The peripheral left-wing Christian group Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) is calling on American Christians to reclaim what it calls “Christian values” by siding with its un-biblical policy of pressuring the US government to more rapidly implement the division of the Land of Israel.
Ignoring polls that show the vast majority of Americans side with the Christian Zionist view that a Palestinian state should not be created on Israel’s ancient heartland, CMEP claims to represent the sensibilities of mainstream Christianity in America.
In a recent editorial, CMEP Executive Director Corinne Whitlatch lists as the first concern American Christians have regarding the Middle East conflict the fact that Bethlehem has been cut off from Jerusalem by Israel’s security barrier. Of course, she fails to note that the barrier was only made necessary because the Palestinian Muslims in Bethlehem just couldn’t stop killing Jesus’ Jewish brethren.
Whitlatch is also wrong to list that as the primary concern most American Christians have when examining the conflict and America’s role in it. Most Christians in the US are more concerned that their own government is playing midwife to the birth of Palestine, which flies in the face of every prophecy regarding the return of the Children of Israel to their God-given land. The Lord has promised to deal harshly with the nations that try to divide His land, so I am pretty sure most American Christians are worried about that, and not about the inability of Palestinian Arabs to cross more easily from Bethlehem to Jerusalem.
Whitlatch goes on to justify highlighting such a relatively trivial matter by demonizing Christian Zionists as a radical fringe movement, and our views as unacceptable to the mainstream. She claims that there is some giant phantom majority of Christians who are all for dividing the Land of Israel in the name of justice, but that they are simply ignored by the media.
News reports of Christians demonstrating passionate and exclusive support for Israel…are known throughout the Arab and Muslim world. These reports distort the reality of American Christian sentiment. Regrettably, the moderate peace and justice language and actions of traditional churches are rarely considered newsworthy, making these voices within the Christian community rarely heard.
We all know that to be false since just this month a letter signed by a mere 30 Christian leaders supporting the creation of a Palestinian Arab state made headlines in none other than the New York Times. Christians who hold these un-biblical views are not ignored by the press, there just aren’t as many of them as CMEP would like to believe.
Whitlatch goes on to assert that it is the “Israeli occupation” that is causing the recent exodus of Palestinian Christians, and she is pushing Christian members of Congress to act against this. How such a ludicrous position can be tolerated, I do not know. If the “Israeli occupation” is causing this exodus, then why didn’t all the Palestinian Christians flee 30 years ago when the so-called “occupation” first began? The fact is that Bethlehem was a thriving Christian town right up until the time when Israel handed it over to Palestinian Muslim rule!
Whitlatch repeatedly references the “Israeli occupation” as a major cause of the ongoing conflict, but fails to mention Palestinian Islamic terrorism even one time. She criticizes Congress for failing to be a good friend to both Israel and the Palestinians, but ignores the fact that it is difficult for a society that rejects terror to befriend one that embraces it. Though I am sure Whitlatch is someone who would grant Palestinian terrorism the status of legitimate resistance.
So CMEP is all about reconciliation, justice and peace in the Middle East, so long as it comes at Israel’s expense and those pesky Bible passages about not dividing the land are not brought up.
Peace and justice are indeed biblical and Christian values, but only when they are implemented in a way that accomplishes God’s Will as outlined in the Bible. When peace and justice are implemented in according to modern liberal humanist standards, they do not represent biblical Christian values.
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16 comments so far ↓
1 Lee // Aug 27, 2007 at 5:05 pm
What do we do Ryan?
What can we Americans do that love and fully support Israel do?
2 Jeannette // Aug 27, 2007 at 6:52 pm
I keep praying for the peace of Jerusalem, for the Messiah to come, for God’s will to be done. I keep supporting those who support the Jews and Israel. It is only my small way of doing what I can. But God can use even the smallest and least important of people that love Him and His chosen nation.
