I read with interest over the weekend an article regarding a minority of leaders in the evangelical community who have signed a treatise regarding their opposition to current US-Israeli Policy. In the article it was noted that theologians from Fuller and Wheaton had called for a more "balanced" approach in Israeli-Arab relations. They also went on to say that a pro-Israeli stance on behalf of the US does not represent the feelings of many Conservative Christians or particularly evangelical Christians. I am writing to express my deep and considered opposition to this decided distortion. Most Evangelical Christians including myself stand firmly in defense of a Pro-Israeli Policy. I hold a doctorate in Psychology, and approximately 17 years ago I left teaching full-time when I became an Evangelical Christian. I have devoted much of that time to Jewish-Christian Studies, and now study Genocide and the Holocaust, or Shoah Studies. I have come to a sincere appreciation of the critical importance of defending and supporting the Jewish Community in this country and abroad.
Remembering History
It has been less than 60 years since the day when Auschwitz or Dachau were liberated. Anti-Semitism ran rampant then, even among Allied troops who took the Killing Centers by force. Their minds changed quickly in a way which would impact them for the rest of their lives. As Dachau was entered, on the periphery of the camp, exhausted, war-weary soldiers opened icy doors to cattle cars of frozen corpses. The starved, Children of Israel. As the death tolls mounted, in the most expansive and brutal war ever known the truth of the unbounded cruelty of what we had all become was made painfully evident. It wasn't that we had not seen genocide before, or since, even of the Jews, we had. But it took that degree of horror, to understand what we could do to ourselves, victim and persecutor, to make it all clear to us, that if we could eradicate in torment an entire race of persons from Europe because of our selfish greed, racism and pride, we could with facility destroy creation itself, and that shortly. We hear the figure of 6 million lives, sigh, and count the Jews of Europe as a past thing. It was actually over 11 million innocent victims, coupled with world war deaths of estimates up to 50 to 60 million. The Treasures of Europe were ransacked, the countries of the world were desolated, every family, Jew and Gentile had missing persons, scars that have affected our world and its politics even to now. In 60 years, with survivors and eyewitnesses dying, but still present among us, we have so hardened our hearts as to ask why should we even consider such a thing. We count the Grace of God that we are here at all as an insignificant thing. The Jewish nation has always throughout 5000 years of history been a beacon to the world of God's existence and dwelling among us. No other nation of people forced into exile 2000 years ago by another brutal government has ever survived as a people more than a couple of generations. These have existed for twenty centuries.The Jews survived without a homeland, forced from country to country in bitter persecutions, many whether we will admit it or not, at the hands of our ancestors, filled with pride and vengeance against a people who while still bearing the mark of God, did not worship as we worship; did not see their suffering brother Jesus as we have seen him; this was the crime that placed an entire nation into bitter exile until 1948 when after losing all things, including dignity, identity and life, they were "allowed" by the British to return to the land promised to them since the beginning of time.Anti-Semitism: The Giant that did not Sleep
The extensive preface above is necessary. We are often Children without God in our politics and nationalistic outlook. Because I write globally, it is easy to assume my opinions are naïve, but they are not. The history of Europe since 1945 has meandered into the same purposes and intent of the Third Reich; a new youthful and bold Anti-Semitism has arisen in European society and politics, polished and 'dignified'. In 1968,1 rhetoric and persecutions in Poland were not different than that of the Reich; over 30,000 of the few remaining Jews of Europe having survived all things; were forced again to flee within a six month period. Holocaust history Displays and Conferences in Germany this past year were met by vehement protests from the children of a people who instead of repenting of national crimes, chose instead to forget. France in the past two years has had to enact Hate Crime Bills, to counter even mass demonstrations against Israeli leaders and politics, and to counter acts of violence against Jewish Citizens. The Czech republic has also seen mass demonstrations.2,3 The European Union has succeeded in forming a New European Order; a confederacy which was one of the central goals of the Nazi Regime. We see dynamic paths of Islamic politics making inroads across nations, even in this country through Louis Farrakhan. The Vatican, silent and arcane during the Shoah, has now extended to Israel, not formal recognition but emissarial incursions to a land they have always seen as their eminent domain. And pitifully, we see the cancer of anti-Semitism metastasizing in the Evangelical, Pentecostal and Fundamentalist Churches of this time. It is late in history.Concerns of Christians & Jews
