Muslim Quran Saved by IDF Soldier in Gaza

As a Jew who believes in G-d, it was never my desire to fight at war, let alone a war against so many of my Palestinian cousins. For years I have worked tirelessly to create relations between both populations and to push for an ideological shift where Israelis & Palestinians could begin to understand one another, and work towards building a brighter future that lays on the foundations of justice, respect, and tolerance.

Unfortunately, the forces that keep us apart were stronger than the collective efforts of those who’ve tried to unite us, and we have yet again fallen into a loop of projected anger due to the pain and traumas we all feel.

On Oct 7th I was pulled out of my civilian life and thrown into an ugly war. I know that this war is against Hamas and not against the Palestinian People, Arabs, or Muslims. While in Gaza, I took it upon myself to pick up every Quran that I found, putting them in respectful places to be protected and respected. Some of the Qurans that I found were in places that were no longer standing, and if left outside, they would eventually get severely damaged. I gathered those Qurans that were left in unsafe places into a large & heavy duffle bag, carrying it on my back through the war zone. Once I got out of Gaza, I gave them to my Muslim Arab friends so the Qurans could be salvaged and put back to proper use.

If the tables were reversed, I would have expected others to do the same for what I find dear & holy. Most of us were not taught that Jews and Muslims have the same mission as the Bani Ibrahim (children of Abraham), which is to rid this world of idolatry (which keeps us separated from the creator) and to have everyone reconnect to the Oneness we are all a part of aka Hashem/Allah. If more of us knew that our final destination was aligned, maybe more would realize that unity along the journey is inevitable.

Filmed on GoPro in Gaza

Edited by @kavanafilms

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