Terrible events, opinions and positive value … forgiveness
Terrible events, opinions and positive value … forgiveness
Also:
Israel and Palestine: self and other, positive and negative; 2023.
Online book, first draft, 112 pages, 19 March 2024
Israel and Palestine, October 10 to 16, 2025
Introduction
Opinion relativity
The shooting at Utah Valley University
The Yom Kippur attack on Heaton Park Synagogue
Les Misérables: redemption, forgiveness and self-sacrifice
British Caribbean perspectives: Sewell and Lammy
Perpetrators’ parents …
… an Arab perspective on October 7 … Palestine and Israel opinion polls
The Times, October 8, 2025
The Times, October 9, 2025
Meaning without religion?
Nice, forgiving and provokable … Axelrod’s A Passion for Cooperation
Israel and Palestine, October 10 to 16, 2025
Headlines, The Times, October 10 to 16, 2025: 1.
10: Trump celebrates art of the ‘everlasting peace’ deal.
11: Israel begins Gaza retreat.
[12: The burden of hope. The Observer.]
13: Hopes and prayers as hostages set for release.
14: Two years of torment over as hostages reunited with families.
15: Hamas kills its enemies on ceasefire Gaza streets.
16: Palestinian body released instead of dead hostage. 13.
“Trump celebrates art of the ‘everlasting peace’ deal.”
The Times, October 10, 2025: 1
“Biden and Bibi had shot at same deal a year ago, says negotiator.” 6-7
“Trump flying to Egypt for signing on Sunday.” 6
“Hamas: we are ready to ceded power but not guns.” 6-7
“Trump prays for lasting peace … to cement his Nobel.” 7
“‘The way is open, I can give myself permission to heal’.” 8
“Joy, relief and hope on both sides of border.” 8
“Netanyahu now relies on backing of cabinet.” 9
“Jews suffer most religious hate crimes.” 13
“Imam at killer’s mosque railed against Israel.” 13
“Only Trump could have pulled this off. Towering self-belief aside, the US president was able to exploit his singular relationship with both Israel and Netanyahu.” 25
“Trump card. Critics of Donald Trump may deride him for hungering after the Nobel peace prize but without him the peace deal due to take effect in Gaza would never happen.” 27
Introduction
World events include a continuing stream of negative acts. Each negative act receives a variety of opinions and responses. The focus of this report is on opinions and responses which have positive value with particular attention to the notion of forgiveness.
A preliminary question is how an act comes to be perceived as negative. There is a certain amount of opinion relativity. One type of response involves regret and forgiveness. Is there regret for the act? Is there forgiveness? There is a distinction between the seeking of forgiveness and the giving of forgiveness. The wife of Charlie Kirk said she forgave his killer. The attack on the Manchester synagogue occurred on Yom Kippur, a day for seeking forgiveness. Lords Finkelstein, Glasman and Sewell comment. The idea of forgiveness appears in the Arts and a recent item looks at forgiveness in the musical Les Misérables. Perpetrators’ parents express regret. Palestine and Israel opinion polls are noted. The idea of forgiveness also appears in academic studies, in particular in relation to game theory strategies.
Some years ago I discussed the opinions regarding a rampage of killing in California; and regarding the Charlie Hebdo killings in Paris.
Opinion relativity
Consider an event in the real world. Different people will have different information about the event and even given the same information will have different opinions about the event. These differences may reflect a relativity, namely the information or opinion may depend on the closeness to the self. Opinion relativity may explain how an act comes to be perceived as either positive or negative.
YouGov have provided a thoughtful report about the opinions in the USA regarding the shooting of Charlie Kirk. “Democrats and Republicans are more likely to say political violence is a big problem after attacks on members of their own party.” Note though that the difference is quite small: just after the recent killing of Charlie Kirk, 67% of Republicans say political violence is a very big problem, whereas 58% of Democrats do, a difference of an extra 9% Republican. Previous incidents show extra Republican 5% and 10% for attacks on Republicans; and extra Democrat 12%, 7% and 22% (the attack on Nancy Pelosi’s husband) for attacks on Democrats.
https://today.yougov.com/politics/articles/52960-charlie-kirk-americans-political-violence-poll
The shooting at Utah Valley University
Campus politics took a tragic turn last month. Charlie Kirk, the influential right-wing podcaster and political activist who played a key role in the election of President Trump by mobilising the youth vote, was on the stage, speaking and engaging in debate at a Utah university rally, when he was shot dead.
“Charlie Kirk made conservatism cool again. Maga star gave voice to young people alienated by campus intolerance – his killing is an American tragedy grim and raw.” 27.
The Times, September 12, 2025: 1, 14, 15, 27.
A memorial service for Charlie Kirk was held on 21st September 2025 at the Glendale stadium where President Trump and others spoke to the capacity 63,000 audience. President Trump called for “a time of healing”.