3 Rob // Aug 27, 2007 at 7:03 pm
We shouldn’t be surprised to hear of this supposed “mainline” denomination espousing replacement theology. II Timothy 4:3-4 says the following: “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their OWN DESIRES, because they have ITCHING EARS, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears to away from the TRUTH, and be turned aside to FABLES. “
4 Marsha Carol Watson // Aug 28, 2007 at 7:48 am
God is working in the hearts and lives of millions of Christians around the world with regard to Israel and the Jewish People. Is it any wonder that the Enemy (who never takes a day off) is stirring up the
“religious” community. All who are not rooted and grounded in the Word of God will believe the lies of the devil, and those he has placed to do his dirty work.
I said not long ago: “The battle lines are being drawn now.” We had better read and study God’s Word with great zeal…we need to have it written in our minds, hearts and lives so that we will not get caught up with the charletons…..”If the blind lead the blind, they ALL fall in the ditch.”
It is going to grow increasingly more difficult as the days go by. The warfare is intensifying. The Good News is: GOD IS ON HIS THRONE. HE IS WITH US, AND MOST WONDERFUL OF ALL, GOD, OUR HEAVENLY FATHER, GAVE US HIS SON, JESUS CHRIST. Christ is ALL we need. He has promised that He will Never leave us nor forsake us. WHAT A PROMISE! He has given to us the Holy Spirit, who is always with us. His still small voice lives in us. If we will be still and quiet when we are unsure of things, the Holy Spirit will speak to us and direct our paths.
Now that is a package deal that NO ONE can refuse. In the fullness of the Godhead are all of the answers to life’s questions, struggles, trials. We can live daily from Victory to Victory because Jesus loved us enough to become the God Man and go to Calvary’s Cross so that all who accept Him can have life and have it More Abundantly!
As darkness works to cover the earth, we have a BLESSED HOPE. It is that what God says in His Holy Word will never change. He is the same yesterday, today and forever….With a promise like that, we can rest in the completed work that Jesus on Calvary’s Cross accomplished for you and me….for everyone who will accept Jesus as Saviour and Lord.
Father, Glorify Thy name in my life. In Jesus name I pray. amen and amen
5 Martin // Aug 28, 2007 at 1:54 pm
What do we do about this you ask?
1) Make this issue a constant subject of your prayer and fasting to God.
2) Present this issue as a talking point in your church/synagogue and your community.
3) Withdraw your support of the elected official(s) that who do not support God’s word or Israel.
6 Matthew // Aug 29, 2007 at 7:08 pm
I have a couple of comments:
First, do some fact checking: Palestinian Christians from all over the West-Bank, including Bethlehem, have been leaving the area since 1948/49. Prior to the creation of the state of Israel the estimated Christian population of the “Mandate” was 20%-today it is less than 2%, and they have not all left since 1993. I am not claiming Israel is to blaim (though Israel certainly could be a little nicer to Christians within its state-arab and non-arab alike) but twisting facts serves little to give your argument validity.
Second: What do you propose Israel, America, UN, whoever do with the millions of Arabs living in Judea and Samaria? Before you propose “kicking them out” let me remind that Palestinians are no Canaanites, and there certainly is no biblical mandate for Christians to kill or persecute them. God also brought the Jews home after the Babylonian exile, but He did not kill, drive out or uproot the Samaritans living in Judea and Samaria at the time. Though I do seem to remember Jesus rebuking the Jews of His day for mistreating them. Remember, God has always commanded (read the whole Torah through a few times) that the Israelites not mistreat the foreigners living in their land.
Third: show a little grace. Neither you, nor any other believers has an exclusive claim to understanding prophecy. And when your interpretation of said prophecy results in the expulsion of millions of people from their homes at least give another believer the right to disagree with you.
