CPTnet
June 30, 2000
HEBRON: Vision of Hope
by Julie Hart

"Where there is no vision, the people will
perish," advises Proverbs 29:18. But in this
land of diversity, much of the conflict is due
to competing visions. However, after meeting
with Jewish, Muslim, and Christian religious
leaders who separately articulated a common
vision for this land, I was given a sense of
hope.

The Islamist, a Palestinian journalist from a
village near Hebron envisions Jews, Christians
and Muslims living as neighbors in a
representative democracy where human rights
apply equally to all citizens, regardless of
religion, ethnicity, race, or gender. In this
state, elected representatives and government
officials would be held accountable for their
actions. Morality would be placed above
expediency in decision-making. Leaders would
despise oppression in any form. Equality would
be the foundation of this society in
distribution of all resources: land, water,
building permits, license plates, jobs,
education, health care and freedom of speech and
movement. He believes such a society should be
the goal of all good Muslims, Christians and
Jews, for "this is God's will for all people."

The rabbi, a U.S. born Jewish Zionist now
residing with his family in Jerusalem, hopes for
a society where all persons, regardless of
religion or ethnicity will be treated as equals.

 In the beginning, God created humans in God's
image and thus people of God must treat all
humans equally. The rabbi sees equal access to
resources of the land in two representative
democracies. Justice would flow down like
mighty waters to all people.

The Christian, a Palestinian woman, born during
the formation of the Israeli state, aches with
the daily oppression she and her fellow
Palestinians experience in the occupied
territories. But, she explains, "Our common God
is a God of justice." She envisions a
constitutional democracy for the Palestinians
that protects and guarantees all people's
rights, responsibilities, and duties without
discrimination.

 "At every turn the principle of justice must be
upheld. Unless justice is
rendered and security is achieved, the solution
must be rejected because it will not endure."

Let us affirm Proverbs. Vision is key to long-
term wellbeing. A shared vision among diverse
religious and secular leaders here is the
foundation to a lasting peace. Let us pray that
a common vision based on equality of human
rights for all may grow to encompass the
imagination of enough of the people here that it
might carry them into the future.