The synagogue in Munich, Bavaria, was built in the centre of the city, in an area that had been a Jewish quarter before the Nazi expulsions and murders. It is built of large stones of that yellowish hue seen in all Jerusalem buildings, and possibly in imitation of the Wailing Wall, a remnant of the old Jewish temple in the centre of that city. A large entrance with two tablets and in Hebrew the numbers 1-10 reflect the tablets of the Law with its Ten Commandments.
In front, many bouquets of flowers and hundreds of extinguished candles (it is 11 o’clock on a Monday morning in the second half of October), mark the sorrow for each of the victims of the mass murder of Israeli civilians that began on Saturday the 7th of this month in southern Israel, 16 days ago.
I touch the stone and I am moved… I feel so close to that tragedy, the people who suffered, and those who continue to suffer. Both in Israel and in Gaza, Palestine and all that Middle East so convulsed and so far from the dream of Peace of the majority of people, even of the majorities in that area of so much conflict.
Entering the English Garten Park, I see a small poster on a post with a picture of a 5 year old girl. Kidnapped by Hamas to use her as a hostage. Why? What do children have to do with the madness of governments and terrorists? Take each other hostage, but how can you use children, mothers or grandparents? It is a cruelty and lack of humanity that has no name.
Bombing buildings with the excuse of destroying Hamas bases in Gaza? And what about the children, women and old people who live there? If you want to play your stupid wars, play among yourselves, but do not kill, hurt or destroy the lives of those who only aspire to live in peace and dignity in a world that has every possibility to offer this to each and every one of us who live in it.
Why, then, this madness of those who lead groups and/or governments? For extreme ideas such as following supposedly divine “scriptures”, which apparently have nothing to do with love, compassion or other noble sentiments? For economies, when there are resources for everyone to live decently? For territories? Agree and share them out so that everyone (except extremists of any colour, side or religion) are satisfied.
It is time to denounce the absurdity of resolving conflicts in violent ways, it does not lead to anything good, it only increases the pain and the closed-mindedness of the future. It is time to raise the option of “non-violent solutions”, through dialogue and agreements!
