Opinion: All groups have right to exist in the Middle East. It's time to put down the guns

The people of Gaza remain a concern of mine, or should I say, ours. My wife and I have been to the Israeli/Palestinian region several times. She went alone in 2018, I went alone in 2019, and we went together in 2023.  Both of us look forward to a return to the region once conditions permit. As a result of our multiple trips, we have friends in the region whom we cherish a great deal. These relationships are enhanced due to our daughter’s vast experience in the area as she has made eight trips to the region. Our guide, when in the region, considers us his adopted parents and we consider him our adopted son. We feel that we know and understand the region, the culture, and the people better than most. So, when we read about and see the conflict that is taking lives, our heart aches.

Our exposure to the region and its history, culture and stories have led to seeking a deeper understanding of the history, religions and relations among people living in the area. The region has had numerous regimes to claim authority. Conflict is more the norm than the exception. These conflicts expose the fact that the cruelty of humans have no bounds.

History reveals that the Crusaders were brutal. They persecuted and tortured the Jewish people and considered the Muslim people to be something other than human. Crusader architecture remains prominent in the region, a reminder of the domination the Crusaders enjoyed over the region for a short period of time. The colonialism of the 19th and 20th centuries remind the people of the region that people calling themselves Christians may not be the best partners. 

There are three major religions in the region — Judaism, Christianity and Islam — and these belief systems have more in common than distinctions. To begin with, all three religions claim Abraham as the father of their religion.  Also, all three religions emphasize peace and justice for the common man. 

I have personally witnessed a Jewish Shabbat meal in Tiberius on the Sea of Galilee. The celebration took place in a small serving room. I was sitting at a table compiling my notes from a day of study and a family of multiple generations was sitting at a table not too far from me sharing a meal. There were prayers and hugs. It was a loving, peaceful gathering of loved ones.

I have been awakened many mornings by the Muslim call to prayer. The call to prayer has a soothing spiritual rhythm that brings a sense of calmness and reflection to those listening. One does not need to be a Muslim to be inspired by the call to prayer.

I have shared worship service and coffee with a group of Christian Arabs. The sense of welcoming is compelling. My wife remembers a time when our daughter complimented a Palestinian on a scarf she was wearing. The Palestinian’s response was to attempt to give the scarf to our daughter. The absence of a common language did not hamper the companionship and fellowship.

These three instances are examples of people caring about people. These are people practicing their own religion and their own way of worshiping the same God.

Sadly, all we see is conflict and conflict in the region is indeed ever present. We happened to be in Palestine when Israel invaded the Jenin refugee camp in July of 2023. The carnage was on display in the Palestinian news coverage and we, personally, were caught between the two conflicting forces in Bethlehem. 

With all this said, condemnation gets us nowhere. Condemnation simply feeds the conflict. It is time to put the guns down and respect the interests of all, as long as those interests are not focused on the annihilation of one’s opposition. The fact remains that Palestinians, indigenous Jews and Jewish settlers are calling the area home. No one is going anywhere. It’s long past time for each group to respect the other’s desire to live in peace. Until each group recognizes each group’s right to exist, harmony will never be found. It is time for all to step up to the plate and say “Enough is enough.”

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Lee Sease lives in Burnsville. He is a former Superintendent of Schools in Middlebury, Vermont.

This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Opinion: Time for peace and respect between Israel and Palestine