrespective of the race or religion of whose life is taken. All life is sacred, and we must uphold the right of every human to live in dignity, freedom, peace, and security.

We acknowledge and respect the humanity of the hundreds of Israeli civilians and nine Americans who were killed, injured, or taken by force. Equally important is recognizing the humanity of the innocent Palestinian civilians who have been killed and whose lives are capsized. They too are human beings and if we are to move forward toward a lasting peace we must be willing to understand their perspective.

After the disengagement of Gaza by Israel in 2005, Hamas was elected to govern the people of Gaza. However as part of the disengagement plan, Israel retained exclusive control over the airspace and waters connected to Gaza as well as constructed a fenced perimeter with security forces to monitor the Gazans. Now generation after generation of young Palestinians in Gaza grows up knowing Israeli citizens only as soldiers with guns, who keep them within the fence.

The freedom to live life and the opportunity to thrive are things all humans deserve under a functional democracy. For 70 years that has been denied to the Palestinians. In the past few years, there has been a legitimate push within the United States to tackle the ongoing problem of police-citizen encounters that have ended tragically for many African Americans. We recognize here in the United States that we cannot have a paramilitary police force and expect citizens to not fear their own police, especially those who are the most vulnerable. In Gaza and the West Bank, Palestinian youth similarly fear and distrust the IDF soldiers who encircle them or move among them.

Egyptian and Israeli authorities sharply restrict entry and exit of goods to and from Gaza, effectively cutting it off from the outside world. Israel’s own former intelligence chief has called Gaza an open air prison. West Bank Palestinian residents fare little better ― living under a two-tier justice system in which Israel retains control over all major aspects of life, resulting in restriction of movement, routine violent attacks by Israeli settlers, and destruction of homes. All major human rights organizations have called out this system of oppression ― including Israeli ones. Yet few have listened.

Violence will almost always be met with violence. Whether one starts the video when Hamas strikes at Israel or we start the video when Israel strikes at Hamas, it ends with mass destruction and many injured and dead civilians. Israel’s response has already resulted in the destruction of 4 mosques, killing of 413 Palestinians, including 78 children, and  2,300 wounded since Saturday The Israeli defense minister has called Palestinians ‘human animals’, threatening to cut off all food, electricity and fuel to 2 million people.

We ― the world ― have failed to address the root cause of this conflict — the ongoing occupation and subjugation of the Palestinian people. Israeli and Palestinian leaders have failed. Arab governments in the region have failed. The US has failed. And innocent Palestinian and Israelis pay the price for our collective failure.

A solution must be found that establishes dignity and equality for all in this land — Jewish, Christian, and Muslim. We pray for this, and pray for peace.

Samir Kakli is president, SFL Muslim Federation; Imam Azhar Subedar is development director, SFL Muslim Federation. 

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: South Florida Muslim Federation calls for compassion as road to peace