Praying for Israel

Today I am praying for Israel, and for Jews all around the world who experience hatred and anti-Semitism on a regular basis.

Earlier today, a gunman opened fire inside the Mercaz HaRav Yeshiva in Jerusalem, killing eight innocent students and wounding countless others. And apparently, after the attack, Hamas militants and Palestinians in Gaza were reported to be celebrating in the streets, firing guns in the air, and giving prayers of thanks at local mosques.

Also, some of you may not know this, but recently, there has been a wave of violent anti-Semitism towards Jewish people in Los Angeles. Two weeks ago, a Molotov cocktail was thrown at The Jewish Federation’s campus in the Valley, and many Jewish homes and cars were vandalized and grafittied with anti-Semitic and anti-Jewish slurs.

It’s 2008 – when will this stop? I am sickened and saddened by all this hatred towards the Jewish people. I truly believe that the Jewish people in Israel and all over the world want only to live in peace. That’s it – to live in peace. We don’t want to be best friends with Palestinians or other races or religions who hate us – we just want to be able to live side by side, without conflict or argument or constant terror attacks.

I have to believe that one day, these kinds of attacks and violence will be a thing of the past. I have to believe that Palestinian families will stop teaching their children to hate Israelis from the moment they are born. I have to believe that peace is attainable, that one day, maybe not in my lifetime, the world will not view a Jewish state as constantly threatened and in a state of upheaval. We all have to believe these things, because if we don’t, who will?

So, today I pray for the families of those who were killed in Israel, and I pray for an end to the violence that continues to follow our people. I hope you all are praying too, because no matter who or what or where you are, no one deserves to die for what kind of God they believe in.