Hope amid despair

The everyday news about the Middle East is bad. The spirals of hatred are engulfing most of the people who live in this fair land that gave birth to the Saviour of humanity.

In this scenario of darkness every small source of light is most welcomed. Whenever despair is laced with acts of hope one starts to believe that peace is still possible.

One such example happened last week. Yoni Jessner, 19, was killed in the latest suicide attack in Tel Aviv. His parents resisted the temptation to give in to hate. Instead the family donated one of his kidneys to a seven-year-old Palestinian girl. The story was reported in the Israeli newspaper Maariv. Following this decision one of his kidneys was transplanted to Yasmin Abu Ramila, a girl from East Jerusalem.

"I have no words to thank the family of the victim of the attack," said Dina, mother of the girl, who had waited two years for a transplant. "I join them in their sorrow and thank them for the donation of the organ that has saved my daughter's life," she said.

On the other hand, the political situation is going from bad to worse. Last week the Pope felt the need to intervene, calling for an end to the siege on Palestinian headquarters in Ramallah.

The Pope's message, addressed to Israel's Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, asked for an immediate suspension of "the actions that compromise the already slender hopes for peace" in the Middle East. The Pope also urges "an immediate resumption of dialogue between the parties" in the conflict.

The Pope also sent a message to Yasser Arafat, assuring the Palestinian leader of his "closeness" during "this sad hour for the Palestinian people".

The Pope's message ended with an assurance to all concerned that "the Holy See will continue in its commitment to the defence of the rights of all peoples to live in peace with secure borders and in a climate of mutual respect".