Fri, Nov 30, 2012

Editor: The recent Israelis-Palestinians clash, which lasted for more than a week, is a continuation of a long-standing conflict between the two states. The Israeli, along with Christian Zionists, American Jewish lobbyists and sympathisers, believe that the Jews have a divine right to the land. The Palestinians believe that they should not live as prisoners, pushed aside and blockaded in their own homeland.{{more}}

Without proper investigation, it is sometimes easy for the news-viewing world to throw its support behind Israel, while the Palestinians are treated like a footnote. We are often bombarded with the comment “Israel has a right to defend itself.” Unfortunately, when persons seek to point out the Israelis’ inhumane, oppressive treatment of the Palestinian people, they are labelled as “anti-Semitic”. Moreover, it is saddening when professed Christians jump on the band wagon to support Israel using a false religious, unbiblical concept that “the Jews are God’s people and they must be supported in fighting for their promised homeland.” In his book, Final Dawn over Jerusalem, known evangelical preacher John Hague warns America that “the quickest and most effective way to be on God’s side is to stand with the state of Israel and the Jewish people in their hour of need…” It seems as if presidents, past and present, have heeded! Additionally, millions of American evangelicals and other lobbyists give significant financial support to Israel yearly, propagating that “Israel is God’s people.” Interestingly, apart from a few Messianic Jews, Jews in their writings and actions emphatically reject Jesus Christ and Christianity. Would God’s people reject Jesus Christ? Who really are God’s people? Does God accept you based on your race? Jesus himself tells us that He is “the way, the truth and the life” and no man comes to the Father except by Him(John 14:6). Throughout the scriptures we learn that God’s people are those who repent of their sins and are converted through the faith of Jesus Christ. We also learn that In Christ, “there is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus” (Gal.3:28).

It is time for professed Christians to realise that to support the Jews on the basis that “they are Jews and therefore God’s people,” is a gross misrepresentation of God’s character to the Muslims and the rest of the world. They are presenting God as racist, unfair and cruel! Additionally, a careful understanding of how the Jewish state was set up ( in 1948) will show that it had nothing to do with God. They have oppressed and continue to oppress the Palestinian people and the world, including the UN, is aware of the continuous human right violations. True, the Palestinians are not at all right when they maliciously injure and murder Israeli, but their plight must not be down-played. The Israelis must not be supported in their inhumane treatment of the Palestinians. The Palestinians too are human beings created by God and deserving of equal treatment.

Ann-Marie Ballantyne
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