I am struggling with a great heaviness and sadness with events of the this month in Israel and the world. As a Hebrew Catholic who has lived in Israel in the past it has been very disappointing to me at how many of my Gentile Catholic brothers and sisters have responded including the Church itself. They have condemned the horrors done on October 7 2023 to Israeli civilians but they have added a "but". Always a but.
How we Jews no matter our background or origins are feeling the pain of all those "buts". Those who often know nothing about the reality in Israel try to equate the horrors of October 7 with perceived injustices experienced by Palestinians, as if they are somehow the same. Israelis and Jews do not set out to murder, rape and attack civilians nor do they cheer on those who do.
It is has been very hard even on a facebook page for the supporters of the Association of Hebrew Catholics with no doubt sincere-well meaning Gentiles to just not get it or to realise what they are saying and the way they are expressing it is very painful and upsetting to those of us who are Jewish.
It is very easy to speak about love, and peace and reconciliation etc when it isn't your people that have had their people murdered, raped, shot and beheaded even women, children and babies. Imagine the horror of mothers who the terrorists made their daughters ring so they could hear their daughter being raped.
I want to just shout at them"shut the f-ck up". I am weary of your false piety and virtue signaling moralising. Of course we appreciate all those who do offer their sympathy without the "Buts". However, I think most of us Jews in the Church feel let down by our Church and by many of our Catholic brothers and sisters.
I am living in the diaspora and not even in Israel and I don't have sons or daughters in the IDF, so I can't imagine how deep is the disappointment of those who do. I am praying for Israel and the IDF and for the captives in Gaza.
As a Catholic consecrated Brother or little monk I am of course praying for all the dead on both sides even the terrorists. I pray for our enemies by an act of my will even though in my feelings I almost wish that the terrorists burn in hell for all eternity. I also pray for those in the Church who have hurt us by being Job's comforters and forgive them with an act of my will, whereas in my feelings I just want to shout at them to shut up.
There is a time for love and a time for hate, a time for peace and there is a time for war. (see Ecclesiastes 3:8) We all would love to see peace and unity but it is difficult when the ones leading the other side don't want it. Posting saccharine pictures of children, like in the photo above, might seem "nice" but is totally inappropriate and tries to create emotion that then blinds people to the complex nuances of the situation.
We have to ask the questions where could such a photo of a Jewish, Muslim and Christian boys be taken in the Middle East. Only in the State of Israel. Which of these three boys has a greater chance of growing up to be a terrorist who murders and rapes and kidnaps innocent civilians? Until Muslims stop supporting terrorist Islamist and they are eradicated then there can be no lasting peace.
This gave me some consolation this week from the Kol ha Tor of Rav Hillel Rivlin:
"...We must know beforehand, that during the period of the footsteps of the Messiah, whenever there is trouble, help will come, and the help will come out of the trouble, as it states: “it is a time of trouble for Jacob; but out of it he will be saved.” The Gaon, in his commentary on Habakkuk regarding the verse “I will rest on the day of distress, ” states that this sentence refers to Mashiach ben Yosef, and that we should know beforehand that Eretz Israel is obtained by suffering. But in that manner it is definitely obtained..." (From the Kol ha Tor by Rav Hillel Rivlin of Sheklov the relative and disciple of the Vilna Gaon)