Time to think about peace
As we emerge from the tormented darkness of Holocaust Remembrance Day toward the invigorating sunshine of the State of Israel’s coming 70th-anniversary celebrations, it behooves us to think about peace – or rather the lack of it – in this strife-torn world of ours.
For the life of me, I cannot and will never understand why we human beings live in constant state of danger of destruction despite all the advances humanity has made in this century alone. Have the leaders of the nations learned nothing from the woeful pages of history – not least recent history?
With the Holocaust horror leading the way, we all vow piously “never again.” In the meantime, even well-meaning powers in Europe and America, as well as our own beloved Israel, have no option but to continue arming themselves to the hilt with the latest in weapons of mass destruction. In other words, nations and their leaders have apparently learned nothing from the relentless parade of war and massacre adorning the pages of history and marked remorselessly in red.
Is this really what we ordinary people have come into the world for, to live lives of perpetual fear, hopelessness and helplessness? Untold millions of ordinary folk of all creeds and hues in all nations undoubtedly want to live out their short sojourn on this Earth in peace and happiness. But the world’s leaders are seemingly unable or unwilling to change the traditional course of history and come together to inaugurate a new era and world of peace, friendship and cooperation for the benefit of all on God’s Earth.
You might say that this vision of mine is ridiculous because the nations and their leaders will never have the urge to change the course of history and hearken to the prayers of ordinary people the world over. Yet I tremble to think what the future holds in store for humanity unless Messrs. Trump, Putin, Khameini, Kim and their counterparts throughout the world finally come to their senses, destroy their weapons of mass destruction, reconcile with their enemies and usher in a new age of world peace such as mankind has never known and endlessly yearns for. DAVID HERMAN
Jerusalem The writer has dedicated this letter to “the amazing and indefatigable Toby Willig, of blessed memory, whose numerous letters graced the Letters Section of The Jerusalem Post for so many years.