ANTISEMITISM IS WRONG

While there are few Christians in Israel, around 50,000 inhabitants of the West Bank are professed followers of Jesus Christ. These beleaguered and abandoned members of God’s Church are occupants of the West Bank, which is increasingly occupied by the State of Israel. I say “abandoned,” because most Christians in the United States seem totally indifferent to their plight. The Netanyahu government that is controlled by Right Wing extremists does not represent the majority of Israelis who have taken to the streets to protest Netanyahu’s radical policies. The battle for the Israeli Supreme Court is a case in point. The PM and his extreme cabinet have sought to diminish the authority of the Court that has been a moderating influence in Israeli politics and a rein on Netanyahu‘s power.

The Christians in the West Bank, along with their Muslim brethren, are continually in danger of death and the destruction of their homes. The Israeli Defense Force now aids the fanatical Jewish Settlers, who have a program to take over the West Bank and dispossess the Christian and Muslim inhabitants. These violent actions are in direct opposition to a dozen United Nations resolutions, as well as the long-standing policies of the United States. Years ago, President Jimmy Carter warned against the real risk of Israel becoming an apartheid state. Other presidents who love Israel have voiced their concerns.

While believers are urged to pray for the peace of Jerusalem, it is now time to pray for Christians and Muslims in the West Bank who daily face death and destruction at the hands of Jewish religious fanatics. ANTISEMITISM IS WRONG. So also is anti-Christianity as well as Islamophobia. It is time for good people everywhere to pray for Jews, Muslims, and Christians who are victims of religious extremism. Ignorance, especially when willful, blinds the eyes to Truth and Justice. We who truly love Israel and God’s people everywhere will say, “AMEN.”

— John Carter