Page 96 - October 7 - Teresa Pirola

I Pray for Peace
I fervently pray, too, that the desire for peace will prevail in all peoples, and for its realisation throughout all the earth.
I know that I do not need to convince you of the need for peace! You, of all people, long for peace. You have lived with existential threats on the borders of your nation since the day the modern State of Israel came into being. You have lived with existential threats in many countries in which you have dwelled, past and present. The last thing you desire is another war, and yet, here we are: your sons and daughters called up to fight yet again, in an impossible urban terrain with terrifying parameters of engagement.
I Remember the Hostages
My heart is with all lives endangered by this current war in Gaza. In a special way, in this letter I pray for the wellbeing and return of the hostages. Many have been released, yet many more remain behind. This is totally unacceptable. No human beings should ever be stolen from their families, let alone cynically used as bargaining chips. It is a blatant abuse of human dignity and human rights. I continue to call for their unconditional, safe and immediate release. It is a critical step towards ending this war.
I Have Confidence in Jewish Life and Aspirations for Peace
It is tempting to despair of the possibility of a lasting peace. And yet, time and again, Jews in Israel have shown that they do not give up hope, and that their tradition favours the hand offered in friendship. Indeed, the Jewish people demonstrated this in the 1960s in relation to the Catholic Church, despite many centuries of Christian hostility towards Judaism. You had every reason to reject our efforts to seek forgiveness and
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