Not many days go by without seeing some sort of “Stand with Israel” image pop up into my Facebook news feed. And, each time it does, my heart grieves over the fact that so many of my fellow Christians have been taken in by this new and dangerous theology, and in so duped into supporting terrorism and oppression… all in the name of God.
I grew up believing that Israel was God’s favorite country (also commonly expressed as “the Jews are God’s chosen people”), and the center of all God’s activity in humanity. Not only were they considered God’s “chosen” people, but we were taught that failing to support the nation of Israel would result in being cursed by God, whether you were an individual or an entire nation. This has caused much of American Evangelicalism to develop a blind love affair with the modern nation of Israel, who they see as the center of God’s past and future activity in the world.
I believe that this theology of the “Church and Israel Distinction” is actually one of the most dangerous and destructive theologies in the world today. It is unlike many of the other “secondary” theologies that are privately held beliefs which do not impact others one way or another. Conversely, this theology is causing a great many Evangelical Christians to embrace violence, condone oppression, support torture, and is actually creating terrorism. Ironically, this theology leads one to support not Godly behavior, but instead embrace behavior that is anything but Jesus-like.
The purpose of this post is to explain why this “pro-Israel” theology is ridiculously unbiblical, and how “standing with Israel” ironically causes one to stand opposed to God. I will give a brief overview of the basic tenants of this theology, the history of how it became popular within American Evangelicalism, why this theology is blatantly opposed to scripture, and why it is a major cause of terrorism in the world today.
Overview & History of Pro-Israel Theology (the Church and Israel distinction)
This theology is premised upon the promise God made to Abraham in Genesis 12, when God said “I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”
From this verse, and other passages from the OT, this theology states that there are two covenants in the world today, one with the ethnic descendants of Abraham and one with everyone else. Essentially, it claims that God has two plans, one for Jews and one for Gentiles. As a result, this theology necessitates that all of the promises God made to Israel in the OT must only be fulfilled via the ethnic descendents of Abraham. This theology, at the core, differentiates God’s plan for humanity based upon race.
Beholders to this theology see the modern political state of Israel as the recipient of the promise God made to Abraham, and as a result, believe that we must unwaveringly support them lest we experience the wrath of God. Such attitudes have become deeply ingrained into Evangelical culture; I recall recently reading a Facebook post of a minister who said he was going to vote for the candidate that was the most “pro-Israel”, and “Stand with Israel” type rallies are quite common in Evangelical churches. Oftentimes in such culture, your level of support for Israel can be used as a litmus test as to how “Christian” you are.
History
For those who grow up in churches that preach the Church and Israel distinction, this theology seems as if it is a normal part of orthodox Christianity, and never gets questioned. However, the truth is that this theology is a new theology and is not part of orthodox Christianity.
This theology was popularized by denounced heretic John Nelson Darby in the 1800’s. Darby is considered the father of dispensationalism, which is a dwindling subset of American Fundamentalism. Dispensationalism is a collection of extra-biblical beliefs (such as the “rapture”) which is typically known by a preoccupation on the end of the world, and a pessimistic worldview. Among Darby’s heresies included this new idea that God had two, simultaneous covenants, one for Jews and one for Gentiles. Sadly, much of Darby’s teachings caught hold in the UK and eventually America, and turned much of American Evangelicalism from an optimistic, social justice focused movement into a pessimistic, end-times movement.
However, Darby’s theology on Israel didn’t really take radical root in American culture until after the political state of Israel was born in 1948. Even then, the theology wasn’t all that popular until end-times writers created an entire new genre of literature in the 60’s and beyond, such as Hal Lindsay and Tim Lahaye. Once their books became popular, this new theology spread with such fervor that many now simply assume it has always been a central part of orthodox Christianity.
But, it hasn’t.
It’s a new theology, and besides being an extremely racist theology, it is a very dangerous and destructive theology as well.
Why It’s Biblically and Theologically Flawed
Yes, it is true that in the Old Testament, Israel was the group of people God set apart and through whom he fulfilled his promise to bless the world. However:
1. The “seed of Abraham” or the descendants of Abraham, have always included those outside ethnic Jews (i.e., converted Gentiles)
The pro-Israel theology is based upon the premise that the group referred to as “Israel” or the “seed of Abraham” was a racially pure group, but this was never true. Beholders of this theology read the OT through an extremely racist lens, even if they are unable to realize such a lens exists. Just a few examples of how Israel was a racially diverse group:
Ex. 12:38 says it included a “mixed multitude” and that Israel included those who were not ethnically of Abraham but who had converted.
