prayers for peace in the middle east

For the IDF, Operation Pillar of Defense
Rock of Israel,
Our sons and daughters,
Our brothers and sisters,
Our family and friends,
Have been called to serve
In the name of peace and justice
In Operation Pillar of Defense
To defend and to protect our land
From violence and assault,
From kidnappers and terrorists,
From the rain of missiles from Gaza.

We stand with the defenders of Israel.
We honor the guardians of Zion.
We hold dear the sentries of Am Kadosh.

Grant our leaders insight and strength
To guide our nation on a path of wisdom,
Using our power and might with courage, with caution and with care.
Bless the injured and wounded with Your healing hand
And their families with Your loving grace.

G-d of Old,
We know the price of safety,
We know the cost of security,
We know the dangers ahead.
This is not easy.
This is not desired.
And yet, we cannot be held captive
To hatred and violence.
How much longer should we wait?

Source of Peace,
Grant a swift and successful end to this operation.
Keep our soldiers safe,
And let our soldiers keep us safe.
Return them swiftly in life and in health
To the loving arms of our people.

For the IDF, Operation PIllar of Defense (in Hebrew)
לצה”ל, מבצע עמוד הגנה
צוּר יִשְֹרָאֵל,
בָּנֵינוּ וּבְנוֹתֵינוּ,
אָחֵינוּ וְאָחֲיוֹתֵינוּ,
בְּנֵי מִשְׁפָּחָה וִידִידִים
נִקְרְאוּ לְשָׁרֵת
בְּשֵׁם הַשָּׁלוֹם וְהַצֶּדֶק
בְּמִבְצָע עַמּוּד הֲגָנָה
לְהָגֵן וְלִשְׁמוֹר עַל אַרְצֵנוּ
מֵאֲלִימוּת וּמִתְּקִיפָה,
מֵחוֹטְפִים וּמִמְחַבְּלִים,
מִגֶּשֶּׁם הַטִּילִים מֵעַזָּה.

נַעֲמֹד עִם מָגִנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל.
נְכַבֵּד אֶת שׁוֹמְרֵי צִיּוֹן.
נוֹקִיר אֶת הָעוֹמְדִים עַל הַמִּשְׁמָר שֶׁל עַם קָדוֹשׁ.

הַעֲנֵק לְמַנְהִיגֵינוּ תּוֹבָנָה וְכוֹחֲ
לְהַנְחוֹת אֶת עַמֵּנוּ בְּנָתִיב שֶׁל חָכְמָה,
בְּנַצְּלָם אֶת עָצְמָתֵנוּ בְּאוֹמֶץ, בִּזְהִירוּת וּבִתְשֹוֹמֶת לֵב.
בָּרֵך אֶת הַנִפְגָעִים וְאֶת הַפְּצוּעִים בְּיָדְךָ הַמְרַפֵּאת
וְאֶת מִשְׁפְּחוֹתֵיהֶם בְּאַהֲבָת חַסְדֶךָ.

אֱלֹהֵי קֶדֶם,
יוֹדְעִים אָנוּ מַהוּ מְחִיר הַבְּטִיחוּת,
יוֹדְעִים אָנוּ מַהִי עָלוּת הַבִּטָּחוֹן,
יוֹדְעִים אָנוּ מַהֵן הַסַּכָּנוֹת לְפָנֵינוּ.
אֵין זֶה קַל.
אֵין זֶה מְבֻקָּשׁ.
וַעֲדַיִין לֹא נוּכַל לִהְיוֹת מֻחְזָקִים בַּשֶׁבִי
בִּידֵי שִׂנְאָה וְאַלִּימוּת.
עַד מָתַי נְחַכֶּה?

מְקוֹר הַשָּׁלוֹם,
הַעֲנֵק הַשְׁלָמָה מְהִירָה וּצְלֵיחָה למִבְצָע זֶה.
שְׁמֹר עַל חַיָּלֵינו בְּבִטָּחוֹן,
וְתֵן לְחַיָּלֵינוּ לִשְׁמוֹר עָלֵינוּ בְּבִטָּחוֹן.
הָשִׁיבֵם עַד מְהֵרָה בַּחַיִּים וּבִשְׁלֵימוּת
לִזְרוֹעוֹת הַאַהֲבָה שֶׁל עַמֵּנוּ.

To the Terrorist
You who would hold the sky captive,
The sea prisoner,
The land in chains…

You who hide in caves,
Retreat to the wilderness,
Disappear behind false names and forged papers…

You who smuggle guns and arms,
Hide rockets in cities and bombs in homes,
Build weapons against the innocent and the bystander…

You whose designs are destruction,
Whose plans are fear,
Whose joy is hate…

You who harden your hearts
And wrap yourselves in death…

What evil has robbed you of your love,
Your compassion,
Your goodness,
Your humanity?
What lies have invaded your minds
So that you choose to die in order to kill?

We who love our lives and liberty
Stand firm and strong against terror.
We will defend our nation and our people.
We will protect our land and our homes.
And we pray for you to find hope and comfort
In lives of peace.

For Peace in the Middle East
Sons of Abraham,
Sons of Hagar and Sarah,
Of Isaac and Ishmael:
Have you forgotten the day we buried our father together?
Have you forgotten the day we carried his dead body into the cave near Hebron?
Have you forgotten the day we entered the darkness of Machpaelah to lay our Patriarch to rest?

Sons of Esau and Jacob:
Have you forgotten the day we made peace?
The day we set aside past injustices and deep wounds to lay down our weapons and live?
Or the day we, too, buried our father together? Have you forgotten that we took Isaac’s corpse into that humble cave to place him with his father Avraham for eternity?

Brother, I don’t remember crying with you.
Sister, I don’t remember mourning with you.
We should have cried the tears of generations.
We should have cried the tears of centuries,
The tears of fatherless sons
And motherless daughters,
So that we would remember in our flesh that we are one people,
From one father on earth and one Creator in heaven,
Divided only by time and history.

One G-d,
My brother calls you Allah.
My sister calls you Adonai.
You speak to some through Moses.
You speak to some through Mohammed.
We are one family, cousins and kin.

Holy One,
Light of truth,
Source of wisdom and strength,
In the name of our fathers and mothers,
In the name of justice and peace,
Help us to remember our history,
To mourn our losses together,
So that we may,
Once more,
Lay down our weapons and live.

G-d of All Being,
Bring peace and justice to the land,
And joy to our hearts.