A Christian Guide to the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict
(UPDATED October 11, 2023) For some American Christians, what is happening on the other side of the world between Israel and the Palestinians, although horrific, may seem of little consequence. It is just another conflict in an area known to be volatile. I hope here to convince you otherwise and to help you understand a very complex issue that has repercussions for Christians worldwide.
Who Has Rights to the Land?
On the surface, the most basic reason for the conflict is a question of rights to the land currently known as “Palestine” — the geographic area where Israel and Palestinians currently dwell. Both groups claim ancestral ownership and are vying for control. Israel, politically, economically, and militarily, controls most of the region.
The Palestinians have two areas where they exert a certain level of autonomy. There is a self-governing area known as the Gaza Strip currently under the control of the terrorist group, Hamas. The region known as the West Bank has self-controlled Palestinian islands under the leadership of the political party Fatah. Within the West Bank lie Jewish settlements. Tensions usually result from Palestinians pushing back against Israeli presence within the West Bank. Note, from a military and economic point of view, Israel has the upper hand.
To make their claim to the land, each side points to historic and ancestral heritage.
Palestinian vs Israeli Ancestral Claims
The Palestinian leadership claims they are the descendants of the Canaanites, specifically the Jebusite tribe (Yes, the same Canaanites and Jebusites from the Bible). However, Israel sees the historical reality as much different. They point to evidence that Palestinians did not identify themselves as “Palestinians” for most of their history. Instead, their identification as a people emerged from artificial boundaries delineated by Western Powers after World War I.
In simple terms, Palestinians are descendants of Arabs who happened to be living within those boundaries at the time. However, their ancestry before that can be traced to people from other geographic locations. There are Palestinians who trace their roots to Egyptians and Armenians and from tribes from modern-day Yemen and Iraq. They appear to be proud of those ancestral connections, confirming that their roots are not necessarily tied to the land.
If you have a basic knowledge of your Bible, you know that God promised that part of the world to Israel. Israel began to take control of the region with Joshua, King David established the empire, and the area (more or less) remained in Israeli hands until the Babylonians took over. Eventually, Israel was allowed back into the land and maintained various levels of control and presence up until the Romans squashed two Jewish rebellions in 70 CE and 135 CE. Jews were exiled and lost political control of the area until 1948 when it was re-established as a sovereign nation.
What is in a name?
Back in 135 CE, the Roman Emperor decided to rename this part of the world from “Judea” to “Palestine” after squashing the Jewish revolt. When the area was under the control of the Ottoman Empire it was called al-Ard al-Muqadassa (the holy land), or Surya al-Janubiyya (southern Syria). When the British took control after World War I, the name “Palestine” was revived and the Arabs living there became known as the Palestinians.
The Historical Backdrop of the Animosity between Palestinians and Israelis
The hate Palestinians feel towards Israelis was sparked several decades ago and the groundwork has roots in the British control of the region, from 1920–1948. Jews migrated to the region at this time in significant numbers creating tension with Arabs living there at the time.
Why were the Jews migrating back to Palestine in larger numbers?
For one, Jews always saw it as their ancestral homeland. They considered themselves part of the Jewish Diaspora, living in exile. But while in exile, at several intervals in their history they suffered severe persecution from the people and countries they lived in. Generally, during these times of persecution, is when they naturally sought to return to their homeland. In 1880, for example, Russia began killing large numbers of Jews leading them to migrate back to Palestine.
How did this migration cause the hate between the two?
In the 1930s, the antisemitism growing in Europe was an impetus for Jewish migration back to the region as well. During this increase in migration, Jews started buying land, and Arabs who lived there were displaced. From the Jewish perspective, they were returning to their ancestral homeland — a necessity because of the severe persecution and many instances of genocide they had endured. From the Arab perspective, they saw themselves (and continue to see it this way) as a people being forced out of their land.
