Thoughts on Israel and Palestine

Recent events in Gaza leave Christians wondering how to proceed. Note these provocative but personal comments by Dr. John Goldingay.

1. The fact that Jewish people have been free to make themselves a home in Palestine is an expression of God’s faithfulness to them.
2. We must distinguish the State of Israel and the Jewish people. I am not sure of the theological status of the State. I am sure that God remains committed to the Jewish people.
3. The Palestinians trace their descent from Ishmael as the Jewish people trace their descent from Isaac. God is committed in covenant to the descendants of Ishmael as well as the descendants of Isaac.
4. Many Palestinians are our brothers and sisters in Christ, children of Abraham spiritually as well as physically.
5. Britain bears a large part of the blame for the present mess for making commitments to the establishing of a national home for Jewish people in Palestine without thinking out what would then happen to the Palestinians.
6. The U.S. bears a large part of the blame because of the three billion dollars worth of weapons it gives Israel each year.
7. The tragedy of Israel-Palestine is that two peoples are both attached to the same land.
8. Both the Palestinian people and Israeli people are traumatized by events of the last few months.
9. There is no harm in Christians dividing over whether to be more supportive of Israel or of the Palestinians. And there is no harm in both sides being more concerned to make their voice heard than to listen to the other. There is right and wrong, sins and needs on both sides. A good argument can help to make sure that the key issues all get raised.
10. There is no solution that will feel okay to both sides.
11. Sometimes God has responded when people have cried out in anguish. The main thing Christians need to do is cry out to God in anguish about the anguish of these two peoples.