“Kirk’s widow, Erika, said: “Charlie passionately wanted to reach and save young men, just like the one who took his life.” In an emotional conclusion greeted with long applause she referred to her husband’s killer, saying: “I forgive him.” ”
“Kirk’s widow says he tried to save boys like his killer.”
The Times, September 22, 2025: 1.
The Yom Kippur attack on Heaton Park Synagogue
“ Yom Kippur fast day is the holiest day of the year—when we are closest to G‑d and to the quintessence of our own souls. It is the Day of Atonement—“For on this day He will forgive you, to purify you, that you be cleansed from all your sins before G‑d” (Leviticus 16:30). ”
[Judaismlive.com/library]
On Yom Kippur a British-Syrian knifeman killed two people at the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue in Manchester UK.
The Times, October 3, 2025: 1.
This is the first time in modern times in the UK that a Jew has been killed for being a Jew. However a negative system had existed over decades with threats and attacks creating fear in the Jewish community in the UK and a variety of security measures taken by the UK Jewish community to defend itself. The level has increased markedly since the October 7 attack by Hamas in 2023, exhibiting two peaks, one two years ago and the other more recently.
Finkelstein expresses the notion of opinion relativity well:
“The temptation many people, myself included, find almost impossible to resist is to uses such shocking incidents as an opportunity to restate the things we already think … turning and twisting the narrative around until we can show why it supports something we’ve always said … writing our lists of talking points on a piece of paper and reading them to each other.”
“So how about this as an idea: instead … why don’t we use it to understand each other better … why don’t we swap the pieces of paper and try to learn what we can. … there’s a moment for everything, and this is one for sensitivity and understanding.”
… rather than at present linking the attack to government policy or at present continuing with the marches ..,
… Finkelstein ends with thanks for the message of friendship he has received.
“Instead of twisting a narrative, let’s learn from each other.” Daniel Finkelstein. The Times, October 4, 2025: 6.
Labour peer, Maurice Glasman, “arrived early to synagogue on Thursday for Yom Kippur, the fast of prayer and penitence … God speaks plainly that what he expects from us is righteousness, justice, mercy and kindness; and the way out of trouble is repentance, prayer and lovingkindness … [Glasman does not] make excuses, cite mitigating circumstances or blame anyone. I sit quietly and say forgive me, salakhti, a lot … the plea for collective forgiveness that is such a big part of the prayer… May all their names be blessed …
… W H Auden wrote in the late 1920s that we must love each other or die. I always considered that line overblown, but not today. This is something way beyond party politics.”
Glasman explains his allegiance as a Jew to Britain and to the royal family and to his Labour Party hero Ernest Bevin and offers a prayer for respected home secretary Shabana Mahmood that she be guided by kindness and truth.
“This attack dishonours our entire nation. We Jews have long felt safer in Britain than anywhere – maintain that means drawing on the best of Labour’s instincts.” Maurice Glasman. The Times, October 4, 2025: 25.
Les Misérables: redemption, forgiveness and self-sacrifice
As well as items by Daniel Finkelstein and Maurice Glasman, last Saturday’s Times also included a discussion by Professor Ian Bradley of the musical Les Misérables. Following the original novel by Victor Hugo, and diverging from the version in the previous French musival, the English musical emphasises the Christian themes of redemption, forgiveness and self-sacrifice. The key moment in the musical is the bishop’s forgiveness of Valjean and through this “Valjean is changed from hating the world and everyone in it to leading Christ-like self-sacrificial love”.
“The main theme of the musical is the very different ways in which God is perceived by the three central male characters … a vengeful Old Testament God who will bring down plague and pestilence on all those who disobey the law … [believing in redemption and that justice can exist in our world] … [believing that God is dead and that we are all fair game for him].” The show’s final line: “to love another person is to see the face of God.”
British Caribbean perspectives: Sewell and Lammy
Conservative peer, Tony Sewell also refers to the Old Testament. “Those of us from a Caribbean background are steeped in the Jewish narrative. … The creolised imagination of Caribbean creatives appropriated the Old Testament Jewish story of a people in captivity … who would make a journey to the promised land and escape the oppression of Babylon. It was clear to me that the Jewish story was our story, and our story is the Jewish story. Indeed, it is the human narrative.
… There are many similarities that tie the Jewish British story with the early Caribbean story on our shores. They both managed in the face of racism to integrate in mainstream British society.
… I know Lammy well and he has lost his Jewish foundations … What he forgot was those great Old Testament stories of agency, self-responsibility and faith. … He became “black Americanised”. … It wasn’t surprising therefore that the deputy prime minister was heckled and booed by those at Friday’s vigil in Manchester … the crowd which targeted him for his arrogance in acknowledging Palestinian statehood and failing to realise the implications this might have for Jews at home.”
“Black community must counter antisemitism. Too many have joined the left in blaming Jewish people while forgetting how our cultural stories are intertwined.” Tony Sewell. The Times, October 6, 2025: 27.