The creation of the state of Israel in 1948 and the war that ensued one day later created 726,000 Palestinian refugees. Keep in mind, however, that Jews suffered as well. Arab nations displaced and seized assets from Jews during that time, 856,000 of them. While the nation of Israel was willing to absorb its refugees, other Arab nations were unwilling to absorb the Palestinian ones. The Palestinians began to direct their ire towards Israel.
What sparked the most current conflict (October 2023)?
The reasons are deeply rooted in history, religion, and geopolitics, but the Iranian regime is the primary driver behind the current conflict. It is no secret that the regime seeks the complete annihilation of the Jewish state. The leadership in Iran holds an extreme eschatological position (end of the world doctrine) which also lies at the roots of its pursuit of nuclear weapons. In their ideology, Israel must cease to exist.
As part of their geopolitical strategy, they have waged a proxy war in the region, funneling weapons, training, and funds to groups that hate Israel. That includes Hamas in the south, the current ruling party in the Gaza Strip, and Hezbollah in the north, housed in Lebanon.
The intrusion into civilian neighborhoods and the war crimes it committed against unsuspecting Israelis on October 7 may be financed by Iran, but it is fueled by religious ideology. Hamas is an offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood. Some key figures within the Muslim Brotherhood propagated an ideology that not only condoned but encouraged extreme violence. If you noticed a parallel between the recent violent and abhorrent tactics used by Hamas on Israeli civilians and those used by Al-Qaeda, it is because both can trace their doctrinal lineage to leaders within the Muslim Brotherhood.
Why Has Israel Not Allowed Palestinians to Have Their Own Nation State?
The desire of Hamas leadership is not a two-state solution where Israel and Palestinians would co-exist. Their goal is to take over the entire region and completely annihilate Israel.
The Palestinian leadership aside, Israeli security policies which are driven by self-preservation, tend to insight the ire of Palestinian populations. Israel is a tiny state, surrounded by countries that have publicly stated they want to destroy it, so it must, by necessity, maintain political control of all strategic areas within its boundaries. Having Jews occupy certain areas and sectors helps them maintain that control and ensure their survival as a nation.
But from a Palestinian perspective, they see these Jewish settlements as an Israeli incursion into the little land that they have. And they see Israel’s strict control over the borders in and out of Palestinian-controlled territories, as over-reach. The relative wealth of Israelis compared to the poverty of Palestinians does not play well among Palestinian populations either — even though the governing bodies within Palestinian areas spend their resources on military infrastructure instead of economic development. Hamas is able to play on these sentiments to keep the support of the Palestinian people.
Is Israel killing innocent Palestinians in the current conflict?
Israel, like the United States, has a policy to avoid civilian casualties. Unfortunately, Hamas does not play by the same rules. They purposely place military installations within civilian neighborhoods and buildings. They will launch rockets from the middle of residential areas knowing full well that if Israel takes out those batteries, Palestinian civilians will suffer severe casualties.
In past conflicts, much of the damage within the Gaza Strip was caused by hundreds of Hamas rockets falling short of their destination. However, that did not deter Hamas from continuing its barrages. And while Israel has gone to great lengths to avoid civilian casualties in the past, Hamas makes no such qualms about firing rockets indiscriminately into Israeli civilian areas (and has little regard for its own population).
In the current conflict, Israel has given warnings to civilian populations, but in such densely populated areas like the Gaza Strip, large civilian casualties will be unavoidable.
The Spiritual Roots of the Conflict
Yes, on the surface there are social, economic, and geopolitical reasons for the current conflict. However, in studying these reasons, we must not discount the spiritual underpinnings driving the hostility.
As I mentioned previously, the Jewish people have suffered extreme persecution throughout their history. They have endured several Holocausts. The one initiated by Hitler is just one of them.
