The biblically historical city of Bethlehem is currently located within the Palestinian borders of Israel’s West Bank. Most people know that Bethlehem is the city that Jesus was born in and was also the place where the Magi of the East (wise men) visited Him while bearing many gifts, Did you know that Bethlehem is also the place where Ruth and Boaz got together (Ruth 1:19) or where king David was originally from (1 Samuel 16:18, 1 Samuel 17:12). The small town of Bethlehem has inspired many that just because they are from a small town, they can still become someone great.
Despite the rich history and culture and the fact that it is a key site of religious significance for 3 major religions (Judaism, Christianity, Islam), protecting this town and preserving all of the good things about it will become difficult as the Israel Hamas war conflict continues. What is this war about? It’s about retaliation, hostages, and terrorism – that is the recent “excuse” to have this war, but in actuality the war is a continuation of disputes over land rights and access, and resistance to coexistence with people of differing religious, moral, and cultural practices and beliefs. Of course power and control is the motivation for some, while restoration of land and resources that were taken is the motivation for another.
To be clear from the Western point of view, the 3 major religious and culturally distinct groups occupying the modern country of Israel are Muslims, Christians, and Jews. But from the point of view of the people who have generations of family history in the region, there is a distinction between a Jewish person (who originally is from that region) and a Zionist (a person practicing Jewish religion/culture predominantly of European descent, possibly the descendants of settlers to the region). The Zionist Jews came to the region that was called Palestine by the British, and were directed to “settle” a piece of land that is reported to have been owned by a rich family named the Rothchilds. What is missing from this account is that in order to do this they had to clear out the people that were already living there. It is true that some of the settlers had to build and establish everything from scratch, however as more and more settlers arrived, local inhabitants were banished from their own property and told that they could not have the houses and property that they had in their families for hundreds of years back. A wall was even built to further restrict their access to other parts of what is now Israel. Most Palestinians, especially Palestiniams who are of Arab descent and practice Islam, can not get access to go to Jerusalem where that is a great holy site for Muslims is located because historical Jewish and Christian holy sites are close to it.
I watched a video of a Palestinian explaining that he (a middle aged to older gentleman) only was allowed access to go beyond the Palestinian border for his job. He has to leave before the sunrise because the bus that goes across the border has to go the long way to a specific access point. After work there is no time for him to run errands or do any leisure activity, he has to get straight to the bus that will return him home for fear of being jailed or physically harmed if caught outside of the border after curfew. And now this war… For those who have been paying attention to Israel over the last 5-10 years, you know that missile strikes, and all sorts of attacks have happened over the years that did not result in a full blown war as we are witnessing right now. This is not to diminish the fact that an attack was made and hostages were taken, however there was much more done on both sides before all of this occurred. What is happening in present day Israel is what would be happening in the USA if the Indigenous people of America had allies and continued to fight over land rights. While some want to peg this war in Israel as a “Holy War” anyone who has been paying attention knows that it is not. And anyone who doesn’t believe that genocide of Palestinians who are being targeted and killed just because they exist and happen to live there is not paying attention. Also yes, Hamas is an Islamic Resistance Movement, and they did do a terror attack on Israel on October 7, 2023 in retaliation to the wrongs that Israel have systematically have been doing to the Palestenians for decades. The Paslestinians were pushed out of most of Israel into the West Bank and Gaza, however that wasn’t good enough, Jews are still grabbing land from that area and taking from Palestinians.
The narrative that is fed to Western (especially Christian) media is that the majority of Palestinians support and are potentially operatives of Hamas. This is not true according to the Center of Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) only 27% of Palestenians were in support of Hamas while 34% were in support of the Palestinian Authority who currently presides over Palestine. It is very telling that the IDF (Israel Defense Force) had no restraints in bombing innocent and uninvolved Palestinian citizens following the Hamas attack. While Palestinians were being directed to move to another part of the enclosure whole apartment buildings were being bombed, civilians in the streets, in hospitals, and other common public places were attacked by Israeli military.
