Yearning for Peace

by Audrey Lichter

“Faithful are the wounds of a friend, but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.” (Proverbs 27:6)

In last week’s parsha, we learned that Balaam was summoned by Balak to curse the Jewish people. Instead, he could only bless them. Digging deeper into these so-called blessings, however, we learn in Sanhedrin 105b that even within them there were hidden curses. For example, when Balaam compared the Jewish people to the cedars of Lebanon, the blessing was not entirely complimentary. A cedar, it turns out, has relatively shallow roots and can be uprooted by a powerful southern wind. Our sages teach us to be wary of blessings that come from someone who truly hates you, for they may conceal harmful intent.

…be wary of blessings that come from someone who truly hates you, for they may conceal harmful intent.

A new book by Jewish and Palestinian peace activists Aziz Abu Sarah and Maoz Inon, The Future Is Peace, is written by two men who each lost family members to war and who have dedicated themselves to fostering peace between Palestinians and Israelis. Together they travel throughout the land, each sharing his own narrative about the places they visit.

The book is aspirational. It addresses the suffering caused by the occupation and the Gaza war from the Palestinian perspective, while also telling the story of Jewish settlement in Israel after 1948 and the ensuing wars from the Israeli perspective. It is written by men who sincerely long to see a future in which these two peoples can live together in peace.

Reading this book reminded me of the verse from Proverbs. Peace initiatives cannot succeed if the true intentions of the parties involved remain hidden. We saw this tragically on October 7, when Hamas brutally murdered approximately 1,200 people and took hundreds hostage.

Israel has been accused of committing genocide. In response, I would ask Hamas the following questions:

• Why were Palestinian women and children not invited to seek safety in the vast tunnel network that Hamas constructed?
• Why were weapons and tunnel entrances placed beneath mosques, hospitals, and family homes, knowing that civilians would inevitably be endangered?
• Why was humanitarian aid not allowed to reach those in need when trucks carrying food and supplies were waiting to be distributed?
• Why were civilians prevented from moving to safer areas away from the fighting?

Before peace can be negotiated, we must understand what is truly in people’s hearts. One way to discern that is by examining both their words and their actions. Tragically, in this instance,  if Hamas’s words and actions reflect its true intentions, then a genuine and lasting peace remains a distant hope.

Audrey Lichter is the founding Executive Director of Chai Mitzvah, which was launched in 2009. She has been a professional Jewish educator for more than 30 years. Audrey is also the founding principal of Yachad, the award-winning community High School of Greater Hartford. As a lay leader, Audrey has been the recipient of many community awards and has been very involved locally and nationally in the Day School movement.