The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict is Deep Rooted and Has Deep Religious Signifance

Published: 12th of October, 2023 by Patrick Carpen

Last updated: October 17, 2023 at 14:53 pm

The Israeli Palestinian war is more about trying to prove whose side God is on than about who is right or wrong. Both the Jewish and Islamic religious books promise military victory to their believers. The Jews, backed by some Christians, believe that modern day Israel is the promised land given to them by the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, as He promised Moses at Mount Sinai. The Jews were displaced from Israel through military conquests thousands of years ago and scattered across the earth. In 1947, after the end of the Second World, the Jews waged a war in what was then Palestine, against Palestinians. After winning the war, they confined the Palestinians to the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, drawing up new borders to create what we now refer to as modern day Israel. But even after retaking Israel and drawing up new borders, the Jews have been maintaining military control of the West Bank since 1967.

Muslims believe in the same God that the Jewish people believe in, however, they believe that God took His covenant away from the Jewish people and gave it to the Muslims through their prophet Mohamed and cemented their faith through the Koran. Muslims believe that Islam is a continuation of the Jewish religion which started when God spoke to Adam in the Garden of Eden. According to Islam, the Jewish way of worship ended when the Islamic prophet, Mohamed, whom they consider the last and final prophet, came and revealed the Koran which they consider the final revelation of God to mankind.

The Koran instructs Muslims to be valiant and fight bravely in times of war and says that Allah will fight on their side.

O believers! When you face the disbelievers in battle, never turn your backs to them. And whoever does so on such an occasion—unless it is a manoeuvre or to join their own troops—will earn the displeasure of Allah, and their home will be Hell. What an evil destination! It was not you ˹believers˺ who killed them, but it was Allah Who did so. Nor was it you ˹O Prophet˺ who threw ˹a handful of sand at the disbelievers˺,¹ but it was Allah Who did so, rendering the believers a great favour. Surely Allah is All-Hearing, All-Knowing.

Surah 8:15-17

Generally, the Koran encourages Muslims to be peaceful and kind to everyone, not try to force their religion on anyone, and do good deeds, but it also encourages them to fight valiantly in times of war. The instructions on war found in the Koran should be taken in the context of the circumstances under which Islam was introduced to the world. At the time when Mohamed started revealing the Koran, he was living in a pagan community and his proclamation of a new monotheistic religion and condemnation of paganism angered many powerful people who sought to kill him. Although beleaguered and besieged on every side, Mohamed’s army prevailed, going on to conquer much of the known world at that time.

Compelling, Heart Wrenching Speech by Palestinian Girl After Israeli Airstrikes.

Despite what mainstream media reports, the short clip below represents the reality of the Israeli-Palestinian war. It’s not just Israel against Hamas, it’s Israel against the whole of Palestine who see them as invaders and occupiers. The Free Palestine movement is supported by Muslims around the world and is opposed by Jews and some Christians who support Zionism. A conflict as small and centralized as this could draw the whole world in to take sides, sparking another World War.

In the video above, a young Palestinian girl shouts into the face of an Israeli soldier:

You must understand. You are mice. We are strong. We are lions. You are mice. You are just an occupation. You are an unjust and lewd occupation state. Your hearts don’t have a shred of mercy. You kill children and women. They were carrying rockets??!! Of course Avichay! They were carrying rockets as you say. You are a liar. You and all your army are liars. You don’t have in your heart a shred of mercy. By Allah, by Allah, by Allah, we will free Palestine. We will pray and thank God in the Al-Aqsa Mosque. God willing. We will free Palestine. We will get you out! And our noble feet will tread upon the last Israeli. God willing.

The Jews, except those who converted to Islam, believe that God never took the covenant away and gave it to the Muslims, and that they are still the chosen people of God with entitlement to Israel, the promised land. The Bible (and Torah) reveals in the Book of Exodus, that God spoke to the prophet Moses, a Jewish prophet, directly on Mount Sinai.

And He (God) said: “Behold, I make a covenant. Before all your people I will do marvels such as have not been done in all the earth, nor in any nation; and all the people among whom you are shall see the work of the Lord. For it is an awesome thing that I will do with you. Observe what I command you this day. Behold, I am driving out from before you the Amorite and the Canaanite and the Hittite and the Perizzite and the Hivite and the Jebusite. Take heed to yourself, lest you make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land where you are going, lest it be a snare in your midst. But you shall destroy their altars, break their sacred pillars, and cut down their wooden images (for you shall worship no other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God), lest you make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land, and they play the harlot with their gods and make sacrifice to their gods, and one of them invites you and you eat of his sacrifice, and you take of his daughters for your sons, and his daughters play the harlot with their gods and make your sons play the harlot with their gods.

Exodus 34: 10-16

Driven by their strong faith, and holding to the promises of their holy books, both Muslims and Jews are out to prove that God is on their side and will give them victory over their enemies.

