THE GAZA QUAGMIRE

...the Israeli Army is engaged in what looks like a plan to unilaterally destroy the Palestinian territory.
...
Mr. Sharon's broader miscalculation was his belief that Israel alone can determine the terms of its withdrawal and the outlines of a long-term accommodation with the Palestinians. Unfortunately, President Bush helped enable this fantasy by telling the prime minister in Washington last month that if Israel withdrew its settlements from Gaza, it could decide in advance that it would keep some of its West Bank settlements and would deny Palestinian refugees the right to return to their old homes without even putting the issue on the table.

Raised in the Southern Baptist tradition, as a young child I was confused about my heritage. Somehow I got the idea from our Bible stories in Sunday School that Abraham, Isaac and Joseph were my ancestors. Ever since, I have been unabashedly pro-Israel. One of my three best friends is Jewish (the other two are (1) agnostic and (2) Unitarian -- I don't count as a friend my dearest sister-in-law, who is one of the finest Christian women alive -- I consider her to be my sister). My middle daughter is in the process of converting to Judaism. The best boss I ever had and one of the best men I have ever known, is Jewish.

That having been explained, I must say that I am one of many pro-Israel Americans who are absolutely dismayed with the current Israeli leadership. I feel the same way about Sharon, the Likud, Netanyahu, et al, as I do about the Bushies. Polls consistently show that more than two-thirds of Israelis favor retreating from Gaza. Even Mr. Sharon's defense minister calls the Gaza occupation an "historical mistake."

Last night the fam watched the season finale of The West Wing. (Was there EVER a better network television drama?) It was dismaying to see Leo practically advocating the wholesale destruction of the entire Middle East region (excepting Israel, of course). It was especially dismaying because I know this is a case of "art reflecting life." The arrogant, we're-the-only-ones-who-count, revenge-bound attitudes of the Bush/Sharon alliance followers endanger us all, and are no fair reflection upon Judaeo-Christian theology. The God of the Old Testament and the Father that Christ revealed in the New Testament are one and the same. True believers have no business advocating an exclusionary, hate-filled revenge theology -- even in dangerous times. Christians have been instructed not to live as the world would, but to live the teachings of Christ, who only showed anger once: when the money-lenders corrupted the holiness of the Temple. Jesus taught us to do right and trust in God for the results, not to do wrong because the other side does. Anything else demonstrates a LACK of faith.