March 5, 2002, was a balmy Tuesday morning in Jerusalem. I went on a long walk with a friend. We strolled past hotels and apartments. We walked past Cafe Moment, where a few days later eleven people lost their lives, and sixty more were injured, for the crime of drinking coffee while being Jewish. My friend told me that the tension among her circle of friends is constant and palpable. She said: "I feel like every day here in Israel is September 11th. For the first time, people seem to be losing hope." She told me that each time there is an "incident" that everyone experiences a moment of dread and panic. This is followed by a flurry of phone calls (everyone has a cellular phone) to determine whether anyone close to you, or anyone you know, was injured or killed. When you learn that those affected are not among your close circle there is the huge sigh of relief. And then, a few minutes later, you feel this rush of guilt that you felt relief. During our walk of an hour and a half, she spoke to her mother on the cell phone five different times - just to check in. And then she said, "If it is this bad for us, I just can't imagine how horrible it must be for the Palestinians."

What struck me so significantly - as I walked the streets of Jerusalem last month, as I listened to Israeli professors, and politicians, as I talked with Israeli - friends and strangers alike - was that there seemed to be such a stark cultural difference between the Israelis and the Palestinians, between the Jews and the Moslems. I readily acknowledge that Israel has made mistakes and has, at times, acted wrongly. But there are some very significant differences.

First, it is not unusual to hear Israeli citizens questioning the policies and actions of their leadership - holding their leadership to a moral standard. It is not unusual to hear Israeli politicians expressing their regret over mistakes, over the accidental loss of innocent Arab lives. It is virtually unheard of to hear Palestinians questioning the policies and actions of their leadership (except when they believe their leadership is not violent enough). It is virtually unheard of for Palestinian politicians to express their regret over the loss of innocent Israeli lives. Second, many, if not most, Israelis speak of peace, and a willingness to give up land in exchange for real peace. Palestinians speak of victory and expect Israel to give up land in exchange for nothing. We do not generally hear Palestinian voices speaking out for peace, speaking out for accommodation with Israel, speaking out against suicide bombings, because the owners of those voices fear that assassination from Palestinian bullets will follow soon after they speak out. When an Israeli citizen, like Baruch Goldstein, commits random acts of violence killing and maiming Arabs, the Israeli government sets up inquiries and, while a few citizens rejoice in his acts, the majority of the Israeli population disdains his actions. When a Palestinian suicide bomber commits random acts of violence, killing and maiming Israelis, it is an act that is publicly celebrated and glorified by Palestinians. More often than not it is because he has been recruited by Palestinian leadership, told that he is doing a great religious act that merits reward in the next life. He is subsequently praised and lauded, portrayed as a hero, his family is rewarded generously, and there are no inquiries, no condemnations, no regrets.

In the Talmud, tractate Sanhedrin, page 72a it says: "Im ba l'horegcha, hashkem l'horgo" If someone is coming to kill you, you must preempt and kill him." That halacha is never interpreted as an unbridled license to kill your enemy but only when he is clearly coming to kill you. So even as Judaism teaches us about peace, we are also taught that we have the right and the obligation of self defense. That halacha might justify the recent Israeli military incursions into the West Bank and Gaza for the purpose of rooting out the infrastructure of terrorism.

But at the same time, we need to keep utmost in our minds the teaching of Psalms 34:15: "Bakesh Shalom v'Radfeihu Seek peace and pursue it." Commentators remind us that nowhere are we commanded to pursue the performance of other mitzvot. When the opportunity presents itself, or the situation requires, then you must perform the appropriate mitzvah but you are not generally required to go out and look for opportunities to perform mitzvot. Not so with peace. We are commanded "Bakesh Shalom v'Radfeihu Seek peace and pursue it." Israel sought peace in Madrid, in Oslo. Prime Minister Barak pursued peace at Camp David. Perhaps Barak's offer was not good enough, perhaps it was more in the interest of the Israelis than the Palestinians - so make a counter offer, suggest a different solution. Instead the Palestinian leadership offered only violence, destruction, terrorism, death. I have a notion that many, even most, Palestinian citizens would be content to live in the sovereign State of Palestine (in the West Bank and Gaza) side by side with the sovereign State of Israel - enjoying peace and economic prosperity. But they were betrayed by their leadership who seems intent not on peace but on the destruction of the Jewish State. Even if we would say, for the sake of argument, that 90% of the Palestinians want to live in peace with Israel - that still leaves 300,000 Palestinians who would choose curse not blessing, who would choose death not life.

In March 2002, in Jerusalem, Rabbi Michael Melchior, Deputy Foreign Minister, Orthodox Jew and Member of K'nesset, spoke to us about his regret regarding the degradation and humiliation that many Palestinians endure at the many checkpoints through which they must pass to enter Israel from the West Bank or Gaza. He compared the situation to a Mishna in tractate Yoma (the section that teaches about the High Priest's ritual for Yom Kippur). The night before Yom Kippur - the night before the most important day in the year of the High Priest, the night before he is to enter into the Holy of Holies - the only human being ever permitted to do so - the night before the most important day of his life... The rabbis summon the High Priest and they make him swear an oath that he will perform the sacred service in accordance with their rules and interpretations (and not those of the Sadducees). Then the High Priest goes into the corner and cries because they didn't trust him, and they had to make him swear, and they insulted him and they humiliated him. Then the rabbis go into the other corner and they cry because they didn't trust him, and they had to make him swear, and they insulted him and they humiliated him. Likewise, said Deputy Foreign Minister Melchior, our government has an obligation to protect its citizens. We must make our soldiers stand at those checkpoints. They must try to keep out those who would become suicide bombers - those who would come to kill us. But we must also teach our soldiers to cry and not to rejoice in what they must do.

It makes me proud that Israelis, who are under unbelievable pressure, still find a way to think of the welfare of others. It makes me proud that Jews, who are under attack, remember that Judaism teaches us to value and cherish every human life, all of God’s creations. It makes me proud that next Pesach we will, again, spill ten drops of wine to mourn the spilled blood of our enemies. In spite of everything that has happened, in spite of everything that is happening, in spite of everything that will happen we Jews persevere. We shed a tear for all the loss of innocent lives. We shed a tear for all that must be done to protect our people and our land. Yet, we rededicate ourselves and our people to the pursuit of peace…and we pray:

Tzur Yisrael v’Goalo O Rock and Redeemer of Israel: Please bless the State of Israel, the budding blossom of our redemption. Shield it with Your abundant devotion, spread over it the shelter of Your peace. Send Your light and Your truth to its leaders, advisors and representatives; Guide them with Your good counsel that they might walk in the way of righteousness, liberty and integrity. Strengthen the hands of those who defend our sacred land, deliver them unto life. Grant peace unto the land, lasting joy to its inhabitants. Impart some of Your spirit unto all who dwell in our land. Remove from us all hatred and hostility, jealousy and cruelty. And plant in our hearts love and friendship, peace and companionship. Speedily fulfill the vision of Your prophet: “Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore.” And let us say: AMEN

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Michael Weinberg is Rabbi of Temple Beth Israel in Skokie, IL. A former Chairperson of the Coaltion for the Advancement of Jewish Education, he currently serves as CAJE Devlopment Chair.