The faithful spies in Numbers 32. Only two were faithful, and Caleb was an Edomite.
Othniel, the first judge, was not an ethnic Jew.
Moses was in an interracial marriage with a Cushite.
Rahab was a Canaanite
Ruth was a Moabite
Esther 8:17 describes the inclusion of many other nationalities
Zechariah chapter 2 prophesies that Israel will include even more nationalities in the future.
Simply put, the Old Testament never makes “Israel” an issue of race, as most Evangelicals do, but instead describes a group of people who have decided to follow God. Any person, of any race who decided to follow God, was included in Israel. It was never a race, but a religious community.
2. The New Testament affirms and teaches that the people of Israel are not those Jewish by blood but those who have decided to follow Jesus.
Romans 9:6 “For not all who are descended from Israel are Israel… In other words, it is not the natural children who are God’s children, but it is the children of the promise who are regarded as Abraham’s offspring.”
Romans 2:29 tells us that the true Israelis are not so ethnically, but spiritually: “A man is not a Jew if he is only one outwardly, nor is circumcision merely outward and physical. No, a man is a Jew if he is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code.”
However, the “stand with Israel” movement rejects what is plain in scripture, instead insisting that God has a very specific, chosen race of people for which he has a special plan. Instead of the God who is not a “respecter of persons”, this theology creates a god who is severely racist- receiving people not on the basis of their hearts, but on the genetic origins of their DNA.
3. The New Testament teaches us that Jesus created a new humanity.
As Paul says in Gal 3:28, “There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”
This passage is perhaps as clear as it gets, that there is no longer a distinction or separation between Jews and Gentiles; the previous barrier has been removed.
Furthermore, Paul ever so clearly states in Ephesians:
“Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called “uncircumcised” by those who call themselves “the circumcision” (that done in the body by the hands of men)— 12 remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.
14 For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, 15 by abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace, 16 and in this one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility.” (emphasis mine)
In this we see, that it was God’s intention to completely remove any separation which once existed between the categories of “Jew” and “Gentile” and that as far as God is concerned, there is a new humanity where all are included together.
However, the Stand with Israel movement rejects these passages, instead insisting that a barrier still exists, where God has one distinct plan for ethnic Jews and a separate plan (covenant) for Gentiles. I can think of no other more racist position that stands opposed to the truth of scripture.
4. Jesus was the fulfillment of the Old Testament, including God’s promise to Abraham.
In fact, even Abraham himself knew this– in John, Jesus tells the religious leaders that Abraham “rejoiced to see my day”. The life, death, and resurrection of Jesus was a blessing to the world more than any other event in all of human history– and this was the fulfillment of God’s promise to bless the whole world through Abraham.
However, this theology argues that the promises to Abraham have not been fulfilled, and that they will only be fulfilled in the future, via his own bloodline. Such a position completely reduces the purpose and work of Christ, as if it wasn’t enough to fulfill the promises made to Abraham.
While there are many additional theological arguments against this position, it is important to understand that:
(a) This is a very new theology, and is not part of historic, orthodox Christianity.
(b) This is a theology based upon race, even though Israel in the OT was not a pure race.
(c) This is a theology which in many respects, argues that there are two paths to God- one path for the Jews, another for Gentiles.
(d) This is a theology which requires one to completely dismiss countless New Testament teachings which, very clearly state, there is no longer a separation between Jews and Gentiles.
If this were all there was to it, you wouldn’t hear a complaint from me because it would be a relatively harmless theology. However, this is actually a damaging theology that is making the world more dangerous, violent, and oppressive.
Why “Stand with Israel” theology is literally destructive
1.By saying that you “Stand with Israel” you are, by definition, saying that you “stand against” the Palestinian people. Jesus calls us to love our neighbors, not to stand against them.
2. By supporting Israel as she has continually taken land away from the Palestinian people, we have contributed to a massive crisis of refugees without a home. This has led us to stand with the oppressor, not the oppressed, as scripture commands us.
