Titus HobbsI appreciate this course and some of the dialogue I had a chance to read before responding to this question. Growing up, I thought the easy solution was to simply impose Christian values and belief in love and forgiveness on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and just say, hey, go work this out and forgive each other and just get along. While that belief neglected the profound suffering, deep-seated beliefs, and history of both parties, it also overlooked the past history of so-called “Christians” and their actions against both Jews and Muslims (particularly the Jewish people).
I think to respond to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in a just and constructive manner, Christians need to be aware of the history of “Christian” antisemitism and its continuing impact. The people of Israel have every right to be reasonably suspicious of the motive and intent of Christians, like myself, who would love to seek a resolution to the current conflict, due to the past. As we remember the past of the Church and its persecution and silence towards prosecution that Jewish people suffered, then it shouldn’t be a surprise if they question our response, regardless of what our response may be.
I believe that there must be a commitment to dialogue, empathy, and a willingness to learn from different perspectives, rather than simply relying on preconceived notions or interpretations of biblical prophecy. A willingness to listen and show genuine love towards those involved would go a long way toward helping redeem the past and show Christ’s love in the process.
