Lehamin Betikva - The Faith in Humanity and Peace


I was raised in a " weired" family, where everything was exactly as it was named. Whita was white, golden was golden. We didn't " beat around the bush ", we didn't avoid difficult questions.

No one is free from life's mistakes but very few possess the courage to speak the Truth.

My ancestors have left me only their honor. It is my great dowry. It is exactly the reason why I speak these words.

At this moment a crafty war is taking place in the Middle East, were the dark sides of Humanity take over our reasoning and mercy for Life.
Both sides carry the guilt of the conflict.

I don't try to judge who has done more wrong. That's besides the point.
I am only interested in ending this madness - leading into self-destruction on both parts.

At the time of The Festival of Jewish Culture in June of 2002 not once were the problems of the Middle East mentioned. It looked as if we were living on a different Planet.

Was it hypocrisy or just fear of difficult questions.

This is why I took no part in this Festival in 2002.

The artists in the Festival probably didn't want anything to do with dirty politics. But in the words of Zbigniew Herbert: " each of us has to prove his Humanity ".

No one and nothing can take away this responsibility. This is the reason I've realized that in 2002 the only Festival of Jewish Culture took place in Tel Avive, where on May 11th " more than 50 thousands Israelites were part of the manifestation, when they were appealing for Peace and protested against the occupation of Palestynian Territory.

The Icchak Rabin's Square - named after the Premier of Israel, who was assassinated in 1995 by a Jewish right hand extermist, hardly could cater for everyone in the rally, which was organized by the movement "Peace Now" and the Coalition for Peace, in which various people from the left hand political and cultural circles participated.

The manifestation was so courageous for these People, who like all others Israelites are threatened whith unnecesary Death by the hands of Palestinian suicide bombers.

The same way the other Jew could felt only Hate and wanted revenge but they still managed to defend their own sense of Humanity.

Shalom

 

Artur £oboda