3. By supporting settlement expansions in Israel, we are supporting the Israelis breaking the law. We cannot say that undocumented immigrants in our country need to “respect the law” while supporting Israel’s daily refusal to obey international laws. That is ridiculously hypocritical.
4. This theology requires you to reject the role of “peacemaker” as Christ commanded. Almost every time the US has attempted to broker a peace deal in the middle east, I’ve seen the pro-Israel folks take to the internet to condemn western leaders for making any compromises or dividing any land. I’ve heard preachers say that to obey the Bible (citing Joel) means that we are forbidden from sharing the land with outsiders. In fact, many churches in America actually donate money to help fund these illegal and oppressive settlements. These attitudes do not reflect the love of Jesus, the role of peacemaker, and are not “Christian” attitudes.
5. This theology requires us to oppress other Christians. There are more Christians living in Palestine than in Israel, and when we support violence and oppression against the Palestinians, we are supporting the oppression of our own brothers and sisters.
6. This theology is making the job of missionaries throughout the middle east and Muslim world, more difficult. Because Christians consistently and blindly support Israel, regardless of how oppressive they are towards the Muslim community, we have damaged our witness within the Muslim community. As if missions to Muslims were not difficult enough already, our support of their oppression only adds to the level of mistrust and resentment– making the job of our missionary brothers and sisters all the more difficult.
7. By supporting Israel, we are supporting a nation that is consistently guilty of torturing children and other human rights abuses. According to a recent UN report, over a period of 10 years, thousands of Palestinian children have been kidnapped, tortured, used as human shields, and killed by the Israelis. In addition, they have also been found to have forcibly sterilized Ethiopian immigrants which has reduced the Ethiopian community in Israel. If these sorts of human rights abuses were happening in any other country, the United States would be pursuing sanctions, or war. However, the fact that this theology has been forced into national discourse as a litmus test for many politicians, we continue to support this abusive nation.
8. This theology is one of the root causes of the world’s terrorism problem. Why do “terrorists” hate us? Well, it’s not because of “freedom” as many politicians will tell you– it’s actually because of the US foreign policy towards Israel. Israel has become a bully in the middle east, killing and oppressing Muslims without even a hint of accountability from the west. The Muslim world has watched us support a bully, all in the name of our “God”, and it has grown to hate us as a result. This theology is actually creating and fueling terrorism- the same terrorism that caused 911. It has played such a significant role, that I hold preachers like John Hagee as responsible for terrorism as the terrorist themselves.
Really, you ask? Yes. The very powerful evangelical voter block, which largely has been infiltrated by this bad theology, insists that the candidates they support be unwavering supporters of Israel. As a result, US foreign policy towards Israel has been built on bad theology instead of sound reasoning.
Want to curb terrorism? We have to stop blindly supporting Israel and start caring about the rest of the middle east. We have to get people like John Hagee off the air before he incites World War III over bad theology, and little more.
9. Stand with Israel theology is causing church’s in America to funnel money to illegal terrorist activities (expanding Israeli settlements) instead of using that money to help the poor and oppressed. We have been duped into sinning by misusing our money and neglecting the needy among us. In the year 2010 alone, American Christians gave over $100 Million to charities in Israel- funding terrorism and oppression instead of tending to the poor and needy in our own communities.
In summary, maybe you or someone you know is caught up into this “pro-Israel” theology. If that’s the case, I would challenge you to consider that such a position is incredibly racist, and if true, makes God a racist too.
You must be willing to consider, that simply because you have been taught this theology your whole life, does not make it true.
God does not have two-plans, one for a specific race of people, and one for everyone else. He has one plan, and his name is Jesus.
While some “secondary” theologies are harmless, this one is not. This theology is a new, and dangerous theology which has created, and is directly responsible for, a great deal of terrorism in our world today.
Embracing this theology, means that one must embrace things that are not of God- violence, oppression, theft, torture…
and we must reject those things.
We must reject this theology.
Should we “stand with Israel”?
Yes…
But ONLY if that also means we stand with Palestinians, Iraqis, Syrians, and everyone else in the world.