Even today, Israel faces more animosity from nations worldwide than any other country. Read my article on the disproportionate number of UN resolutions against Israel versus other countries. I know of no other nation or people that have been so hated. Sure, other nations and peoples have gone through periods of persecution and genocide, but for the Jews, it has been consistent throughout their history. Why is that?
There is no true earthly reason for it so we must look towards a spiritual one and I have come to one conclusion. Satan hates Israel. It hates it because Israel has been God’s chosen people since God’s promise to Abraham and he wants to destroy it because he knows God’s promises cannot come to pass if Israel ceases to exist.
When we look at the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, as Christians, we must always keep this in mind. All of it might manifest itself in the physical, but spiritual principalities are the ones truly vying for control of the region.
For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.
Ephesians 6:12 (ESV)
Why should Christians care what goes on in the Middle East?
There are several reasons why we must not be ignorant of what is happening in Israel right now. At the most basic level, as Christians, we should never grow callous to the suffering of people. But there are other reasons as well. Israel is the prominent nation in the Bible and that has many implications for Christians. Also, in Matthew 24, Jesus instructed us to be watchful for the signs of the end times. So let’s discuss each one in turn.
Israel in the Bible
Israel is not like every other nation. It was a nation established by God. That is important and cannot be easily dismissed. Furthermore, God made certain promises to Israel in Genesis 15:18 to give them physical land with physical boundaries. In the same chapter, God bound himself to Abraham with a blood covenant. Blood covenants were permanent and unconditional. Yes, because of idolatry Israel lost access to the land and suffered war and conflict, but the promise ensured that at one point the land would be restored to Israel.
On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, “To your offspring I give this land, ….
Genesis 15:18 (ESV)
The language of the New Testament confirms the preeminence of Israel.
For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.
Romans 1:16 (ESV)
The full measure of what was promised to Israel and the full measure of what was promised to us Christians will be fulfilled through Jesus Christ. End-time scenarios will bring the eventual complete restoration of Israel in addition to a complete restoration of the whole earth.
A Watchman on the Wall
In Matthew 14, Jesus instructed us to remain vigilant, to watch for the signs, and to be ready.
Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come.
Matthew 24:42 (NIV)
God does not want us to remain ignorant of what is going on around us, especially as it pertains to end-time events. And end-time events revolve around Israel and the geopolitical realities surrounding it.
When Israel lost control of the region and was in exile for 1700+ years, it seemed difficult for Christians to see how the events described in books like Ezekiel, Daniel, and Revelation could come to pass. Israel appeared to have ceased to be a nation although Jews maintained their culture and language. And yet, in 1948, it reemerged as a sovereign state. That is big.
And there are other significant players and actions taking place which are outside the scope of this article. One brief example is Iran, which is the primary financial backer of Hamas. Did you know that Iran’s goal is the annihilation of Israel? Biblically, Iran is a prominent player in end-time scenarios. Does this mean the end times are right around the corner?
We don’t know for sure, but that is why we must remain watchful and smart about current events in the region.
How should Christians react to the conflict?
There appear to be two reactions among Christians. The first is to completely side with Israel and ignore the suffering of Palestinians. The other is to side with the Palestinians and toy with antisemitic attitudes.
I want to propose a third reaction. It is possible to acknowledge Israel’s right to the land and their right to defend themselves while still having compassion towards the Palestinians who are victims of their own governing authorities.
Israel, like any country, has in times past made some questionable choices. It will only be perfected as a nation when Jesus rules as King. I think it is okay to point out areas where Israel could have “behaved” better, but only in the context of holding Palestinian leadership and surrounding countries to the same high standards.
Personally, I dare not condemn nor come against Israel as a nation. It is God’s nation and He will deal with it in His own way. Christians must guard their hearts against antisemitism because it is dangerous spiritual waters.
But we must pray for the Palestinians as well. God will have all men come to the knowledge of the truth (I Timothy 2:4) and He desires to bring them to Himself.
So be a watchman on the wall, learning and absorbing what is happening in the region, and above all PRAY.
