'Shalom. Salam.'
These two utterances mean 'peace' in Hebrew and Arabic, respectively. They are the common greetings in Israel and Palestinian territories.
Clearly peace does not reign here, nor really anywhere for that matter. Below are photos of Jerusalem's infamous religious sites, the Muslim 'Dome of the Rock' and Jewish 'Western Wall', the remnants of Judaism's destroyed temple. Two shrines of immense importance to two peoples. Both at the heart of a societal schism.
Tension is high, politics are complex.
But I found people to be far more simple. Open, warm, welcoming, I'm talking about some universal human qualities.
One rainy morning in Nazareth, Northern Israel, I had the privilege of meeting Imam Mohammed, a teacher in Jerusalem's Al Aqsa Mosque and a seller in the local souk, with twinkling eyes and quite a few teeth missing. Over a transaction and a tea, we chatted and shared our stories. He told me about his family in the West Bank and Gaza. He also told me he actually had thirty-two names. I told him Mohammed would do just fine. We parted, both offering to pray for each other.
A few days later in Tiberias, a lakeside town on the Sea of Galilee, on the eve of Shabbat (Saturday, the Jewish holy day), I was approached by two Orthodox Jewish girls, no older than about fifteen. They were the kindest, most curious and joy- filled young ladies I've met. They were absolutely over the moon to connect with me and gift me with some Shabbat candles. These two beautiful souls encouraged me to keep 'spreading the light'. We parted, agreeing that God was probably behind our special encounter.
I think there's no one bad guy in this complicated Arab-Israeli conflict. For sure, there are peacemakers, seekers of reconciliation on all sides. Good people caught up in a hot mess. Generous hearts in the midst of greed, violence and intolerance. The last two photos are some visual indicators of that.
I'm definitely not sure what a peaceful solution looks like, but the words of my friend Mohammed the Imam seem like a good place to start: "We just need to sit down and talk to each other".
Shalom, Salam. The world needs it.
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