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An Open Letter To Christians Concerning Israel and Palestine

Dear fellow Christians,

​This is an open letter about the terrible conflict in Israel and Palestine. 

The killing is so hard to watch, and it just breaks our hearts. As followers of Jesus, we have to ask ourselves, "What would Jesus say about all of this?"

​Jesus Wasn't an Israeli or a Palestinian
​Some people involved in this conflict try to claim Jesus for "their side." They might say He was Palestinian because He lived in that area. Or they might say He was Israeli because He was Jewish.
​But these modern political groups didn't even exist when Jesus was on Earth. Jesus was a Jewish man who lived 2,000 years ago. According to the Gospels, Jesus was born in Bethlehem, which was in the region of Judea. However, he grew up and spent most of his life in the town of Nazareth, which was in the region of Galilee. Because of this, he is often referred to as "Jesus of Nazareth" or "the Galilean." At that time, the Romans were in charge of the land. The name "Syria Palestina" was a name the Roman Emperor Hadrian came up with in the second century to punish the Jewish people for a revolt. 

This was long after Jesus had gone to heaven. Jesus’s kingdom isn't of this world.

​What Would Jesus Do?

​Jesus's message is simple and clear: He is totally against violence, hate, and killing. He would never support this. He would condemn terrorism, which uses fear and violence to get what it wants. This goes against His command to love your enemies. He would also be so grieved about genocide, which is the planned killing of an entire group of people.

​Jesus would speak out against the actions of the Israeli government, like expanding settlements and using military force that has hurt so many innocent people. This includes attacks on churches and Christian hospitals. (This was officially recognised as war crimes and genocide months back). And He would also condemn the actions of terrorists, who have done terrible things. The actions on both sides have put the lives of innocent hostages, civilians, including children at great risk. 

Jesus is different

Jesus didn't come to win with an army; He came with a cross.

​Christians in the Conflict

​There are Christians in both regions. About 180,000 Christians live in Israel, and 47,000 live in the Palestinian territories.

​Christians in both Israel and Palestine face different problems. Palestinian Christians often share the struggles of their Muslim neighbors, like limited freedom to move around and limited resources. Pastor Munther Isaac of Bethlehem Evangelical Lutheran Church has shared that Christians in Gaza are effectively living "under the rubble".

​In Israel, even though Christians have the freedom to worship, there has been a rise in anti-Christian events, especially in Jerusalem. This includes extreme harasment and the damaging of churches.

​The Bible teaches us that when we follow Jesus, our shared faith is more important than our nationality. As the Apostle Paul wrote, "There is neither Jew nor Gentile… for you are all one in Christ Jesus."

​Above all, I stand with Jesus.
​I stand with love.
​I stand against terrorism.
​I stand against genocide.
​I stand with the Red Cross, the Red Crescent, and Magen David Adom.
​I stand with the Geneva Convention.
​I stand with a free Israel.
​I stand with a free Palestine.
Where will you stand? 

​In Christ,
​A fellow Christian

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