______
A great documentary on this subject is the movie “With God on Our Side”. You can watch it, here:
________
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To my mind, giving ANY nation or regime an uncritical blank cheque(be it Israel, Putin’s Russia or even my own UK) amounts to a form of idolatry- giving to a lesser entity the sort of reverence or adulation that rightfully belongs to God. As the late Cardinal Cathal Daly noted during the “NI Troubles”- we risk absolutizing the relative and relativizing the absolute!
There is an ancient community of Christians in Bethlehem, Palestine. They have suffered oppression in Israel since 1948 but their voices have mostly gone unheard. For anyone interested in learning more about them, they are on social media.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R6SkQo53ATQ
Well said. This was an article that needed writing and you have done an exemplary job.Many evangelicals do not support this uncritical support for Israel adopted by American fundamentalists as if it’s ‘the infallible state’.
Jesus did indeed preach the welcoming of the stranger and social justice.He would never condone land theft and racial discrimination.And as St Paul says in christ ‘there is no jew,no gentile’.This is the new covenant we are under now.
The article is good that it brings out points that many people do not work through. One main point is that Palestinian people are a rather new group. So how can they claim the land? Their leaders claim that Israel should be destroyed. How is that helping anyone?
Yes, Yehovah has allowed for others to become part of the Jewish people. The Jews never did fulfill their mission to be teachers to all the nations.
And as a person who has moved away from the modern church in the Messianic movement, I and my fellow believers do see things from a different perspective.as a Messianic congregation, are in process. We are “working out our salvation with fear and trembling” and growing in grace as the Lord provides. (Phil. 2:12-13)
Great article! Saving to my files to share with others when the argument comes up.
I don’t agree with the author’s politics, but he has a very good grasp of the history of dispensationalism. I grew up in a Pentacostal home, but left that tradition when I had problems with the tongues issue and the health and wealth theology that was all the rage in the ’80s and ’90s. I was in an Independent Fundamentalist Church for a few years, but left when the new pastor started using the pulpit as a cheerleading platform for George W Bush and the Iraq War. For a few years, before converting to Confessional Lutheranism, I did a very serious rethink of dispensationalism and my research turned up many of the facts the author turns up in this piece.
I mean, if this progressive, feminist, sodomite-loving cuck can see it, why can’t actual Christians?
Incredibly stupid, dime store theology. No Christian for 1800 years believed this horseshit. It could only take hold in an era in which the majority of Christians are dumbed down by the public schools and miseducated by marxist clergy. Like I tell the Zionist retards in my town, you take John Hagee and TBN, I’ll stick with Martin Luther and John Calvin.
Isn’t it amazing how the Jews got back into the land of Israel without God noticing?! Isn’t it amazing how they continue to exist and thrive while surrounded by so many who want them Dead?! Just Who do you think has brought them back and Who do you think is protecting them?! Everything with Israel culminates at Zechariah 12:10. Didn’t Paul say something about gentile pride? This article and these comments make it clear that this pride is still flourishing.
Oh my. Most of you are just too indoctrinated to even consider anything else. No hope.
It’s you who is dangerous. You should be committed.
I am not sure what your true goals is but it appears to me that you are trying to get followers to new movement with you as the leader. Your narcissism is obvious. You think that all others are wrong and you re the only one that is right. That is very reminiscent of one other profit wan-a-be, Mohamed. You are using very standard methods to convince people, such as trying to turn good people against other good people. I do not stand with those that perpetuate hate (enemies of Israel) I do stand with Israel.
The main reason to support Israel and not the Islamic groups or nations is their core beliefs. The more one reads the bible the more one is reminded of the 10 commandments and to do good, Reading the Koran, one is instructed to hate and attack those not of the Islamic faith. More detailed facts are: In Israel all is open to women.. They can vote, drive, car, get an education, and have the same rights as men. Non of these freedoms are enjoyed by women under Islamic rule. In Syria the government is murdering its citizens indiscriminately without reason and North Koreans are being starved by their government. Iran’s goal is to evaporate Israel and commit genocide on all Jews. Israeli’s neighbors send rockets into day care centers and other civilian areas and their combatants hide behind all of their civilians women, men, young, old, and even the infirm. I rest my case.
SHALLOW, LITERAL-MINDED PEOPLE MAKE SHALLOW, LITERAL-MINDED CHRISTIANS, I.E. CHRISTIAN ZIONISTS.