Finally, before all of the accusations start, let me head off a few. I am an evengelical pastor, believe in the eternal covenant between God and the Nation of Israel (including the parts about land), the literal fulfillment of prophecy, and believe the Messiah will return and reign from His thrown in Jerusalem. I just happen to also believe that God is at least as concerned about the salvation of millions of Palestinians as He is about extending Jewish rule over Jenin and Nablus. Maybe if you, and other American Christian groups would get a little more involved in the harvest work among Palestinians, and less invovled in Israeli politics, the question would be less important. After all, a vibrant, Israel loving Palestinian church would make coexistence with Jews a lot more possible. Don’t think it can happen? My Bible says with God all things are possible.
7 Ryan // Aug 29, 2007 at 9:15 pm
Matthew, you made a lot of assumptions there and put a lot of words in my mouth that I never said.
I never advocated expelling the Palestinians from the land. I just said that according to the Bible, they have no right to claim sovereignty over this land. However, the two-state solution being advocated by the Christians cited in this commentary would see hundreds of thousands of Jews expelled from portions of their God-given land.
As for the lack of fact checking - forget about 1993. Up until the year 2000 Bethlehem still had a huge Christian population, if not a majority. I know because my friends and I used to frequent Bethlehem. So yes, MOST of the Christians that have left have left under the rule of the Palestinian Authority.
One thing we are in full agreement on is seeking the salvation of the Palestinian Arabs. I would love nothing more than to see them come to faith en masse and become and Israel-loving church. And I do believe it will happen one day. It is not against the Palestinians that we are truly battling here, but against the powers and principalities that are operating through the Palestinians.
8 Matthew // Aug 29, 2007 at 10:13 pm
Ryan,
I did not mean to put words in your mouth, but you have still not answered the question: what should Israel do with Palestinians?
Israel cannot annex the WB and make the Arabs there Israeli citizens, because doing so would eliminate a Jewish voting majority, something they cannot/will not allow. The Arabs are not willing to go on forever in a state of limbo, not being citizens of any country. So what do you propose should happen to them? What is a just solution?
Secondly, without getting into a demographics dispute with you I’ll just say this. By your own admission Bethlehem did not have a Christian majority in 2000, something it did have in 1948. Why? Because many had already left. Furthermore, having lived in Bethlehem during the peak of the last intifada, I would suggest that a very large factor in the exodus of Bethlehem’s Christians was the Israeli military response to the intifada. Check-points, forced curfews, etc. do not make for very pleasant living. The IDF heavy shelling of Beit Jalla, a Christian village, in response to shooting from that area directed at Gilo, is a prime example (the shooting, by the way, was done Muslim militants, who were long gone by the time the IDF destroyed the Christians’ homes). I am not saying that Israel was wrong in attempting to protect its citizens, and I am not passing judgment one way or the other on the way it chose to do so. I am simply saying that it was a factor in the Christians leaving.
Finally, my major point is this. God is going to restore the Kingdom to Israel (see Acts 1:6) but the main task of the church is not to attempt to help Him do so (He has that covered all by Himself), but to be His witnesses of the Gospel to a lost a dying world (see Acts 1:8). I want you to do a little research into something for me: see how much money, and how many people, the American church commits to ministry in the Muslim world. Compared to the amount it spends in southern African and Latin America, or even to the amount spent on pro-Israel groups, it is almost nothing. I am not advocating that we take away from those areas, but that we commit to bringing the love of Jesus to Muslims. That is something, by and large, we have failed to do. And in so failing, we are as much a part of the problem of Islamic militancy as we are a part of the solution, both in Israel and elsewhere.
Thank you for response.
May the LORD bless you and keep you.
pastor matt
9 Ryan // Aug 30, 2007 at 6:47 am
Matt,
What to do with the Palestinians - that is the big debate at the moment, and the apparent lack of an answer is what leads Israel’s leadership to conclude it must surrender the land. But remember that in 1948, Jews were a minority west of the Jordan River, and Israel still declared independence. I am looking for that kind of faith from Israel’s leadership today.
