It is sad that "walking on eggshells" is the only way that groups can do things like this. For the Land of the Free, it is a sign that we are not as free as we think

I value others' opinions, but it is a shame if they are not able to tell me what they are, while I feel it necessary not to share mine.

This is definitely another way to look at freedom.

Thank you for covering the meeting and very thankful that it remained peaceful.

Praying for peace is exactly what we need right now. A prayer is not walking on eggshells. Reaching out to neighbors is not walking on eggshells. Taking time to quiet angry thoughts and consider a peaceful path and question what is in our hearts is what most religions call us to do. Even if you are an atheist, your psychoanalyst will tell you this is good practice in life when we are faced with terrible circumstances and choices.

Tribalism is not, fundamentally, humane. Tribalism organized around religion (or social media) does not serve our souls. It does not honor God, Allah, or any other name we ascribe to a divine or other spiritual source of life or peace. Tribalism drives slavery, murder, war ...and many of the small and largest abuses humans have done to each other throughout history.

Terrible things were done by Hamas. There have been awful results from the Israeli response. Palestinians are caught in the middle, partly because they actively or passively enabled Hamas to grow and build over time in their community. This is complicated. Great wrongs have been done on all sides, affected by generations of violence and hatred that has lasted so long, is so deep, and has done so much harm, people on all sides no longer know the depth of its roots in their hearts, minds and souls that are driving the choices they are making.

The longstanding hatred, fear, rage on all sides of this needs to be considered with quieter hearts. Prayer can help. Individual efforts to understand can help. Before we can take appropriate action in the world, we need to understand what is in our own hearts. Let's please stop sanctimoniously screaming at each other and employ quieter hearts and greater reason and understanding to work together to solve root problems.

I thought Michael Barbaro's 11/3/23 40-minute interview with David Shipler was helpful in understanding the staying power of narrative in this tragic case and in general.
Web Link . FYI

Thank you for the thoughtful coverage of this Vigil for Peace in the Middle East hosted by Multifaith Voices for Peace and Justice (MVPJ).

The third picture truly captures the meaning of the vigil. Jewish, Muslim and Christian leaders read a “Prayer of Mothers for Life and Peace,” written in 2014 by a Jewish Israeli rabbi and a Palestinian Muslim Sheikha (faith leader) living in northern Israel. Like the writers of the prayer, we gathered as a multifaith community to recognize the suffering of all people involved in this horrific conflict, and lift up voices from all sides calling for an end to all of the violence and yearning for peace and life.

Your article included interviews with Christian and Muslim leaders of MVPJ. As convener of that organization, in order to be more inclusive, I write to add a Jewish voice with a reflection from Rabbi Amy Eilberg.

“I deeply appreciate the work of MVPJ and the 150 people who attended the beautiful event on November 11th. In these days of trauma and horrifying violence, it is very tempting to take sides, advocating for one group over another, as if rooting for our own team. Instead, our vigil took the side of peace and humanity, reaching for our common humanity, our collective grief, and our shared concern for all those suffering from this terrible conflict.”

We believe that when we see and hear each other’s fears and grief, together we can build an even stronger call for the end of injustice and violence, in the Middle East and here in our own local communities.