In a Jerusalem Post article (“Blessed are the peacemakers” June 7, 2013) Gideon D.Sylvester, the British United Synagogue rabbi in Israel, told the anecdote of two member of the Bereaved Parents Forum, an association of Israeli and Palestinian parents whose children have been killed in the conflict, who travelled to a meeting held at the British House of Lords. Their host took them aside and explained, “On this side of the room sit the Lords who back the Palestinians, and on the other side will be the friends of Israel. Now you each know your supporters and opponents,” as if they were entering into a prize fight contest. The bereaved parents were shocked. “We have set aside our grievances and have come to share ideas about uniting for peace, and you who live in the tranquility of England wish to make divisions! If you cannot help, at least don’t make matters worse.”