In practical terms, I have heard two viable solutions: a.) the Palestinians will be citizens of Jordan (most of them already carry Jordanian passports) and exercise their national rights through Jordan; b.) Israel should just annex the land, make everyone citizens and require they do national service. Most will leave because they will not agree to serve Israel.
You can read more about the first option here:
http://www.therightroadtopeace.com/eng/DefaultEng.html
I have to ask, because you say you accept that God is restoring the kingdom to Israel, what would your solution be? Because it sounds like you support the creation of a Palestinian state on Israel’s biblical heartland.
On the issue of departing Christians, you are making the same cause and effect error the mainstream media makes. Many Christians are fleeing because of Israeli military responses and restrictions on movement. But, Israel only implements those measures because Muslim terrorists made Bethlehem a base of operations. Therefore, the root cause here of the Christian exodus is the actions of Muslim terrorists. Criticism should be directed at them, not Israel.
Your assertions also ignore the stories of the few brave Bethlehem Christians who have dared to speak out about how their treatment by the Muslims is the primary factor in the community’s exodus. Read this report by Justus Weiner for more. Here is another one.
Oh, and that line about Israel destroying Christian homes in Beit Jala long after the terrorists had fired on Israel is just false. I lived in the southern Jerusalem neighborhood of Arnona at the time that was going on, and we would watch the exchanges of fire from our rooftop. Israel’s return fire was immediate. It was a direct and immediate effort to silence terrorist fire on a Jerusalem neighborhood. Again, no Muslim terrorist fire, no destruction of those homes. The terrorists are to blame, not Israel.
Whether or not it is your intention, the way you are wording things makes it sound like you are suggesting Israel has a policy of trying to drive out the Christian inhabitants of the land. And that is absolutely false.
Continued below…
10 Ryan // Aug 30, 2007 at 6:57 am
Yes, God is going to restore the kingdom to Israel, but if the Bible teaches anything, it teaches that God works through man, that He involves us in the fulfillment of His will. In the Bible, God gave the land to Israel, but He required Israel to go in and possess it. God gave Israel victory and set the stage, but Israel had to do the dirty work.
And so, while we trust the Lord to accomplish His will, we make ourselves available to serve.
It is the same with sharing the Gospel. God will touch whose heart He wills. But He instructs us to go and physically share His truth, and through those efforts He will touch hearts.
No need to do any research into the lack of work among the Muslim world. I know that it is severely lacking.
I would say there are three reasons for this:
I am with you 100% on the need to more vigorously spread the truth in the Muslim world. I would certainly be open to joining any effort to press American churches and ministries to pour money and time into bringing the Gospel to Muslim nations.
11 Matthew // Aug 30, 2007 at 7:37 am
Ryan,
You know, you sound like an all right guy. We probably agree on most things. I guess the questions of Beit Jalla, Bethlehem, etc. are going to have to be written down as he said-she said, seeing as how I am sure I know as many Bethlehemites (and people living in Beit Hanina, Shufat, etc.) that complain not only about the IDF but about the lack of basic services (this in Israeil-Arab neighborhoods) and govt. funding that they get compared to Jewish areas, as you know people that blaim it all Muslims. By the way, I am not ignoring those Palestinians, I know them.
Here is a thought: we love to differentiate between the church and Israel. Any one that seems to blur the two is accused of believing in “replacment theology.” Again I will point out, when the disciplies broached the issue they were told that was the Father’s business, and that their business was to set about sharing the gospel. And yet, there are probably more American Christians volunteering on IDF bases (and not sharing the gospel, since Israel, whatever you may say, is quite intolerant of that) than there are witnessing in Palestinian communities.
My solution: seeing as how God is going to bring His will to pass regardless of US foreign policy, and seeing as how some day all the ungoldy and all of Israel’s enemies are going to be judged, my primary concern is taking the gospel to those people BEFORE the great and terrible day of the LORD. Not simply waiting around at the Western Wall, wearing an IDF T-Shirt and gleefully waiting for that day to come to pass, which is about as involved as most American Christians are in Israel.