Zionism

Zionism is the belief that the disputed territory belongs to the Jews because it is stated in the Bible. Since most of the world powers identify as Christians, they support the Jews as the rightful owner of the disputed territory through divine providence. However, Christians supporting the Zionist movement might be a bit of a contradiction to the Christian faith. If Christians believe that God made a new covenant with mankind through Jesus, it is somewhat ironic that they are supporting the Jews in the Zionist movement. Most Christian churches speak reverently of the Jews, and consider them a sacred people who are still to be respected. Christians hold dearly the Bible verse, “I will bless those who bless you (Israel), and curse those who curse you.” In the book of Genesis, God tells the Jews that He will bless those who bless them, and curses those who curse them.

I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

Genesis 12:3

God Promises Israel to Moses

After Moses had fled Egypt, God appeared to him on Mount Sinai, and told him that He will deliver the Jews out of Pharaoh’s hand and give them a new home in a land flowing with milk and honey. However, this land, populated at the time, were to conquered by military means, and God promised the Jews that, despite the fact that they will be outnumbered, that He (God) will fight on their side and defeat the enemies of the Jews.

And the Lord said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows;

⁸ And I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land unto a good land and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey; unto the place of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites.

⁹ Now therefore, behold, the cry of the children of Israel is come unto me: and I have also seen the oppression wherewith the Egyptians oppress them.

¹⁰ Come now therefore, and I will send thee unto Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring forth my people the children of Israel out of Egypt.

Exodus 3: 7-10

Through many miraculous acts, signs, and wonders, the God of Israel brought the Jews out of Egypt to the promised land, Israel. There, King David subdued Israel’s enemies on every side and established Jerusalem, the capital city. According the Bible, because of King Solomon’s blasphemy and idolatry, God delivered the Jews into the hands of their enemies after which they scattered to all parts of the world. However, God promised to gather back the Jews from the north, south, east, and west, and bring them back to Israel.

Why Christian Nations Have Better Ties With Jews Than Muslims

Although Christianity, Islam, and Judaism are all Abrahamic religions, they worship God in different ways, each one claiming to be the only way and that the others are false. However, Christians have a better relationship with the Jews than with the Muslims. At one point in time, the British Christians believed that they were in fact the lost tribe of Israel mentioned in the bible. Although Zionism is a bit of a contradiction to the Christian faith, Christians might prefer that Israel stays under control of the Jews because the Jews have a better relationship with Christians and make Israel more accessible to Christians than Muslims are likely to.

Here are some reasons why Israel is important to Christians:

• Jesus was born in Israel
• Mary and Joseph were from Israel
• Jesus was baptized in Israel
• Jesus fasted 40 days in the wilderness of Israel
• Jesus preached the Sermon on the Mount in Israel
• All of the original 12 Apostles were from Israel
• All of the miracles of Jesus were performed in Israel
• The Last Supper occurred in Israel
• The betrayal of Jesus occurred in Israel
• Jesus prayed, “Not my will but thine be done” in Israel Jesus was crucified in Israel
• Jesus died in Israel
• Jesus was buried in Israel
• Jesus rose from the dead in Israel
• Jesus ascended back to heaven from Israel
• The Holy Spirit was first poured out at Pentecost in Israel
• The Church was born in Israel
• The first sermons of the church were preached in Israel
• The first miracles of the Apostles were performed in Israel
• The first baptisms occurred in Israel
• The first missionaries to the nations were sent out from Israel
• When Jesus returns, He will return to Israel

Modern Day Israel

In the early 1940s, German tyrant Adolf Hitler, perhaps jealous of the financial success of the Jews, started to persecute the Jews. Hitler launched a diabolic, genocidal attack on the Jews in Germany, aiming to wipe them off the face of the planet. Over 6 million Jews were sent to concentration camps were they were enslaved and later murdered in the horrendous gas chambers.

But Hitler wasn’t contented to just massacre the Jews: he had other plans for world domination as his armies stormed through neighboring European countries. Perhaps on the basis of a common communist ideology, Hitler formed an ally with Japan. While the Jews were being murdered by Hitler, the United States refused to enter the war, proclaiming a policy of non-interference, and asserting that they would only get involved if the war directly threatened them. That became their reality on December 7, 1941 when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor. The United States was forced to join the allied nations, now called the United Nations and wage a long, bloody, and painful war against Germany and its allies.

The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict

After the end of the Second World War, millions of Jews, exiled from Europe, sought refuge in what was then British Mandatory Palestine. The Palestinians reportedly welcomed them and gave them aid, not knowing that these Jews would turn out to be their most bitter enemies.

