November 25, 2001

Bad Feeling

I just don't have a good feeling about the outcome of the US-sponsored Middle East peace talks starting tomorrow. I know that's terrible to say, but I really don't have much hope for them. I pray that they go well and some peace progress is made, but I don't think that the two sides are going into it with the right mindset. How could they, considering the events that have recently taken place? Just take this week -- five Palestinian children were killed by some sort of explosion. I don't think anyone has said for certain what it was, but it was probably a landmine planted along a road traveled by Palestinians. Five kids killed just like that. Five Children. On Friday, seven more Palestinians were killed. And today a young kid was shot in the chest and killed. Evidently the boy was throwing stones at soldiers. A leader of Hammas was also killed this week in Gaza. A targeted attack that killed the leader and two people with him. On the other side, an Israeli soldier was killed.

Today I was walking back through the Bethlehem checkpoint. As I rounded the corner to walk through the chute past the guards, three older women walked ahead of me. Standing there, a soldier aimed his rife on the heads of the old women. He was just a few feet from them. I just stood beside him and stared. "No more shooting!", I said. "No more!" I stood there beside him until he put his rifle down. He just ignored me then. It was just a stupid thing for him to do, I think. No one needs an enemy soldier to hold a gun to their heads, especially old women. But as I walked away, I watched him raise his gun again.