Concerning Israel chasing the Christians off: maybe they do not have an official policy of doing so, but they also do not seem overly concerned about it. Not to mention the many clergy visas that have been revoked in the last few years.
One final thought: criticizing the Israeli govt. if it does something wrong is not anti-Israel, and it is certainly not anti-Jewish, though people love to spread those accusations around. The people most critical of Israel have often been the people who loved her the most (if you don’t believe me, re-read Isaiah, Amos, and even some of Jesus’ remarks, to name a few). The fact of the matter is that Zionism is a secular, ethinic, nationalistic movement. It is not Godly, it is simply a product of the modern concept of a nation state. While God may have worked through that to bring Israel to this place I will not dispute, but it is certainly not His ultimate goal. Most Israelis are not believers, and as such, they are no closer to God’s ideal for a nation of people set apart than Palestinians are. He never gave them the land simply so they could have it, but in order that they may be a blessing to the world. Today, buy continuing to reject Jesus, the nation of Israel is no closer to that ideal then they were 2,000 years ago. cont
12 Matthew // Aug 30, 2007 at 7:45 am
The way I see it, we are looking at the conflict all wrong. It is not really a matter of Jews versus Arabs. The conflict is really God on one said and the Jews and Arabs on the other, since both people are in unbelief, both people reject the Lordship of Jesus, and both people (primarily) are motivated by more of a spirit of nationalism than they are by anything else. But we Christians have gotten it backward: everything the Jews do is OK, and some of us are to the point where we teach that Jews do not even need to believe the gospel to get saved! Bringing the Jews back into Israel is not the end goal (getting them there under Joshua’s leadership the first time was not the end goal either). The end goal is bringing the Jews into a right relationship with their God. The land is a by product of that.
Shalom,
Matt
By the way, if all the Palestinians would agree to pack up (after being fully paid for their proprety), move to Jordan (where they would, hopefully, enjoy full rights as citizens) and live happily ever after then it owuld be a nice day. But here on planet earth, I don’t think it all that likely.
13 Ryan // Aug 30, 2007 at 8:15 am
Matt,
Yes, it does seem we pretty much agree on most things, though view them through slightly different lenses.
I want to clarify that I do not give Israel a blanket “thumbs up.” I very often criticize Israel on this blog and in public. It may be that I am not always criticizing Israel for the things you and others would want me to - my focus is typically on Israel’s failures to stand on its God-given promises - but I do also criticize it for ill treatment of those who could be allies and friends. I will be the first to say Israel is far from perfect.
And no, the end goal is not Israel’s retaking of the land. The end goal is Israel reentering direct fellowship with their God. However, the pattern in Jeremiah 32 is that God will gather Israel in unbelief, and then pour out His spirit and open their hearts and eyes once they are in the land.
One step at a time.
Zionism has and is being used to restore the land to Israel and Israel to the land. But you are right, that is not the end goal. Once the ingathering is complete and the land is restored, the ultimate goal will be Israel returning to her God and Messiah taking up his throne in Jerusalem.
The battle is not between God on one side and the Jews and Arabs on the other. The battle is between God and the evil one who uses the Arabs and many Jews to try to thwart God’s will and plan of redemption.
As for witnessing to Israel - there are more ways to show God’s love and be a witness than standing on a street corner passing out pamphlets. That we come here openly identifying ourselves as believers and then standing firmly with Israel is a powerful witness, and fulfills the Lord’s command to comfort His people (Isaiah 40).
By uniting with Israel we are fulfilling Isaiah 14:1, so do not be too hard on those Christians who come and put on an IDF t-shirt in a public show of support for Israel. But you are right that doing so should not come at the expense of sharing God’s love and truth with the Palestinian Muslims.
On an individual basis, however, we are all called to work different parts of the vineyard, we can’t all be in all places doing all things at once. Some will stand in support of Israel and dedicate themselves to comforting this nation, while others will openly share the Gospel with the Muslims. Both tasks are biblically commanded, and both are necessary.
