EAST IS HIGHLY CHARGED 
POLITICALLY AND RELIGIOUSLY.
>> WHILE IT MAY BE DAY 27 IN THE
CURRENT CONFLICT, TODAY'S 
BATTLES STEM FROM BIBLICAL TIMES
AND JUST WHO CAN LAY CLAIM TO 
THE HOLY CITY OF JERUSALEM. 
>> TO DISCUSS ALL OF THIS WE 
BRING IN CNN RELIGION 
COMMENTATOR FATHER EDWARD BECK 
AND RADIO BAY MATTHEW GERWTZ.
FATHER BECK GIVE US A SENSE OF 
WHY ALL SIDES BELIEVE SO 
STRONGLY AND HAVE THESE TIES TO 
THE HOLY LAND.
>> MIGUEL I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT
TO REMEMBER THAT THESE THREE 
MONOTHEISTIC ABRAHAMIC FAITHS 
BELIEVE THE SAME THING, IT'S ONE
GOD, LOVE OF GOD AND LOVE OF 
NEIGHBOR.
IT'S NOT LIKE THE THREE FAITHS 
WORSHIP THREE DIFFERENT GODS SO 
THE PROMISE OF A HOMELAND IS FOR
ALL PEOPLE.
THERE'S NOT ONE PEOPLE THAT GETS
TO HAVE THE HOMELAND.
THE LAND DOESN'T BELONG TO 
ANYBODY, EVEN BIBLICALLY.
WE ARE STEWARDS OF THE LAND.
GOD IS IN POSSESSION OF THE LAND
SO IT'S UP TO US TO FIGURE OUT 
HOW TO LIVE PEACEABLY TOGETHER 
AND SEEMINGLY WE'RE DOING A VERY
POOR JOB OF THAT BUT THE NOTION 
THAT SOMEHOW WE ARE DIFFERENT 
FAITHS WARRING WITH DIFFERENT 
GODS IS JUST ERRONEOUS.
>> RABBI, WE'VE SEEN POLITICAL 
LEADERS TRY SO DESPERATELY TO 
BROKER PEACE HERE.
DO YOU BELIEVE THERE SHOULD BE 
SOME RELIGIOUS VOICES IN THOSE 
DISCUSSIONS AS WELL?
>> YES, I THIS I THAT THE 
RELIGIOUS VOICE HAS BEEN MISSING
FROM THIS DEBATE.
I THINK SOMEWHAT FOR THE REASON 
PEOPLE ARE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT 
HOW THE POLITICIANS CAN WORK 
THIS OUT.
THE MEDIA OF COURSE IS 
COURAGEOUSLY ON THE GROUND 
TRYING TO FOLLOW ALL OF THIS.
I THINK RELIGIOUS VOICES HAVE 
BEEN SPEAKING WITHIN THEIR OWN 
COMMUNITIES BUT NOT TO EACH 
OTHER, I THINK BECAUSE ALL OF 
THIS HAS CAUSED GREAT FEAR NOT 
JUST A NORMAL FEAR, A FEAR THAT 
I WOULD CALL AN EXISTENTIAL 
FEAR, ONE THAT PAR LIESES US AND
ONE THAT HAS US GO AND RETREAT 
TO OUR OWN CAMPS.
I CAN TELL YOU THAT AS A JEW, I 
STAND FOUR SQUARE BY MYAR VOICE 
TUNNELS BEING BUILT BY 
TERRORISTS, BUT THE BOTTOM LINE 
IS, WE ALL KNOW THAT FROM 
HISTORY, MILITARY OPERATIONS 
END, BUT IDEAS DON'T END.
PEACE DOESN'T END.
COEXISTENCE DOESN'T END AND THE 
QUESTION IS, CAN I HOLD MY FEARS
AND HOLD THEIR FEARS AND SOMEHOW
COME TOGETHER IN DIALOGUE TO 
FINALLY COME TO A PLACE WHERE WE
CAN CO-EXIST, NOT WITH HAMAS, 
WHO IS A TERRORIST ORGANIZATION 
BUT T BE 
LESS POSSIBLE NOW TO FIND.
FATHER BECK, BECAUSE OF THE ILL 
WILL THERE, BECAUSE THIS IS THE 
THIRD ROUND OF VIOLENCE MANY IN 
THE LAST SEVEN YEARS IN GAZA, 
THE POPE HAS CALLED FOR PEACE 
BETWEEN ALL SIDES.
IS THERE JUST TOO MUCH ILL WILL?
I THINK MOST OF US CAN'T SEE A 
PEACEFUL MIDDLE EAST.
>> MIGUEL, I THINK WE ALWAYS 
HAVE TO HOLD ON FOR THE HOPE OF 
PEACE.
RECENTLY WHEN POPE FRANCIS, AS 
YOU KNOW, WAS IN THAT REGION AND
HE STOOD AT THAT WALL WHICH SOME
CALL A SECURITY WALL, SOME CALL 
A WALL OF APARTHEID.
IT IS PROBABLY BOTH.
HE LOWERED HIS HEAD IN PRAYER, 
AND WE KNOW THAT HE WAS PRAYING 
THAT SOMEDAY THIS WALL MIGHT BE 
ABLE TO COME DOWN.
I THINK IT WAS ROBERT FROST WHO 
WROTE "MAYBE GOOD FENCES MAKE 
GOOD NEIGHBORS, BUT BAD WALLS 
JUST CREATE SUSPICION AND ANGER 
AND RESENTMENT."
YOU CANNOT KEEP A PEOPLE 
ISOLATED, BLOCKADED FOR THAT 
AMOUNT OF TIME WITH SUCH 
OPPRESSION AND EXPECT IT IT TO 
HAVE ANY GOOD RESULT.
NOW THE FAULT IS ON BOTH SIDES, 
BUT THE PRAYER IS OF ALL 
BELIEVING PEOPLE IS THAT WE NEED
TO WORK IT OUT PEACEABLY BECAUSE
