Listen / Read
It was good to hear a rabbi speak on this. The Chief Rabbi would not have been so balanced in his reflections on the conflict, but good old Lionel has used one of his comparably infrequent readings to recognise the suffering of both Israelis and Palestinians, and to criticise the politics of hate responsible for that suffering.
He specifically mentioned the right of the Palestinians to “equal economic opportunities”, indicating his understanding of the need for Israel to open borders and allow not only humanitarian aid through, but also commercial traffic, so that Palestinians might have the chance to actually live their lives rather than barely survive. He also mentioned the “creeping annexation” that is Israeli settlement on Palestinian land, with 75 percent of settlement constructions now revealed to be illegal.
And he mentioned God and that. But I’m not going to hold that against him. Religion is relevant here, because religious beliefs about territorial entitlement are at the heart of the conflict. Despite this relevance, he’s the first Thought for the Day reader who has said what needed to be said.
Antethought for the Day: I’ve never bothered doing this before, but I’m going to predict that potential topics for the next few days will include some waffle about all the snow we’re having, and something moralistic on the The Good Childhood Inquiry, what with Rowan Williams being the patron and all.