14 Matthew // Aug 30, 2007 at 9:46 am
Ryan,
Amen.
15 Al // Sep 1, 2007 at 7:17 am
The issue of a “Palestinian” state is both simple and complex.
The plight of Arab refugees who call themselves Palestinians in the Land of Israel is tragic. Yes, we should show them compassion. We should pray for them because like everyone else in the world, they are lost and need to know that God sent His Son into world to save them from sin.
However, we should not lose sight of the fact that it was the Arab nations who created the “Palestinian” problem. This problem has been dumped on the lap of Israel after being attacked and almost destroyed by those very nations since 1948. There is absolutely no accountability from the world and in part by the church that the Arabs help their brothers in a constructive way. Instead they are encouraged by radical governments to wage jihad and commit acts of terrorism against Israeli citizens. So if Israel, as a sovereign nation, acts to protect its citizens from attacks and violence, why should we criticize them?
As far as a “Palestinian” state is concerned, one already exists. It is called Jordan, whose territory was originally part of the British/UN mandated state once called “Palestine”. This state was supposed to be divided into two, one for the Jews (Israel) and one for the Arabs (the Hashemite kingdom of Transjordan). When the Arabs refused to recognize Israel, Arabs living in the land were told to leave Israel until after the new Jewish nation was driven into the sea. Then the Arabs who had left could simply come back and take over “Palestine”. Unfortunately for those Arabs who left Israel, they became refugees when Israel successfully repelled the Arab invasion. The only reason they continue to be refugees is to be used as a propaganda tool to make Israel look bad in the eyes of the world, even to this day. The most compassionate act anyone can make is for Arab nations to absorb these refugees and take care of the problem they started. That’s not playing politics. That’s simply the most equitable thing to do.
No, Israel does not do everything perfectly. Believers in the land of Israel, especially those who happen to be Jewish take a lot of heat from the mainstream Jewish community. That phenomenon actually happens all over the world, not just in Israel. As believers we should remember not to patronize Israel and the Jewish people. But we need to remember and act accordance with the promises given to the patriarchs, Moses, David, etc. We need to recognize that it is God’s program to restore the Jewish people to covenant relationship in the land of their forefathers. It is actually to the benefit of the Body of Messiah that they be restored in full measure. Or as Shaul(Paul) put it, their restoration and regrafting will be like “life from the dead” (Romans 11:15)
16 David in Oregon // Oct 8, 2007 at 6:10 pm
I would like to ask some questions on this subject. I will address them to Matthew and Ryan:
1. Who are the Palestinians?
2. Prior to 1948, what was the name of their country and who governed them?
3. Were they British? Were the Jews who were in the land British?
4. Did they live in peace with the Jews prior to 1948?
5. After 1948, when did the Jews, now Israel kick them out?
6. Aren’t there presently so called Palestinians living in Israel and being treated equally as citizens?
7. Why are they not living in Jordan if Jordan was the designated country in the Balfour agreement?
8. Is Bethlehem Palestinian territory or part of Israel proper?
9. If Bethlehem is Palestinian territory, why should Israel provide them support?
If Palestine was an independant nation which was taken from them and given to Israel one could better understand the problem, but as far as I know, it wasn’t.
I stand firmly in support of Israel because the Bible stands firmly on the side of Israel. That doesn’t mean I stand against the people called Palestinian. I love them as I love all men and pray for their salvation, but that doesn’t mean that God’s Land should be divided. Let them become citizens of Israel or go to the Arab country of their choosing. In America, the voting issue is settled by absentee balot. Israel should give all Jews of the world voting rights upon proof of being Jewish. That would solve the voting issue. The so called Palestinian voting majority would not exist. If the Arab countries fail to allow them in, then that is not God’s fault nor is it Israel’s fault. The promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob still stands. The borders of Israel were established by God, not America, not Great Britian, and not by any Arab country.
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