Who are easily led. Because they’re too lazy to read their Bibles everyday, they believe anything that sounds good. Like the restoration of israel in 1948. All the jew-owned media and the jew-owned “christian” ministries continually beat us over the head with this fallacy. In the Bible, the LORD’s not referring to a physical restoration of Israel, but a spiritual restoration. We Christians are the embodiment of that restoration.
“One of the clearest and most monumental Old Testament prophecies regarding the restoration of the tabernacle may be found in Amos 9:11-12; and in Acts 15:14-17 James clearly teaches that THIS PASSAGE IS BEING FULFILLED IN THE SPREADING OF THE GOSPEL TO THE GENTILES so in sum yes, the bible prophesies of a restored Jewish nation & temple, but then goes on to teach that THIS PROPHECY WAS FULFILLED BY JESUS’ BECOMING THE TRUE AND FINAL TEMPLE OF GOD, and subsequently in his making his people a holy temple in the Lord, where God’s presence might dwell among them, even today.”
http://www.monergism.com/thethreshold/articles/onsite/qna/restoredtemple.html
NOW WHY DON’T YOU WAKE YOUR ASSES UP? YOU’RE FOOLS.
Netanyahu’s Opinion of Christian Zionists : “My opinion of Christian Zionists? They’re scum. But don’t tell them that. We need all the useful idiots we can get right now.” – Israeli Binyamin “Bibi” Netanyahu
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I’m a Jew writing from Israel. As such, I can’t comment on the theological issues you raise as a Christian. But I can comment – and vehemently disagree – with your absolutely false and libel filled comments about Israel’s behavior. “thousands of Palestinian children kidnapped, tortured, etc.” By accepting – and circulating – such anti-semitic trash you’ve completely lost all credibility. I don’t mean to say there are not some real issues to deal with here, and Israel is certainly not perfect. But if you wanted to contribute to improving it, this certainly is not the way. I strongly suggest you review that UN Report you quote and speak with some objective scholars who need not be ‘pro-Israel’ to refute such lies. And then you owe your readers a correction and apology.
Read the UN report. Numbers are at the bottom of page 13.
http://www.unicef.org/oPt/UNICEF_oPt_Children_in_Israeli_Military_Detention_Observations_and_Recommendations_-_6_March_2013.pdf
Great article. I had some of these ideas floating around when I was a kid. Galatians 3 & 4, totally destroys them.
How exactly does 1 Corinthians 10:32 “blow this article apart” ?
The context is; causing no offence to people by what we do. He is saying don’t cause ANYONE to stumble. That is CLEARLY and OBVIOUSLY what the text means…. but no, you somehow have managed to turn it into a proof text for your aberrant theology.
Dispensationalists never cease to amaze me with their sloppy use of scripture.
That’s not what I read from that comment at all. The point of the comment is there is a distinction between the people groups. We should not cause anyone to stumble is the point of the passage, however it makes a distinction between people groups. The distinction is not a racist issue, just different types of people.
Very sad Article. Author has no idea about the history and true about muslims. I believe Author is one of millions so called “christians” who passive watched/helped Hitler killing millions of Jews and did nothing with excuse Hitler forbite to help jews “obey the law”. Author is one of this “Christians” who did nothing to stop killing jews by Catholics, Lutherans, Nazis, Comunists and Muslims. I think Jews have the Right to have they own land and protect them self from Satanic cult of Islam who’s only Quran desire is to kill all jew. Cose you mister Author of an article will not move a finger to protect jews. Shame on you and God have mercy.
James, You seem to be forgetting or ignoring the millions of Palestinians in the Occupied Territories who are under Israeli rule, but who are not Israelis, when you speak about freedom & human rights.
David, You’re claiming that “Israel legitimately gained the territories of Judea and Samaria in a legitimate war victory. So the many Jewish communities, or so-called settlements, constructed in Arab occupied Judea and Samaria, the so-called West Bank, are on legitimate Jewish property”?
LOL!!! You must know that isn’t true, & you’re just trying to bs people who don’t know the facts. Which is not very nice of you. But, let’s pretend you were right, & that there was no such thing as international law, or the UN declaration that it’s unacceptable for ANY country to acquire territory through war. If as you say, the West Bank now belongs to Israel, why haven’t they made it official by annexing it? They’ve been ruling over it (in what is formally termed a “belligerent occupation”) for 47 years & counting. It would seem that Israel doesn’t agree with you.