Perpetrators’ parents …
The parents of Charlie Kirk’s killer persuaded him to turn himself in …
Faraj al-Shamie, the father of Jihad al-Shamie, condemned his son’s “heinous act” targeting “peaceful innocent civilians”. On behalf of the family “we fully distance ourselves from this attack and express our deep shock and sorrow over what has happened. Our hearts and thoughts are with the victims and their families, and we pray for their strength and comfort.”
“Terrorist’s father had praised Hamas, but condemns son’s attack.” The Times, October 4, 2025: 7.
… an Arab perspective on October 7 … Palestine and Israel opinion polls
Faraj al-Shamie “criticised Hamas for taking elderly people and children hostage, and urged their release. “Do not harm them in a moment of anger. They have no place in war” ”. However, praising the attackers: “God’s men on earth prove beyond a shadow of doubt that Israel will not remain … confident of their victory even if their resources are few … May God grant you victory, support you and guide you to the right path in a battle that history will record as the beginning of the liberation of al-Aqsa, God willing.”
A Palestine opinion poll, May 2025:
“Favorability of the October 7 attack, the belief that Hamas will win the war, and support for Hamas continue to decline, but the overwhelming majority is opposed to Hamas disarmament and does not believe that release of the hostages will bring an end to the war. Nonetheless, about half of Gazans support the anti-Hamas demonstrations and almost half want to leave the Gaza Strip if they could. Support for the two-state solution remains unchanged but support for armed struggle drops.”
An Israel opinion poll, September 2025
“Two years on, Israelis want an end to war.” 30-31. The Times, October 8, 2025
https://www.inss.org.il/publication/survey-september-2025/
The Times, October 8, 2025
“Lest we forget: The Nova festival site in Israel …” photo, 1.
“Jews ‘harassed’ at protests on anniversary of Hamas attacks.” 13.
“Student filmed cutting down hostage ribbons.” 13.
“PM’s denouncement of un-British protests.” Letters [five]. 28.
“Two years on, Israelis want an end to war.” 30-31.
https://www.inss.org.il/publication/survey-september-2025/
“We no longer dream, our only goal is to survive.” 30-31
“Edgar Feuchtwanger. British historian whose childhood neighbour in Munich was a man with ‘a little black moustache’ named Adolf Hitler.” Obituary. 49.
The Times, October 9, 2025
“Synagogue attacker told police: I killed in name of Islamic State.”
“Antisemitic doctors to be banned from treating patients.” 12
“Pair had plotted to murder as many Jews as possible.”
“Gazan’s Cambridge talk axed over tweets.”
“Universities need to stand against terror on campus.” 13
“Oxford’s diversity lectures won’t protect free speech.” 24
“Trump plans Middle East visit with deal ‘very close’.” 29
Meaning without religion?
In all the above discussion religious thought has played an important part and so it does with Richard Holloway, a former bishop, even though he has now relinquished his faith. “Without Christianity to guide … where does he turn for meaning? … “In the parables of Jesus … It’s there I still find purpose. The parable of the Good Samaritan in particular. … Maybe it’s banal, I just think we should be kind … be good, be kind, help the poor, take care of each other while we’re here. That’s what I keep coming back to.”
“Richard Holloway.” By Michael Segalov. The Observer magazine. October 5, 2025: 10-11.
Nice, forgiving and provokable … Axelrod’s A Passion for Cooperation
A Passion for Cooperation
A lifetime of achieving the gold standard of interdisciplinary research
A Passion for Cooperation is the exciting autobiography of Robert Axelrod, one of the most acclaimed and wide-ranging scientists of the last fifty years. After being recognized by President Kennedy for being a promising young scientist while in high school, Axelrod built a career dedicated to collaborating with business school professors, international relations scholars, political scientists, computer scientists, and even evolutionary biologists and cancer researchers. Fifty years later, he was honored by President Obama with the National Medal of Science for scientific achievement and leadership and his work has been referred to as the gold standard of interdisciplinary research.
Yet Axelrod’s autobiography is not just an account of his wide-ranging passion for cooperation. It reveals his struggles to overcome failures and experience the joys of gaining new insights into how to achieve cooperation. A Passion for Cooperation recounts Robert Axelrod’s adventures talking with the leader of the organization Hamas, the Prime Minister of Israel, and the Foreign Minister of Syria. Axelrod also shares stories of being hosted in Kazakhstan by senior Soviet retired generals and visiting China with well-connected policy advisors on issues of military aspects of cyber conflict. Through stories of the difficulties and rewards of interdisciplinary collaborations, readers will discover how Axelrod’s academic and practical work have enriched each other and demonstrated that opportunities for cooperation are much greater than generally thought.”
https://liverpooluniversitypress.co.uk/doi/book/10.3828/9780472076550
“The prisoner’s dilemma is a classic game-theory problem. Robert, a political scientist at the University of Michigan, has spent his career studying it — and the ways humans can cooperate, or betray each other, for their own benefit. He and Steve talk about the best way to play it and how it shows up in real-world situations, from war zones to Steve’s own life.”
Gordon Burt, 9 October 2025
THE END