When you counsel couples that are having trouble you go in with the assumption that both parties share the guilt. It should be the same with this situation with Israel and Palestine.
Sharing the guilt does not mean it is equal, it may be that one is 80% guilty and the other 20%, and yet you will not restore the relationship unless both repent of their sins.
The second requirement for counseling is that both parties say up front they want a reconciliation. It is pointless to try and reconcile two people if one person does not want to be reconciled. I think it is reasonable to say that Hamas does not want to be reconciled, but for Israel and Palestine I think it is reasonable to say they are more treacherous. They (some not all) may pretend to want reconciliation when in fact they don't. We know that the Jewish strategy has been to use every attack and event to slowly squeeze the Palestinians out of the land.
To me it is not helpful to let people operate in the shadows. Make everyone come forward and make a statement, do you want reconciliation or do you want to kill each other? I suspect you will find the majority of those in both Palestine and Israel want a reconciliation and that will put massive pressure on their respective governments to bow to the will of the people.
Second, you have to make the requirement that if you want reconciliation you must confess and repent of your sins and make atonement.
Sharing the guilt does not mean it is equal, it may be that one is 80% guilty and the other 20%, and yet you will not restore the relationship unless both repent of their sins.
The second requirement for counseling is that both parties say up front they want a reconciliation. It is pointless to try and reconcile two people if one person does not want to be reconciled. I think it is reasonable to say that Hamas does not want to be reconciled, but for Israel and Palestine I think it is reasonable to say they are more treacherous. They (some not all) may pretend to want reconciliation when in fact they don't. We know that the Jewish strategy has been to use every attack and event to slowly squeeze the Palestinians out of the land.
To me it is not helpful to let people operate in the shadows. Make everyone come forward and make a statement, do you want reconciliation or do you want to kill each other? I suspect you will find the majority of those in both Palestine and Israel want a reconciliation and that will put massive pressure on their respective governments to bow to the will of the people.
Second, you have to make the requirement that if you want reconciliation you must confess and repent of your sins and make atonement.
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