The Standard June 7, 2025
At a May 21st event at DC’s Capital Jewish Museum, interfaith dialogue and discussions about saving lives in Gaza tragically ended in violence. Two young employees of the Israeli Embassy, Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Lynn Milgrim, were shot to death by a man who shouted “Free, free Palestine!” and “I did it for Gaza.”
Regardless of our political persuasion, all of us should unequivocally denounce murder. Without qualification we abhor the October 7th Hamas terrorist attacks where they crossed the border from Gaza into Israel, killing over 1,200 Israelis and taking over 250 hostages. To condemn the deadliest attack on Jews in a single day since the Holocaust should be only natural. Denouncing the deliberate targeting of civilians by Israeli or Hamas forces is humane. Weapons of war being hidden in or under schools, hospitals, and housing complexes must not be tolerated.
There are few long-lasting, deeply-rooted conflicts in the world like the ongoing crisis between Israel and Palestine. In Genesis 12 the Lord calls Abram to a new country, promising to make him into a great, blessed nation. Abram, eventually renamed Abraham, sets out for the land of Canaan along with his wife Sarai, and his nephew, Lot.
“So, Lot chose for himself the whole plain of the Jordan and set out toward the east. The two men parted company: Abram lived in the land of Canaan, while Lot lived among the cities of the plain and pitched his tents near Sodom.” Genesis 13:11-12 The Lord promises that Abram’s offspring will be too numerous to count, and they will inherit a bountiful land. In Genesis 15 God warns Abram in a dream this his descendants will be strangers in a foreign land for 400 years and will be enslaved and treated poorly. Afterwards, according to the Abrahamic covenant, they will be restored to a good life in their homeland.
The Hebrew Scripture tells of the division of the land into the northern and southern kingdoms in approximately 931 B.C., with both being conquered eventually. For centuries, the land of modern-day Israel was ruled by different groups. From 1517-1917 Israel and much of the Middle East was ruled by the Ottoman Empire. In 1917 there was a proposal to establish a Jewish homeland in Palestine, and in 1948 Israel officially became an independent state. Currently, some parts of the Palestinian territories of Gaza and the West Bank are under Israeli military occupation with the Palestinian Authority having control in certain areas. Internationally, a lot of people favor a Two-State Solution, to make both Palestine and Israel independent and sovereign. Others believe this is not feasible.
Opinions differ amongst Christians as to the exact nature of God’s promises to Israel. Some see the land as a forever covenant with Israel. Others see it as binding only for true, believing Israel, not for a secular state.
The Apostle Paul mourns for his fellow Jews who received God’s promises, but rejected Jesus the Messiah. “For not all who are descended from Israel are Israel. Nor because they are his descendants are they all Abraham’s children. On the contrary, ‘It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.’ In other words, it is not the children of physical descent who are God’s children, but it is the children of the promise who are regarded as Abraham’s offspring.’” Romans 9:6b-8
By faith in Christ, we Gentiles become heirs of the promises of Abraham. Because Jesus taught us to love as he loved, we promote peace and reconciliation wherever we see need of them.
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