Our Response to Israel
Those who support Israel must remember that God loves Jews and Arabs equally.
God is at work in a profound way with Israel and the Jewish people worldwide, and He wants Christians to be aware of and involved in this great move of His Spirit. For those of us in Jewish ministry, no more complex a problem exists than the escalation of violence and bloodshed in Israel.
It is a confusing dilemma and one I believe has no human solution. We are barraged daily with skewed, biased reports and opinions from media outlets. What should our position be as believers?
There are no easy answers. There are, however, some biblical perspectives that we should be aware of and consider.
God loves Jews and Arabs equally. Those who support Israel must remember that God is not against the Palestinians. God does not love the Jews and hate the Palestinians. He loves them equally.
The Lord loves all of His creation and wants none to perish. Jesus died for all people and desires all to find everlasting life.
We must pray faithfully for God to touch, heal and reveal Himself to both Israelis and Palestinians. This is the only way true peace and understanding can ever be found.
God gave the land to Abraham’s descendants. Regardless of what the United Nations decided some 55 years ago, or decides today, God gave this land to the children of Israel as an “everlasting” inheritance. Beginning with Genesis, chapters 12 and 15, there are hundreds of verses that make this crystal-clear.
Despite world opinion, the Bible is the Jewish people’s land deed to Israel. In His sovereignty, God chose to give this land to the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
Who are we to question His decision? This does not mean we should condone all
that Israel does, but we must understand that God’s promise is unconditional and, as Christians, we should support it.
Islam is not a religion of peace and love. Contrary to what our government is trying to tell us, Islam is a religion committed to world domination. Its devout followers worship jihad, or “holy war,” and they aren’t interested in co-existence with Israel. They teach that anyone who isn’t a devoted Muslim is an infidel, especially Westerners, Jews and Christians.
Jihad is an essential tenet of faith in Islam that is at the heart of the Quran’s teachings. It sanctifies terrorism; therefore any form of violence is sanctioned.
An immediate goal of Islam is the destruction of Israel. The PLO charter to this day states it as one of the organization’s primary objectives.
Former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu noted: “The primary objective of Arafat’s terrorist regime is not to establish the 22nd Arab state, but to destroy the only Jewish state.” This was and is the heart of the conflict.
Evangelist Franklin Graham, in response to the Bush administration’s efforts to whitewash Islam, publicly stated: “The persecution or elimination of non-Muslims has been a cornerstone of Islamic conquests…for centuries. The Quran provides ample evidence that Islam encourages violence…to reach the ultimate goal of an Islamic world.”
Columnist Cal Thomas recently claimed that one Washington insider made this profound statement: “Islam is a religion in which God requires you to send your son to die for Him. Christianity is a faith in which God sends His son to die for you.”
There will be no peace without the Prince of Peace. Most Christians are familiar with the exhortation, “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem” (see Ps. 122:6). But how do we pray? How can there ever be peace?
The Bible says many will say, “Peace, peace, and there is no peace” (see Jer. 6:14; Ezek. 13:10). The word translated “peace” in Hebrew is shalom and means “to bring to completion.” God has a plan of “completion” for this land that will come to pass, and it ultimately includes the return of Yeshua to the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem.
We must pray for His plan to be fulfilled in this troubled land–and for the Messiah to be revealed in the hearts of Jews and Palestinians alike. Only then will true peace be realized.
Jonathan Bernis, a Jewish believer in Yeshua (Jesus), is founder of Hear O Israel Ministries, an organization doing extensive outreach and humanitarian aid around the world. He is also executive director of Phoenix-based Jewish Voice Ministries International. He founded two Messianic congregations and served them as a senior Messianic rabbi for 11 years.
