On October 26, 2014, the Jerusalem Post carried an article entitled “Bethlehem Bible College – purveyor of anti-Israel propaganda” in their Christian News section. The Rev. Alex Awad, a Baptist minister who works both for Bethlehem Bible College and The United Methodist Church, was personally named as part of “a blatant attempt to demonize Israel.” The article goes on to denounce a video the college produced on the bombing of Gaza. Though not immediately apparent, the writer of the article is on the staff of “Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting,” a controversial US based pro-Israeli organization.
That the Jerusalem Post felt it necessary to publish this frontal attack on a well known Bible college is actually a good sign.
The mainstream Israeli press, and no doubt Israeli policy makers themselves, are now having to deal with the fact that unqualified support for Israel’s territorial expansion can no longer be assumed even among US Evangelical Christians. While it is certainly true that many of the most ardent supporters of the occupation are so-called Christian Zionists, there are growing numbers of theological conservatives, including some who might be included among the “Christian Right,” who are viewing the human rights situation in the Holy Land in a far different light.
Much of this change has to do with a greater variety of trips to the Holy Land, trips that include the West Bank and encounters with an indigenous Palestinian Christian community. Tourists who in years past might have been limited to visiting Holy sites are now returning home with a sense of profound indignation at the way Palestinians have been treated. I am one such tourist myself; I’ve taken sides on this issue whereas before I was quite neutral. I also know my experience is not unique.
There is also increasing opposition among Evangelicals to a Biblical understanding that gives modern day Israel the right to all of historic Palestine. According to Dr. Gary Burge of Wheaton College, such interpretations have trumped the teachings of Christ (PDF): “Christian Zionists believe in Jesus, but I wonder if they are always thinking like Christians in this matter. They have uncritically inherited the territorial world view of Judaism and wed this to prophetic predictions that are unsupportable.” Dr. Burge is one of a growing number of critics of Christian Zionism among moderate and conservative Evangelicals.
I’ve found in my own advocacy work that alliances with self identified conservative Christians are far easier to come by these days, and in Rev. Awad himself I hear one of the truly inspirational voices for our time. He advocates a Christian vision that “does not set any people above or over other people (but) rather expresses God’s unconditional love to both Jews and Gentiles.” At the same time he is indeed a strong critic of Israeli policies, and has spoken out for specific divestment from the occupation in many church settings.
Rev. Awad’s views and mission are being embraced by a growing number of younger Evangelicals, as has been pointed out in a recent article by Dr. Burge in “The Washington Report on Middle East Affairs.” He writes, “… this younger generation is more troubled by injustice than they are inspired by prophecy. They want to devote their lives to the common good, and this includes direct participation in ethically troubling contexts such as Israel/Palestine.”
I would ask advocates for a just peace in Israel and Palestine to recognize the possibility of broadening their alliances to include Evangelical Christians, particularly those who are younger, and recognize this parallels other recent developments, such as the surge in awareness and activism by younger Jews in the US. As to the concerns expressed in the Jerusalem Post, supporters of the status quo in Israel and the US should indeed be worried about this challenge to their narrative.
The zionists have become the menacing secret society in the US, it threatens, intimidates, and twists arms, it issues warnings, and makes Americans, or even non Jewish groups, who dare to stand up to them, criticize them, or bring focus to their brutal crimes, and disgusting occupation, an example for others. Our Congress who have been bought by them, our media who dare not cover their crimes, or do not want to, are all part of this.
It is time Americans stood up to this scourge, that is silencing all those who use our freedom of speech, by attacks and threats. We are not the land of the free while we allow these elements whose priority is to protect an alien nation, not ours, to operate within our shores.
I hope these brave Christian churches tell these evil forces to go to hell.
Welcome news.
It’s about time…
I would like to make “Appalachian comment” on the frequent Hasbara claim that was presented in the JP article linked here:
Here, in Appalachian woods, the biggest annual event is the deer hunt. In my state there are about a million participants, and they kill several hundred thousand deer. There are several seasons for the hunting, and when there is a season to hunt males, the hunters kill very few females. According to the Hasbara logic, hunters act in self-defense, responding to deer aggression and making all steps to avoid innocent casualties. For example, all innocent individuals can learn when and were the hunts are conducted, perhaps years in advance! And if that were not sufficient, there are warning shot! (Very useful to figure out when not to hike even if you did not check the web site of Game Commission.)
Rev. Wagner,
Thanks for this report. Given the history of recent decades, it is hard to be hopeful, but still it is good to try to make things better. Thanks for making the effort.
“fatalities are disproportionately among young males, which corresponds with the characteristics of combatants”
That was from a BBC article which was also picked up by Rudoren at the NYT. It’s based on one fact–about 1/3 of the dead were males in their 20’s, but they only correspond to 9 percent of the population (I’m citing from memory). But young males are the ones most likely to be outside during wartime and that’s true whether they are fighters or not. They could be outside to get supplies for their families or to do rescue work or even (as young men everywhere sometimes are a bit reckless) just to see what is happening. It’s possible a fair size chunk of the dead in that demographic were fighters, but that is entirely consistent with the vast majority of the dead being civilian.
So the claim means nothing, but once made it becomes part of standard hasbara–you can probably expect to see this claim made from now until doomsday.