Until October 2023, I was mostly ignorant of the Palestinian struggle and history. I blindly aligned myself with Israel because, from the Christian perspective, I saw Israel as the ‘good guys’ who deserved to be the settlers in the Holy Land. After all, this is the Judeo-Christian heritage that links the Jews and Judaism of the Old Testament to Christians, the followers of Christ, in the New Testament.
In searching for the truth in the days following October 7, I began to learn some of the history and facts related to this Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Like a number of other people, I first heard of Pastor Munther Isaac when I watched the video of his Christ Under the Rubble sermon the day before Christmas. Since then, I have watched other interviews and talks and read his posts on social media.
In this interview with Ashfaaq Carim,* Pastor Isaac discusses personal aspects of his life: growing up in Bethlehem, his faith, the first intifada and the impact of checkpoints. He explains the struggle against control, the role of Evangelical Christians and Zionism, October 7, genocide and ethnic cleansing. He concludes with some reflections on what has taken place thus far, and responds to questions about the future.
The interview lasts one hour and 20 minutes. Munther Isaac is an intelligent and wise advocate not just for the Palestinian Christians and the Palestinian cause but for Christianity, as well. If you want a quick overview of the past events in this region and the lead-up to the current conflict in Gaza, this interview provides a brief history.
Palestinian pastor speaks on Gaza, Christian Zionism and the future
One of the commenters blanchetv writes:
As a Palestinian Christian, I agree with everything Reverend Dr. Munther Isaac has said. It baffles me too how many Christians that visit the holy land do not visit Bethlehem, which is a Palestinian town. They are deterred from going there and instead visit anything that is not in the occupied Palestinian territories. Palestinian Christians are erased several ways, right down to tourism……
Bethlehem is not a fairytale city from the Bible. It is real, and it is completely populated by Palestinians since ancient times. They are the living stones of Christianity.
If you have missed the posts on Munther Isaac’s sermons published on this site, here are the links:
▹ Bethlehem Nativity: Christ Under the Rubble
▹ Lenten Reflection on Gaza by Revd Munther Isaac
There are also comments in the Open Threads.
* Note: Carim is not a skilled interviewer. He interrupts too often and breaks the flow of Isaac’s narration.
The use of terms like “Anti-Semite”, “Islamophobe”, “racist” and similar are just lazy methods of name-calling without an explanation. They don’t mean much generally, but more so in the Middle-East conflicts.
When it comes to the Gaza war, as already explained by Pastor Isaac, it is not a religious conflict. It is colonialism. There are two sides: one is the side that has invaded the homeland of the people who lived there, and the other is the people who have been invaded.
In this case, the settler colonialists** (Israel/Zionists) are trying to drive the other side (Palestinians) out of their homelands, occupy those lands and then claim them as their own.
Let’s not continue to call this a religious conflict.
…………..
**The pro-Palestinians say that the maps are accurate. The pro-Israel side say that the maps are lies, but they do not provide maps to show their version of what is the correct division of the territories on each side. I have tried searching for these maps but can’t find anything. This from the BBC but it doesn’t show the comparisons from 1947 to present. If anyone has more info or links, please post here.
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A few reasons:
a/
The invaders are Zionists. They are not necessarily Jews.
There are Zionists who are Jews and there are Zionists who are non-Jews. What they have in common is their support for the state of Israel at the expense of the Palestinians. They support the acquisition of the Palestinian lands even to the point of ignoring or justifying the genocide.
b/
Those invaded are Palestinians. They are not necessarily Muslims.
There are Palestinian Muslims. There are Palestinian Christians. I don’t know if there are any other religious groups in these areas.
c/
Those who support Palestine and a ceasefire are not just Muslims, though there are many of them.
These are people in Israel, Palestine and around the world. They are black and white, believers in a God and non-believers, right-wingers and left-wingers. They are a combined force of people who are against injustice, persecution of innocent people – whoever they may be. They want the bloodshed to end and for peace and peaceful and just solutions to this conflict.
d/
There are Jews – Orthodox Jews, Left wing Jews, other Jews. Jews who have been Holocaust survivors, children of Holocaust survivors, families of those who were killed on 7 October 2023, rabbis, scholars, historians, Jews living in Israel as well as around the world – who are against the Israeli occupation and support the Palestinians. They want a permanent ceasefire.
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So let’s get rid of the term “Anti-Semitism”. Because the group (group d above) that opposes Israel and supports Palestine and a ceasefire comprise Jews, including descendants of Holocaust survivors, rabbis, historians. To call them Anti-Semitic is more than absurd.
To refer to non-Jews, who are supporters of the persecuted people, as Anti-Semitics is also foolish. Wanting justice and peace for the innocent who are being unjustly persecuted and criticising their oppressors does not make one Anti-Semitic.