Both sides are wrong to attack, Hamas to attack and take hostages, and Israel to respond by attacking and preventing aid, and killing thousands of innocent civilians. By now Israel knows that Hamas is not operating from the West Bank, so why continue to air strike the buildings and infrastructure there, more importantly killing more people including women and children? It’s a war based on hate against the people who originally owned and lived on the narrow strip of land that is now referred to as Israel. It’s not about getting hostages back, it’s about controlling land and who can have access to it. If it were truly about getting the hostages back, there would have been a permanent ceasefire by now. I also want to point out that at least 65% of Israeli citizens do not agree with the tactics that the IDF is using. There have been videos of IDF soldiers singing and dancing to folk songs about basically wiping out the Palestinians. There are so many insidious and heinous roots of evil to this war taking place.
I want to be sympathetic towards Israel and try to see things from their point of view, but the cries of the innocent must not be ignored. All over the world people have called out the international war crimes that have been committed in this situation and yet there is still no ceasefire, no answer that is sufficient, and no viable solution. The US recently began air dropping aid to the remaining Palestinians to assist in a relief effort. While this is commendable, it is just a fraction of what could be done, in relation to how much power and influence the US has with Israel. Maybe the problem is that the Palestinians have been reduced to being the “others,” the problem, the pests in this situation. The far right government that is operating in Israel took full advantage of the attack from Hamas as an opportunity to rid itself of the people that seem to be standing in the way of advancing their right wing agenda. This cruelty has to end.
It always comes back to resisting the urge to call good evil and evil good (Isaiah 5:20–21). We are commanded to recognize evil as evil, even when it is wrapped up in a nice package or has a convenient excuse. It’s unpopular, for some it is outright offensive to suggest that the way Israel has responded to the Hamas attack is in any way wrong, but remaining loved ones of the tens of thousands of slain Palestinians, some who were just trying to survive another day in their own homes, would say differently. This is not to say that the lives of the slain Israelis from this conflict are not as important, it is just that their loved ones still have their creature comforts, are relatively safe, and able to peacefully put their lost ones to rest, while the Palestinians have to struggle to obtain food, water, shelter, and basic services while grieving and trying to be safe.
Even in Biblical times Nazareth was a humble place, it was not a New York, London, Paris, or Rome – Nope it was more like Baltimore, Chicago, or Compton, people wondered if anything good could come from there (John 1:46). Yet this is the place the Jesus’ family moved to after leaving Bethlehem (they also spent time in Egypt as well). The difference between the ancient times of Jesus and his family moving and rebuilding, is that they had access, they had autonomy to the degree that the decision was for them to decide and not forced on them. The modern day Palestinians, some who reside in Bethlehem are being robbed of that choice, of that autonomy. It would be different if the Palestinians were the foreigners that pushed the Zionists out of their land, the violence and death would still not be justified, but maybe more people would be empathetic. But no, it is the Zionists who moved to Israel and seized property that did not belong to them. I know there is the whole argument that they are God’s chosen people and that Israel is God’s land so it belongs to them argument. But God made the whole world, and as a Christian I could claim that because I am God’s child I can pick whosoever land that I want, end of story – is not gonna fly nowadays. The US should not be funding the genocide of Palestinians, when it has its own history of genocide of the Indigenous and Native peoples who inhabited the land that the United States of America was founded on.
In these days and times, public opinion towards prayer is pretty low. Many critics believe that it is pathetic and does not really make much of a difference, but those of us who believe that God still answers prayers know that praying is not a waste of time, energy, and words. So for those who want to pray, let’s intercede for those who may not be able to petition on their own behalf.
Let Us Pray For:
- The most vulnerable – the infants, children, elderly, pregnant, and those with physical, mental, and emotional impairments.
- Those who are doing their best to secure aid, food, shelter, and other provision for their families and loved ones.
- Those who are sharing while experiencing lack, Lord multiply to exceed the need. We declare: MORE than ENOUGH in Jesus name!
- Protection for those who are still traveling to get to a safer place or going back to check on loved ones.
- Ceasefire and speedy resolution of the crisis
- Homes, land, incomes, and all that was stolen to be restored to the rightful owners.
- Repentance for the innocent blood that was spilled during this crisis
- Healing for deep trauma and all associated medical and mental health issues for all involved.
- Unseat those in power who are making bad and evil decisions to agitate and escalate the war and disunity.
- God’s plan and design for Israelis and Palestinians moving forward.
- Whatever God lays on your heart to pray regarding this war conflict.
Thank you for reading, please use these prayer points (along with your own) in your intercessory prayer groups, bible studies, and prayer groups.
Blessings Always,
Dionne Renae ♥♥♥
Lessons 'n Blessings 