Just stop and think–are the promises made to Abraham for just those who descended through Jacob/Israel? So many of the children of Ishmael and Esau are the very ones that contemporary Israel has considered enemies. To be really technical, anti-Semitism is a hatred of the Arab and of the Jew, and the conflict of the Middle East is, to some degree, brother-against-brother.
Actually, reading the Gospel of John, and Romans and Galatians will show you that the author is correct. Most people do not consider that when Jesus himself told the Jewish leaders they were not children of God, had never known God and were in fact children of satan (John 8:31-59) it was a foretaste of Paul’s declaration in Romans 9:6-9 “that they are not all Israel, that are of Israel”.
In Galatians 3-4 Paul has a much more detailed account of this idea and ends in Galatians 4 saying the PHYSICAL Jerusalem is Hagar. Which is a very interesting turn of events because people jump all over the Muslims for being “sons of Hagar.”
I read an article by the premier proponent of Christian Zionism and he never quoted one verse from the New Testament. Not one.
When we allow Israel to what ever they want and blast anyone that criticizes them, we do something God Himself does not do. God’s covenant for the land and blessing of Israel is based completely on the Old Covenant. And God allowed Israel to be punished over and over by other countries because they refused to obey Him.
There is plenty of information about Jewish destruction of houses, olive groves, towns that have existed for 100s if not 1000+ years. All you have to do is be willing to see it. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_demolition_in_the_Israeli%E2%80%93Palestinian_conflict
http://theunjustmedia.com/Jewish%20Zionists/The%20Seizure%20of%20the%20Land.htm
http://rt.com/news/israel-palestinian-homes-demolish-323/
The truth is many orthodox Jews originally opposed the formation of the modern state of Israel because they believed Messiah would take them back to the land when he came.( http://www.nkusa.org/AboutUs/Zionism/opposition.cfm )
The point the author was making is not that there are no more Jews in the world. Simply that the Jews are NOT God’s chosen people who have the right to do whatever they want to their neighbors. And that followers of Christ are the true children of Abraham.
yes, but coming from a RACIST (author’s words–not mine) your opinion is in opposition to God! (Again, author’s words, not mine.)
I happen to agree with you. There happen to be loads of verses that refute this man’s writings.
This is a pretty challenging topic to take on! I have long suspected that the conflicts are not all one-sided, although I have not studied this in detail. I am pro-Jewish when it comes to the Jews in this country who seem to be peaceful people. What is going on in the middle east is more complicated. It is difficult to tackle this topic without being accused of being anti-semetic. I certainly am not a fan of the holocaust-deniers.
Part of the problem is with the idea that the nation of Israel was formed as a fulfillment of end-times prophecy. So therefore anything they do must be right.
I find it somewhat disengenous when people claim that all the Jews want is the little portion of land that they have now. But Jews believe that ALL of the Holy Land belongs to them. Jews, Christians, and Muslims have fought over this land for centuries.
It is time to get rid of the idea that all the Judeo-Christian-Muslim religions have that somehow this land is special. And we Christians are not exempt from this attitude either. I am sure that there are many of them who would LOVE kicking the Muslims out of there. And hypocritically, the Jews as well. After all according to them, Jesus is going to kick ALL the infidels’ butts, including the Jews that have not converted. Our ability to get along with Jews is actually a pretty recent thing in history and is not universal by any means.
I am not quite sure what the answer to the middle east problem is, but I am certain that there is wrong-doing on both sides.
Dear sir,
My name is Nabil Habiby. I am a Palestinian Christian living in Lebanon. I want to reply to your statement “We defend our land against the true terrorist outfits and in return, we are the one made to be terrorists.”
in 1948 my grandparents and all of my family were kicked out of their homes in Palestine by Zionist militias. Before 1948 Palestine was populated by Palestinians. That is, until Zionist militias (terrorism perhaps) massacred whole villages and made people flee their lands.
The modern state of Israel has been built by the sword over the blood of the innocent. I recall the words of Jesus: those who live by the sword shall die by the sword.
Mr. Cohen, we want peace. However, your blatant denial of history will only bring more war.
Thank you