Also get rid of “Islamophobia”. There are millions of Muslims around the world who are rallying to support the people of Palestine and interpret it as the persecution of their fellow Muslims. But this situation is really an issue of Zionists vs Palestine not All Jews vs All Muslims. There will be a reckoning from this in the form of jihads to avenge the West for what is being done in Palestine. And, sadly, innocent civilians will be in the crossfire again.
I still hold the view that Islam is not compatible with western civilization. But this war in Gaza has compounded the problem. One can support the Palestinian cause and still see the problem with the co-existence of the Muslim population in Western societies.
If we don’t or can’t clearly see the difference between the genocide of innocent civilians in Palestine who just want to live peaceful lives in their homeland
and
the Muslim immigrants and refugees who come to Western countries, cannot/will not assimilate here, are a threat to our way of life, become terrorists in their own lands or in the West with the aim of killing ‘the infidels’, it would be a real pity.
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Taking over the West Bank. Slowly.
1/
West Bank**
The big prize is actually the West Bank, not Gaza….this is the land they want to depopulate and ethnically cleanse
2/
Canada
3 March 2024
3/
Real Estate Event
** Some of these video clips and accounts are getting disappeared ….on twitter. That one may also vanish when someone reports it.
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I missed this one
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Jews against Zionism.
1/
Rabbi Yisroel Dovid Weiss
2/
Jonathan Glazer
He is a writer-director and his film about Auschwitz and the Holocaust – The Zone of Interest – won the best international film award on Sunday night, at the Oscars.
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3/
U.S. Rabbis and Cantors Call on President Biden to End War in Gaza
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What a lot of silliness. The entire area for the river to the sea belongs to the Jews. Every arab is an invader. They invaded in the 700s. When Israel drives them out, then justice will have been done. And no they are not Palestinians. There is no nation called Palestine. Just a bunch of descendants of brutal invaders. Oct 7 showed us their true face. They are Arabian Peninsula people and should be returned there willingly or not. They have no right legal or moral to be in or near Israel. From the river to the sea is Israel and Jewish. Jewish land since far far before time immimorial. And no place for criminal invaders or their descandants.
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Continuing from my comment in the Open Thread.
1/
A few points that I became aware of when watching the interview with Munther Isaac that I’ve posted above.
a/
26:40 mark: Munther explains that driving from Bethlehem to Jerusalem with his parents took 20 minutes.
The distance between Bethlehem and Jerusalem is 9 km. So it is a 20-minute drive assuming a normal route – not one with obstructions, checkpoints and blockades meant to make it difficult for Palestinians to get to …. anywhere they are not wanted or welcome.
b/
28:05: Munther says that a majority of Bethlehemites have never seen Jerusalem ….They can see Jerusalem from their windows but can’t visit.
So, Palestinian Christians living in the town which is the birthplace of Jesus Christ have not been able to ever visit Jerusalem, the place where Jesus died. A city just 9 km from where they live.
Think about it. Tourists and pilgrims from all over the world can go to Jerusalem, but not the Christians living in Bethlehem.
If you are a Christian, think about it.
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2/
The distance from my home to the Cathedral in my city is 15 km. Driving there would be around 20–30 minutes depending on traffic. But I can go there whenever I want to – by car, public transport or take a long walk.
Australia is a democracy and the same freedom would apply to any resident of this country – regardless of race or religion or any other classification. If anyone legally in this country – Christian, Muslim, Jew, Hindu, Buddhist, Sikh, atheist or any other category – wanted to travel from one place to another and faced restrictions because of who they were, there would be an outcry…..and rightly so.
We are told, often enough, that Israel is the only democracy in the Middle East. How is it then, that in this democracy, we see a certain section of people treated as non-equals.
Christians around the world find it acceptable that some Christians living the birthplace of the same God they call their Saviour cannot visit the place that their Saviour died?
That these Palestinian Christians are suffering while Christians around the world support their oppressors by pledges of their allegiance and taxes to help fund the war where they can kill more Christians and take away their lands?
Okay with it?
I don’t know about you, but I felt physically and emotionally sick while watching that interview with Munther Isaac. Unless he is lying – and I have not come across any information to suggest that – how can we sit back and say that the oppressors, the Israeli government and its allies, are right in what they are doing? And this is just one example.
Next week is Holy Week where Christians around the world reflect on the Passion of our Lord. Christians in the Holy Land are going through their own Way of the Cross.
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3/
March 2024
Palestinian Christians Suffer—and Many American Churches Don’t Care
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4/
March 2024
Gaza: “We are closer than ever to the crucified Savior”
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And Trump says the Israelis need to “finish the job”.
The existence of Christians in the Holy Land may come to an end under Trump’s 2nd term.
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Topic continues….
in the Easter thread.
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