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Peace Process

Jews, Christians pray against ?disengagement?


By Jerusalem Newswire Editorial Staff
July 19, 2005

Hundreds of Jewish and Gentile followers of Jesus met in downtown Jerusalem Monday evening to pray against the implementation of the universally-supported ?disengagement? plan.

Held in the recently-opened King of Kings Pavilion, the combined Hebrew/English-language service was attended by pastors from across the city.

Prayers were based on passages from the book of Ezekiel, Israel?s priestly-prophet who, in exile 2,500 years ago, foretold the permanent return of his people to their land.

As the gathering prayed for God?s mercy and intervention, security forces in the Negev faced off against thousands of frustrated Israeli demonstrators, whose plans for a protest march to the Gaza Strip had been stymied in a day of unprecedented police action.

Uniformed officers across the country had stopped hundreds of buses from carrying demonstrators to Netivot, a town about 20 km from Gaza chosen as the starting point for a three-day event dubbed the ?Zero Hour March.?

As tens of the vehicles were impounded, and a number of bus drivers reportedly had their licenses confiscated by police, resolute Jews set out on foot to try and reach the town, where rabbis led the growing crowd in prayers throughout the day.

Despite the massive police efforts, tens of thousands of protesters had come together near Netivot by Tuesday morning. Police ministry officials announced that the marchers would be allowed no further, but protest leaders said they remained determined to lead the multitude to Gush Katif ? the main bloc of Jewish towns in Gaza.

The demonstration caps months of anti-disengagement activity set to come to a head before August 15, the set date for implementation of the plan.

Supported by all the nations of the world, the plan to uproot 10,000 Jews from their homes in order to create a Palestinian state has exacerbated the already deep divide between those Israelis who believe that Gaza, Judea and Samaria comprise integral parts of the Jewish homeland, and those who insist that surrendering these lands helps pave the way towards peace.

Along with the Israeli protesters near Netivot, many of those praying in Jerusalem Monday night were convinced that this ?disengagement? poses a grave threat to Israel?s existence.

Apparently undaunted by the overwhelming odds stacked against the Jewish state, they called upon the God of Israel to remember His promises, and to intervene, ?for the sake of His name and His reputation? which He has ?tied to the people and their land.?

And they prayed that the Sharon government would receive its wisdom from heaven, and not from men.

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