This can not continue.  In the latest round of Israeli bombings (that never stopped despite promises of a 48-hour pause), the IDF destroyed “the last major overland route for relief supplies into Lebanon, international aid agencies told The Associated Press on Friday.”

“This is Lebanon’s umbilical cord,” Christiane Berthiaume of the World Food Program told AP. “This [road] has been the only way for us to bring in aid. We really need to find other ways to bring relief in.”

Civilian deaths are in the hundreds, and thousands have been wounded.  Despite this, perhaps 50 Hezb’Allah have been killed.  The country’s infrastructure lies in ruin, hundreds of thousands of refugees have no hope for shelter or safety as their convoys are being bombed, their shelters are being bombed, their supplies are being bombed or stopped from even making it to the places where they are needed most, and aid workers and UN personnel have been killed by air strikes.  Oh, and they’ve even hit Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon.  Sure, that’s going to help.

This is an abomination for which there is no excuse, no justification.

Now, let me speak to this from a more personal perspective.

I mentioned already my Lebanese friend, Farjad, who died years ago in a car accident in the US.  I also mentioned his family still lives in Lebanon.  Their village was finally hit by Israel.  (Please note I am not being specific about the family name or location due to fear for their safety and privacy.)

I received a call early this morning from Doha, Farjad’s sister.  It was not good news.  Hani, their brother, and Mirvat, their mother, are both dead.  Hassan and Bash, their other brothers, are both wounded, as is Doha.  Although none has life-threatening injuries, Doha reports Hassan has shrapnel in his eye that she believes may cause him to lose partial sight, if not total function in that eye.  She also assumes the shrapnel is only in the eye and has not gone deeper.  She likewise indicated Bash has a serious head injury and must be carried because he can no longer walk on his own due to a significant leg wound.  Thankfully, Doha herself has nothing more serious than cuts, scrapes, and bruises, although I suspect she has downplayed her own pain as she is so apt to do.

I’m afraid I don’t have more details as the call was short, of poor quality due to the tremendous problems there, and the family was moving quickly to a refugee camp for medical care, food and water, and — hopefully — a way out of the war zone.  I was at least thankful they were offered use of a telephone and that they had the presence of mind to let me know how they were doing.  They were also offered transportation to the refugee area by — guess who? — new members of Hezb’Allah, men from their own village who joined the terrorist group following the devastation in their own hometown.  Israel is losing the public relations war.

Let me explain to you why this is of such tremendous importance.  Farjad’s family consists entirely of Maronites (although Farjad himself was an Episcopalian, a change he made after immigrating to the US).  They are a moderately inclined family that always advocated peace with Israel.  They are progressive Arabs; something I think is common in Lebanon based on feedback from the family.  In the 18 years I have known them, never has one of them uttered an angry word against Israel or Jews that was anything more than vented frustration.  Tempered always by their sincere hope that peace would one day overcome the hatred in that region, even the most upsetting of Israeli actions would receive a stern yet civil rebuke.  Today, that changed.

While I listened to Doha speak quickly with a shaky voice drowning in fear and pain and anger, the resentment finally bubbled to the surface as she broke into tears and demanded revenge against Israel.  I was taken aback by this abrupt and very much out-of-character declaration.  Doha is a beautiful woman both physically and spiritually.  I have never known her to raise her voice in anger (although she certainly could carry her own weight in family squabbles).  Always erring on the side of reason, the woman speaking to me today seemed a complete stranger, a person separated by expansive ideological chasms from the friend I know.

I let her vent the frustration and pain each of them is feeling.  After only a few statements lashing out against Israel, her tears flooded the negative feelings and washed them away.  She apologized for her sudden outburst.  She voiced heartfelt hope that one day Arabs and Israelis could live in peace.  She apologized again — as though I expected an apology or even faulted her for her sentiment.

I was shamed by her grace under the horrific circumstances.  My own anger at these events could not be so easily tempered.  I am so outraged by Israel’s actions, so hurt by the blind American support for what is quickly becoming a perfect example of state-sponsored bullying that would be labeled terrorism if it were perpetrated by any other country or group.  Doha is a stronger person than I am.

I offered my sincerest condolences for the death of Mirvat and Hani, and again for the pain and anguish they are all suffering both physically and emotionally.  I expressed my hope that all would be well, that each of them would receive the care they need to make full recoveries.  She thanked me quickly, a hurried bit of thanks for compassion that seems missing from most other Americans these days.

I sit here wishing there was something I could do, some way to help the family, some way to intervene in a meaningful way.  I realize lending an ear for Doha to vent and weep was more than she could have hoped for, and it was obvious she found strength in my concern and worry.  I know hearing a sympathetic voice from America is the kind of hope they need most, the knowledge that there are those unwilling to turn a blind eye toward the atrocity being visited upon them and their kin.  I know it was equally disappointing for her to realize we are fully aware of the horrific travesty taking place there, and yet our nation stands in uncritical support of the catastrophe being perpetrated against so many innocents.

If Farjad’s family is any indication, I fear significant harm is being done to whatever hope there is for a Middle East full of nations living in peace with their neighbors.  At present, and at least from what I can tell via those living the nightmare, the tide is rapidly shifting against Israel and America, and this even in moderate and progressive circles of influence.

Can you say counterproductive?  Even worse, America’s lack of action will have no effect other than emboldening terrorists to strike us and our allies and interests, to see us as animals who ignore the suffering of Arabs — and Arabs only.  This is precisely the kind of nonsense that will undoubtedly get a lot more people killed before it’s all over.

In the meantime, I asked her to keep me updated on their progress and status as she is able to do so.  I assured her that the vast majority of the world is watching in horror and demanding the immediate cessation of hostilities by Israel and Hezb’Allah.  As we said goodbye, I feared I may never hear from her again.  There have been far too many reports of people in their situation being killed on the road to escape; therefore, it is too difficult for me to assume they will be out of danger once they reach the refugee camp.  If they reach it at all.