The UN, Red Cross and others have documented the difficulties of the people of Gaza: shortages of food, medicines and construction material. Three-quarters of the population of Gaza depend on food aid and most of the buildings destroyed in the 2008-09 invasion have not been rebuilt. All this in a place described as ‘the world’s biggest open-air prison’. Israeli forces patrol the fences, fighter planes, helicopter gunships control the skies and the navy controls the sea.

However Gaza is only part of the equation. The bigger question is what will bring a just and lasting peace in the Holy Land? The unresolved problems resulting from the expulsion of Palestinians from their homes in the 1948 and 1967 wars must be faced. The Israeli state is now defined by its occupation of Palestinian lands.

But a just solution is possible and practical. It is based on previous UN resolutions and international law including Israeli withdrawal from the occupied territories. Hamas and Fatah do not have an ability to militarily defeat Israel. They have both accepted the 1948-67 borders as a starting point for a negotiated settlement. A renunciation of armed force on both sides is required but the stronger party (Israel) has greater responsibility to initiate real change

The parameters of a solution are known but trust and motivation are required. Such trust could be be based on a shared interest in protecting Palestine’s historic holy places. Jerusalem is holy for Jews, Christians and Muslims. Jesus continues to weep over its situation (Luke 19:41-44).

Prayer: That a realization grow in the hearts of all involved in the conflict that armed force will not guarantee security nor resolve the underlying injustices.

Gaza is a giant prison for 1.5 million Palestinians. This time Egyptian authorities prevented the protestors from approaching Gaza’s Rafah gate. Like Israel, Egypt receives huge amounts of US aid. This ‘reward’ for its peace agreement with Israel also means Egypt works in tandem with Israeli/US policy. Thus the Palestinians continue to be cornered and stateless. Epstein is part of a number of Jewish people speaking out against the Israeli occupation and control of Palestinian lives and territory. Another is historian Ilan Pappe whose book The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine (1997), exposes the myths around the establishment of the modern state of Israel in 1948.