Scripture has taught since the beginning that the nations of the world will end in a bloodbath, an Armageddon; centering without surprise, on Israel and The Jews; Jerusalem still after 5000 years being the most precious real estate in the world; as every major religion and national power would rule from the Temple Mount , if possible. To act as though this is not the apex of world politics is to be deaf, and blind or worse, purposeful. To think we can ignore Israel, or be isolationist in our dealings with Israel is inane and is not a position taken by any serious student of the science of world government.The "minority report" of Evangelical Christians is naïve and dangerous. Of most importance to myself and others is its seriously anti-scriptural approach. Of more importance to most is the damage it does to support of pro-Israeli legislation. When we damage our support of Israel, when we withdraw from support of Israel; we literally withdraw from the magnitude of events in the culmination of history. I know the aim of the theologians that have written their manifesto. They are operating under the theme of the "brotherhood of man" : I am reminded of the Rodney King incident, "Can we all just get along?" This however is the truly naïve position; as king spoke his words, rampant rioting and violence took over a city. We sit on the top of 5000 years of warfare and violence and we believe we can this time work things out nicely. It is not our nature. What these theologians need to recognize, and what as a pacifist even I have come to understand; is that there is a difference between affording 'Palestinian' Arabs and other non-Jews freedom and civil rights and understand versus agreeing to take their side.
The Land Belongs to Israel
When Britain handed over Israel to Jewish Rule in 1948, the land was legally under their auspices; victors may always do with the spoils of war and their own land what they will. In global Law, neither the Jews nor the Arabs owned the land at that time, other than private parcels. The pre-WWII Balfour Agreement and the post-war events were a legitimate, timely, and worthy action on behalf of the British, although even they made the transition a stormy one. Cursory attention to the Mid-East in which one sees only an easy civil-rights issue wherein all have their way and co-exist in peace is what we all desire, but it will never, ever happen.Palestinian or Legal Rights?
The issue is not Palestinian Rights and humane treatment of Arabs in occupied territories; the issue is not anti-terrorism for Jew or Arab, the issue filters into ownership and boundaries. Yes, Israel does have a Biblical mandate to be their; as a Christian, my most powerful argument are the Holy Scriptures in which God promises Abraham the sand and the stars; the land and the seed, for eternity. It was a Holy determination not to be undone, and it will happen. But I know that we live in a world steeped in unbelief. Here is the sum: the Land was legally given to Israel after the most brutal genocide ever; in a legal if unorderly fashion. The Land legally and morally, currently belongs to Israel regardless of public opinion, in spite of Arabs who lived there for years and during the changeover. A remnant of Jewish settlers have lived there as long or longer as well. Civil Rights and Freedom; peace and humane treatment are the rightful property of both, but the Land belongs to Israel. In this questionable time in world events, to speak of moral obligation is anathema. Martin Luther King once noted that "If a man hasn't discovered something that he will die for, he isn't fit to live."1 we vowed after WWII "Never Again"; WWII and the Holocaust or Shoah occurred roughly 24 years after WWI in which we vowed the same; calling it the 'war to end all wars'. As we do to the Jewish nation we do to ourselves; if we incur upon them the horror of massacre, we will reap it to ourselves: all nations will be present and accounted for at Armageddon. A nation is only as strong as its weakest and most vulnerable members. Our world community is only as strong as Israel. We implore the Bush Administration and others in this volatile time, never, even for a moment to let down its defense of Israel; it is our defense. A Policy which calls for a Palestinian State, is not wise: Palestinian States surround the borders of Israel, palestinian Arabs are not at a loss to emigrate if they are uncomfortable in Israel. A violent, opposing politic establishing a state in the midst of Israel is neither wise nor peace-bringing, it will do the opposite. We ask you to please consider that the minority view expressed by these unadvised evangelical brothers be taken in stride, as we pray in time that God changes their hearts, grounded in belief. We are called to a ministry of mercy to the Jewish Community, and tolerance without erasing differences. Believing as is true, that race does not merit in the Mind of God is a right position, but negating the place of the Jewish People in History as chosen and owning the land, both secularly and Biblically, is inescapable.
Elizabeth Kirkley Best, Ph.D.
© 2002 Elizabeth Kirkley Best, Ph.D; Shoah Education (Web)Project
shoaheducation@gmail.com