Need to hear the voices calling for peace in the Middle East

The appalling tragedy that is occurring in the Middle East has dominated headlines over past weeks. The horrendous attack on Israeli citizens by Hamas, resulting in the deaths of more than 1400 on 7 October. Many more have been injured and some taken hostage. Now, the death toll is mounting in Gaza, as the Israeli military offensive intensifies. The approach of Israel has echoes of the US response to the attacks of 9/11, which led to wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Neither, ended well The anger on the part of Israel is understandable but it must act, proportionately, within international law. The early rhetoric in this conflict did not seem to distinguish between the actions of Hamas and the Palestinians living on the Gaza strip. The crude categorisation was a bit like making all Irish people responsible for the actions of the IRA during the war in Northern Ireland. History teaches that an all out assault based on vengeance does not in the long term solve anything - in fact it makes things worse. In Ireland, the demands of civil rights protesters in the North were denied, lethal force was deployed and decades of violence followed. Violence begets violence. Order and the rule of law get subsumed in conflict. Innocent lives are lost. It is important in such situations that the voices of reason and restraint are heard and listened to. Internationally, there have been worrying precedents set regarding the breaking of international law, over recent years. The Americans going into Iraq in 2003, without a supporting UN resolution. Most recently, Russia's illegal assault on Ukraine. The move to violent reprisal seems much quicker these days - international law being too easily set aside. The lack of calls for restraint result in a narrative of inevitable conflict. The previous experiences of such an approach really should counsel caution. Violence is proven to beget violence, whether it be in Afghanistan, Iraq, Ukraine or Northern Ireland. The violent actions of western powers in the Middle East 20 years ago, led to the emergence of Isis and all that followed. What is needed now is to hear and act upon the counsel of those urging peace - like the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby and Catholic Cardinal Vincent Nichols.. The hostilities need to end now. Maybe, then the Middle East can be pulled back from the brink of escalating conflict. Then, genuine negotiation can eventually lead to a peaceful settlement for all who live in those lands.