Peace: A Letter from Israel
By Shamai Gabbay
Hi there. Shamai here writing and reporting from Israel, a land long endowed with conflict and poor resolution. I write of the possibility for peace that comes from within rather than without. Let me explain:
For the last three years we have lived in bomb shelters, constantly running from flying missiles, starting with long sirens, followed by a blessed silence. It has long been reported to me, ‘as within so without’ (from AI: “As within, so without” is an ancient Hermetic principle stating that your internal state—thoughts, emotions, and beliefs—mirrors your external reality and experiences. It suggests that by changing your inner world, you can transform your external life, as the outside world is a reflection of your subconscious.[i]
I beg to differ. Assagioli reminds us that:
The Self is an experience , not a conception. We can formulate the experience, more or less, in a conception ; but it is an experience . Human life is experience; so we should not start, in my opinion, with a “conception” of the Self, but with techniques which can help us to have the experience of the Self. Let us always speak in terms of experience – experience of the little self, experience of the will, experience of the Higher Self, aesthetic experience. First the experience, the life, and then the conceptual formulation and the utilization. [ii]
So, going on that premise we need to understand what peace means. Assagioli says that:
Peace is a spiritual experience which cannot be understood by the individual mind. It belongs to a different Plane of life, a different reality, the Eternal one . [iii]
True Peace means freedom, wisdom, and truth. It means facing your fears, living in a way that is most meaningful for you, and finding the wisdom that comes from that place.
For me it meant finding and living my true essence. Why am I here? And what have I come to do? These aren’t simple questions and do not come from the presence of mind, or even matter. It comes from the deep lessons that can only be lived in the presence of ‘no peace’. We come onto this earthly plane, in an earthly body, to make something of our selves, and we can only do that when we come in contact with Self, and live in the fragrance of that truth. Life finds meaning when we are supported by the Higher Truth.
As a child I was, as most Jewish children are, taught about Israel and its true purpose, as a home for all Jewish people, at a time when the world was shunning and trying to terminate our existence. It happened during the Second World War, that we learnt to say, ‘never again’, and it is in this time of war and chaos that we, as a nation and people of the book, are again being judged and tried.
In 2021 I was called from the depth of my soul, to return to the homeland of the Jewish People, to my roots. It took nine long months to be approved for the travels, which are called ‘Aliyah’ (not immigration) in Israel because it is said that in our return, we are rising to our higher purpose.
My husband and I were lucky that we had one year to adjust to the changes (language, new laws, weather, etc) of our new home…and then, war erupted.
We began to live a life of sirens and bomb shelters. We felt like we were at the mercy of the laws of war and decisions of politicians. As a conscious being, I began to look for deeper meanings and the wisdom that guides us on our journey. Without fear I faced the demon of war. I took it in stride and asked for higher guidance. I saw others around me doing the same. I realized I had come to land where many people lived by the principle of Higher Self, some of them doing this instinctually, many being guided by a society that views God as an eternal presence.
Radio announcements, modern music, ways of being in the world all seem to come from a higher source in Israeli society. It didn’t take me long to tune in, and become an Israeli.
We are in a time of great change.
Some people believe in prophecy, and see the future through their readings. Others have a sense of change, and a knowing that the world is in flux and in need of moving beyond old patterns. AI describes it as:
Prophecies concerning our changing world currently focus on a convergence of global unrest, technological acceleration, environmental shifts, and spiritual transformation, often interpreted as the “last days” or a period of “great transition”. These perspectives come from both biblical, indigenous, and futuristic viewpoints.[iv]
It is so easy to get caught in the quagmire: the fear, the political views, the hearsay, the religious interpretations. Finding out for one’s self, through experience, is the richest and most truthful of all.
I can not change the outer world. I am not in charge, never was, never will be. I can only change myself.
The discovery of who I am is a process of inner liberation. Through connection to the Higher Self we find a sanctuary, a place of peace, strength, courage, and wisdom. We come to the realization that we are not alone, never have been, never will be. We lose the power of our childhood triggers and move into a new territory of trust and assurance that all is as it is meant to be.
I see my time in the bomb shelter as a time for reflection, a time away from the world, a kind of Sabbath where all things can come together in harmony. I am held there by a time restraint of safety, and can emerge over and over again as a new person, aware of the dangers in life, and confident in my awareness of life at its finest. I am whole, conscious, and grateful.
People see my peace. They acknowledge and are drawn to it. Light emanates from that place where it resides. Peace is not a physical action, a demand, or a consolation prize. It is not one person accommodating another. It is not a giving in to please other or an acceptance of what we know as false. It is not a waiting for peace to begin, or end. It is an action that requires will, and patience, and love….and we can all do that, if we so choose.
peace
I am peace
That which is known and unknown
In times of hardship and strife
I am that
Which calls to you from a space
Deep within yourself
Calling for freedom
And a knowing
That all is right
In your world
Peace is that which you seek
Which has always felt
Just beyond your reach
And yet
All along
You have been
Peace
(Poem by Shamai Gabbay, 25th April 2026)
REFERENCES
[ii] https://kennethsorensen.dk/en/the-self-and-self-by-roberto-assagioli/
[iii] https://kennethsorensen.dk/en/may-the-spirit-of-peace-spread-everywhere/
