"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."
February 22, 2009
Fafblog on the Israeli/Gazan situation
As only Fafblog could do it. Click over to see the great photo caption:
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5 comments:
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).
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.
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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