Palm Sunday celebrates the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem, one week before His resurrection (Matthew 21:1–11).
For Christian believers, Jesus entered the holy city of Jerusalem, marking the start of what is often called “Passion Week,” the final seven days of Jesus’ earthly ministry described as the “beginning of the end” of Jesus’ work on earth.
It is a day steeped in deep spiritual symbolism, his entry characterized by humility and royal acclaim, Jews saw Jesus riding on a donkey, portrayed in Biblical works as symbols of service, suffering, peace and humility. The followers were waving palm branches which represents peace, righteousness, and prosperity in biblical texts.
Will these symbolisms of peace translate into a ceasefire between the two warring factions in the Israel-Hamas war? The answer, my friend, is “blowing in the wind”.
First, there was a projected ceasefire supposedly to start before the start of Ramadan, March 10, but it did not materialize.
Recently, US President Joe Biden stated that there are hopes there will be a ceasefire soon, saying talks are “close but not done yet,” as negotiations between Israel and Hamas continue in Qatar. There has been progress but “there are still obstacles to be resolved”.
Crucial details, including the length of the ceasefire, still have to be agreed upon; hostage release, which is tied with prisoners’ releases, as negotiators are racing to find an agreement.
The Israel-Hamas war has reverberated globally, reaching the halls of the Oscars when the Best International Film, Zone of Interest awardee, Jonathan Glazer, said in his acceptance speech: “All our choices were made to reflect and confront us in the present, not to say, look what they did then, but rather, look what we do now. Our film shows where dehumanization leads at its worst. It’s shaped all of our past and present. Right now, we stand here as men who refute their Jewishness, and the Holocaust being hijacked by an occupation which has led to conflict for so many innocent people. Whether the [are] victims of Oct. 7th in Israel, or the ongoing attack on Gaza, all the victims of this dehumanization, how do we resist?”
The speech became a hot topic in the industry over the following days, with many privately expressing outrage. Denouncing the Glazer speech publicly, more than 450 Jewish creatives, executives, and Hollywood professionals have signed an open letter, stating: “We refute our Jewishness being hijacked for the purpose of drawing a moral equivalence between a Nazi regime that sought to exterminate a race of people, and an Israeli nation that seeks to avert its own extermination. The use of words like ‘occupation’ to describe an indigenous Jewish people defending a homeland that dates back thousands of years, and has been recognized as a state by the United Nations, distorts history. It gives credence to the modern blood libel that fuels a growing anti-Jewish hatred around the world, in the United States, and in Hollywood.”
Let’s pray for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war.
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Author’s email: whelmayap@yahoo.com
