Lasting Peace in Gaza?

Fact. Hamas' present day struggle with Israel is not one of recent times. Although the issues sited in this most recent peace agreement focus entirely on issues involving today's Palestinians and Israelis, it actually has little to do with the today's people.

The Islamic Resistance Movement, aka Hamas, links back to 1939, 1948 and 1968 and after, with individual strikes begun by Izz al-Din al Kissam and his brethren, members of Moslem Brotherhood. Brotherhood was created and kept alive with one purpose only, to prevent the establishment and continued existence of a free, independent Jewish state. It follows a history rich in strong political connections between Arabs and Adolph Hitler and his final solution, which systematically annihilated six million Jews.

The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him salvation, has said:
"The Day of Judgement will not come about until Moslems fight the Jews (killing the Jews), when the Jew will hide behind stones and trees. The stones and trees will say O Moslems, O Abdulla, there is a Jew behind me, come and kill him. Only the Gharkad tree, (evidently a certain kind of tree) would not do that because it is one of the trees of the Jews." (related by al-Bukhari and Moslem). Article Seven of The Covenant of Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas Covenant) August 18, 1988.

Despite US prohibition on financial aid to a Palestinian state whose leaders are involved in terrorism and continue to deny a peaceful co-existence with Israel, there have been hundreds of millions of dollars granted to the Palestinian Authority in humanitarian aid for Palestinians living in sub-human conditions in both Gaza and the West Bank. Does the US have any control over how the funds are administered? What is known is that the condition of the Palestinian people in these areas ahs unquestionably continues to deteriorate under control of Hamas forces. Is it possible the lack of consistency between the US's words and actions play a significant role in the how US involvement is viewed by the people in this region?

Hamas ousted Palestinian President Abbas' (elected President of Palestinian National Authority) security forces and gained control over Gaza in June, 2007. There has been nothing that resembles peace for the 1.4 million Palestinians or the Israelis who live in bordering towns since.

The first step in the new six-month peace accord is to end the violence. Once this has been accomplished, Israel agreed to ease its blockade on Gaza. Negotiations will then resume on the release of an Israeli soldier who has been held by Hamas forces for two years. The final stage of the agreement will realize an opening of the Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt.
Both sides are aware how much there is at stake and how critical a lasting peace is to the future of this region. It is not, however only today's issues that impact these conflicts. There's an undeniable historic cord, interweaving religion and politics always present, behind the backdrop of today's conflicts. Can true, lasting peace be achieved unless we uncover the layers beneath the surface and work to heal the wounds formed by the hatred of the past?

Let us pray!

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