Comments on: Palestinians are people too

By: Tenerife

Tenerife — Sun, 31 Dec 2006 01:48:51 +0000

I would put the blame for the oppression of Palestinian and other Arab Christians on Islam. Mideast Christians were emigrating from their countries long before Israel was established because the Muslims were persecuting them. Every problem in that region existed long before Israel was established. Are you going to blame Israel for the Islamic-based violence in Darfur, Nigeria, East Timor, Chechnya, Thailand, Kashmir and countless other places? Not too many Jews in those parts. Is Israel behind female “circumcision” or the stoning to death of “fallen” women?

Thanks to the war in Iraq, Iraqi Christians are about to go the way of Iraqi Jews, that is, extinction or emigration. The U.S.-backed constitution states that no law shall contradict Islam, and we all know what that means. Yes, we need to support our persecuted brethren, and be honest about who the persecutors really are. Just ask any Mideast Christian if it would be easier to practice their faith in Israel or in Saudi Arabia.

By: ShawnaRenee

ShawnaRenee — Mon, 27 Nov 2006 15:21:23 +0000

I just missed the choir when they were in Chicago. I just saw on the news this morning that Olmert is offering another truce to the Palestinians. I’d say we need to do anything we can to be peacemakers.

Rachel, I absolutely agree with you.

By: Rachel

Rachel — Thu, 23 Nov 2006 19:11:45 +0000

I recently spent three weeks in Israel studying Biblical geography and history, and through that experience, I gained a very different perspective of the Palestinian/Israeli conflict that too many evangelicals miss. We greatly oversimplify the issue–Palestinians=terrorists and Israelis=the good guys, when the reality is far more complex.

It’s ironic that we poo-poo the “Divine Mandate” mentality of early America that caused us to oppress and nearly eradicate the First Nation peoples, but when it comes to Israel and some of its actions against the Palestinians, we shrug our shoulders and say “well, Israel belongs to the Jews”, as if they’re just reconquering Canaan. Even if God has given Israel to the Jews, should they reclaim that land by breaking His law? My guess is “no”. And few evangelicals even consider that many of the Palestinians are themselves Christian. Should we back Israel to the extent that we neglect our own?

I also came to understand how vital a role Christians have in this struggle. The conflict is fueled by revenge cycles. The Palestinian says “you Jews bulldozed my home and dishonored my family by forcing them into a refugee camp. I will take my revenge on you, and then we will discuss peace.” The Isreali says “you killed my little girl in a bus bombing. I will take my revenge on you, and then we will discuss peace.” To not take revenge is to imply weakness and invite further attacks, so they cycle continues for generations, and the oppression is staggering.

This is the culture that Jesus lived in when he commanded his followers to walk the extra mile, give up their cloak, and turn the other cheek. Because Christians have this mandate, they have a unique place as moderators in this conflict. I love to hear stories of Palestinians and Israelis working towards reconciliation, and posts like this one are an encouragement. Boiled-down political dogmas and ignorance are not going to bring peace to Israel, but rather, it will take humility and corporate repentence from both sides, and a willingness to be the first to not strike back.

By: cokhavim

cokhavim — Thu, 23 Nov 2006 10:11:22 +0000

Hey, I know that choir. Some of the members are my friends. Bethlehem is just around the corner from where I live in Jerusalem. The next time I visit them, I’ll let them know that someone appreciated them enough to blog about them!

Thanks for your prayers for our little corner of the world!

By: Brian Andrews

Brian Andrews — Wed, 22 Nov 2006 16:43:32 +0000

And pray that Jews and Muslims would come to Jesus Christ and be saved.