February 22, 2009

Fafblog on the Israeli/Gazan situation

As only Fafblog could do it. Click over to see the great photo caption:
"Israel has stood up for its right to stand up to other people's rights by forming its most hawkish possible government. A lesser nation might have wavered in the face of a merciless Palestinian onslaught of pleading and stump-waving, but Israel realizes this is a war between good and evil, right and wrong, civilization and those too poor to afford civilization. True, it's far from a fair fight - Israel has a mere three hundred nuclear warheads while the Palestinians have countless rocks to throw - but somehow the pluck and determination of this scrappy regional superpower has prevailed over the deadly horde of orphans, beggars and amputees who threaten to live next to it."

5 comments:

Monk-in-Training said...

It seems to me that American Christians side with Israel automatically, and ignore some of the very pertinant Scriptures that illume the conflict. But then , that would be looking at our own log....


Excerpt from "A middle way in the Middle East" by Mark Harlan
Copyright © 2003 Christianity Today


...The Lord warned the Israelites that if they failed to adhere to the covenant, then the land would "vomit them" from it (Lev. 18:24-30; 20:22-26; Deut. 4:25-27, 40; Deut. 8 and 9).

Non-Israelites living in the land are not to be abused or oppressed. The Law repeatedly instructs Israel: "Do not mistreat an alien or oppress him, for you were aliens in Egypt" (Ex. 22:21). "The alien living with you must be treated as one of your native-born. Love him as yourself, for you were aliens in Egypt" (Lev. 19:34). Social welfare programs cared for aliens along with orphans and widows. These included the right to glean from harvest fields (Lev. 19:10; 23:27; Deut. 24:19–21), to receive a part of the distributed tithes (Deut. 14:29; 26:12) and to have protection from permanent slavery (Lev. 25:47-50).

Non-Israelites were to have access to the same legal system as Israelites. No law could bind aliens that did not also bind Israelites (Lev. 24:22; Num. 9:14; 15:16; 15:29). There was to be only one system of justice for all (Deut. 1:16; 24:17), and Israel could not deprive aliens of their rights (Deut. 27:19). Wages had to be fair and never withheld (Deut. 24:14). Aliens were equally entitled to the system of "cities of refuge" to protect the accused from revenge (Num. 35:15; Josh. 20:9).

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steves said...

There is certainly blame to go around and I feel very sorry for the Palestinians that just want to be left alone, but when official after official of the Palestinian government is completely unable to condemn terrorism, I don't see a peaceful solution any time soon. As much as it pains me to admit, I think the only way some kind of peace will occur is from some kind of intervention, such as the UN or NATO.

Streak said...

I understand there is blame to go around. The problem I have is that I believe that the most responsibility is on the most powerful nation, and I don't see Israel exercising responsibility. What is worse, I see them defining their morality by what the worst in the Palestinians do, rather than by their own standards of morality.

Monk, thanks for that excerpt. I agree completely that for many Americans they simply stop at "God loves Israel" and refuse to look any further.

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