The re-creation of Israel as a national home and refuge for the Jews had been in the talks since the late 1800s. However, the holocaust served as a catalyst for this Zionist movement. The United Nations agreed that the Jews needed somewhere to call home. That place was determined to be Israel, the home of the Jews from Biblical times. But at that time, Israel was occupied by Palestinian Muslims. From 1947 to 1948, the Jews formed an army and waged war against the Palestinians, driving them out, and leaving over 700,000 Palestinians displaced. The Jews reclaimed Israel by military means and pushed back the Palestinians, drawing up new borders and confining them to the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.

The Jews, through the Zionist movement, were supported by the United Nations to reclaim Israel as their homeland. And this is what gave birth to the existing enmity between Palestinians and modern day Jews.

Since 1947, the Jews of Israel have been at intermittent war with the Palestinians. This conflict would take the form of Palestinian attacks by militant groups such as Hamas, and would provoke a dreadful Israeli military response which in retaliation killed many more Palestinians than Israelis.

The Notorious October 7, 2023 Hamas Terrorist Attack on Israel

On Saturday, 7th of October, 2023, Hamas launched one of the deadliest attacks on the State of Israel in decades…perhaps the worst yet. They murdered civilians and took Israelis hostage. By the next morning, October, 8th, 2023, Israel had declared war on Palestine and launched a counter offensive to restore security to the Holy Land, calling up 300,000 reservists.

The video below gives an unbiased review of the ongoing conflict by a pro Palestinian Muslim, Amelia. She admits that Palestinians started the “judgment day” war and prays that Allah gives them victory.

Israeli Strikes Back

By Sunday, 8th of October, 2023, Israel had declared war on Hamas. By Thursday, 12th of October, 2023, more than 1000 Palestinians had been killed as Israel struck Gaza from the air. More than 4000 had been wounded as hospitals in Palestine overflowed. Israel cut off electricity, food, and water supplies from the Gaza strip as it aimed to take control of the Region in an effort to eradicate Hamas. The number of casualties increased as airstrikes continue and Israel plans a ground invasion.

By virtue of the Zionist ideologies, Western Nations, such as the United States, continue to back Israel, sending weapons and giving moral support. Further, Hamas is considered a terrorist group, and their rogue attack on Israel is considered barbaric.

Where are the Arabs?

In the video above: A Palestinian boy whose sister was killed by Israeli fire curses all Muslim nations for refusing to enter the war against Israel. The truth is, all nations are afraid of Israel, reminiscent of the scripture, “And God put the fear of David in the heart of every nation.” The Israeli Palestinian conflict is deep-rooted and has deep religious significance. As Christians, we have a divine calling…to reach out to displaced Palestinians and offer them refuge. It’s time that humanitarian aid starts pouring out for the people of war torn Palestine. It’s time that we as humans start building a new home somewhere on earth for the innocent civilians of Palestine.

Muslim Neighbors Close their Doors to Palestinians

Egypt, a fellow Muslim country, has closed its borders to Palestinians trying to flee the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Speculatively, there are several reasons for this. Firstly, Egypt fears that such a huge influx of refugees might destabilize its economy. Secondly, Egypt fears that radicalized Gazans might pose a threat to its national security.

Other rich Muslim countries such as the UAE, Kuwait, and Turkey appear to be doing very little to help the millions of suffering Palestinians.

Through all this, innocent civilians in Gaza are finding themselves between a rock and a hard place.

Will the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict Ever End?

The Israeli-Palestinian conflict can be peacefully resolved. However, both parties will have to want to do that. World powers will have to say, “enough is enough. It’s time for a peaceful resolution to this situation.”

Each time Israel bombs Palestine and kills Palestinians, it breeds more enmity and breeds more Palestinian freedom fighters. This creates a viscous cycle of violence. Muslims around the world condemn Zionism but do little to solve the problem. Israel has proven to be a formidable power and the whole world, except daring Palestinian fighters, appears to be in support of, or afraid of Israel.

Wartime Babies

Over 5000 pregnant women in Gaza are expected to give birth this month under compromising and punishing circumstances. These babies, and many others growing up in these disaster filled times, will nurture a strong hatred for Israel and will easily be recruited into militant groups opposing Israel. Whether you call these militant groups freedom fighters or terrorists depends largely on which side of the fence you’re standing. Since the 1947 war, Israelis and Palestinians have waged intermittent warfare. Each time Israel launches a campaign to wipe out terrorists from Gaza, it spawns thousands of fresh ones in the scenario described above. This viscous cycle of violence must end.

But How?

How hard is it for Palestinians and Jews to put their differences aside and come to a working solution? With both sides claiming monopoly to God, they each have a point to prove: that God is on their side. Will the Palestinians one day be able to defeat Israel? Will the whole world take sides and start another world war? Will these Middle Eastern neighbors fight until the end of the world? Or will the Palestinians concede defeat and walk away? Only time will tell.