I never really understood the power of hatred.
I hadn’t seen how race can tear us all apart.
In settlers’ eyes I see
Such deep hostility,
It makes it hard to keep the hope of peace alive.

I never really understood the power of suffering.
I hadn’t seen how quickly pain can turn to rage.
At Yad Vashem such sighs;
Such pain in Jewish eyes,
It makes it hard to keep the hope of peace alive.

I never really understood the power of forgiveness
Although I often heard those words that Jesus said.
With stones thrown at his head
A Palestinian said:
The Jews are welcome – if they only could behave !

I never really understood the power of friendship
Till standing side by side with Jewish and Arab friends
As rubber bullets flew
And tear gas fell anew
I felt the love that keeps the hope of peace alive


Notes :
Deacon Dave is a Christian Muslim peacemaker, married to a Palestinian and living most of the time next to Jewish settlers in Hebron, Palestine.

Yad Vashem is the Holocaust Museum in Jerusalem, the director of which recently said that the way that Jewish settlers attack their Palestinian neighbours in Hebron is very similar to events in Eastern Europe in the run up to the holocaust.

The "Palestinian" lives next door to Tel Rumeida settlement. Jewish settlers routinely throw stones, bottles and even an old washing machine onto his family.

Every week for over 2 years Israeli anarchists and peace activists have stayed overnight in the Palestinian village of Bil'in near Ramalla. They have joined internationals and Palestinians in a weekly protest against the Seperation Wall which has stolen large amounts of the villages land. Every week peaceful protestors are injured by the Israeli army.