The horrific October 7 terror strike on Israel sparked the 2023 war, which is still escalating to other fronts in Israel and the surrounding area. Antisemitism is on the rise worldwide, while stories about the perilous Jewish-Palestinian relationship in the media bombard readers. The very fact that Israel exists represents the contradiction of “owning the land” in the face of jaded neighbors. The Arab Spring was hailed by the West a few years ago as the emergence of democracy in countries under despotic dictatorships. However, freedom and stability have not been the results of those political upheavals. For Israel, it only made the daily nightmare that most Jews share worse. Because no matter which way they turn, they are looking down a gun barrel.
Why is the support of Israel so important?
Israel has received unwavering support from the majority of Western nations for its homicidal actions during the past ten months. Western nations back the Israeli government militarily in addition to politically and economically. On the one hand, Israel is armed by Western governments to carry out its murderous assaults on the Palestinian people. To put it another way, they have a direct hand in the asymmetric conflict in Palestine. Several of the strongest armies in the world have backed one of the region’s most powerful armies in their fight against a few rebel groups.
However, they assent to all Israeli crimes, including war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocidal attacks against the Palestinian people, and abuses of fundamental human rights. All of Israel’s transgressions have been welcomed by Western nations. This backing was evident, for example, in Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu‘s address to the US Congress. Netanyahu, for whom the International Court of Justice sought arrest warrants for war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Gaza Strip, was greeted like a hero by Congress and other American lawmakers. It was quite shameful how widely the US lawmakers applauded. US officials who vie to serve Israel have further encouraged Netanyahu to carry out the carnage in Gaza rather than taking some meaningful action against him to halt it.
A sizable portion of the Western populace and the majority of non-Western countries are against the pro-Israeli policies of Western governments. Anti-Westernism is growing globally, primarily as a result of the unwavering Western backing for Israel. There are a number of important questions to ask at this stage.
The Biblical foundation for supporting Israel
“The people who survived the sword found grace in the wilderness,” the prophet Jeremiah makes very clear. “Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore, I have drawn you with lovingkindness,” the Lord spoke to me in an old appearance. I will rebuild you, O virgin of Israel, and I will build you again. (Jeremiah 31:2–4). God is inspired by His “everlasting love” to restore Israel following a time of judgment (also known as “the sword”). Keep in mind that it is an unending, unceasing love! This love gave birth to God’s plan for Israel (Deuteronomy 7:7) and will see it through to its glorious conclusion (Romans 11:25–28).
“How can God love a sinful nation like Israel?” I was once asked. The solution is straightforward: The same unwavering love that the Lord has for the Church. Yes, “Christ died for us while we were still sinners.” (Romans 5:8) Here is a straightforward guideline for all believers: we ought to love as Jesus loves. How is your affection for Israel going? To get God’s love for the Jewish people, simply ask Him!
Why does God promise to bless those who bless Israel?
God states that the blessings of God would be upon those who bless Israel because, as Israel is His chosen nation and a portion of His holy covenant, He would be blessed. In Genesis 12:3, God makes an assurance to Abraham that He will curse those who accuse him and bless those who bless him, to which Israel, his children, are part of. This shows how God is uniquely connected to Israel because his covenant and keeping his word are the basis of this relationship. The blessing indicates that those who uphold, defend, and encourage Israel are favored by God or receive His heavenly favor. Based on God’s covenantal love for Israel, which transcends to the rest of the world through Israel’s part in God’s redemptive purpose, it is both a divine demand and a spiritual principle.
Israel, as the nation created by God’s sovereign act
By selecting and calling Abraham and his descendants, God’s sovereign act established Israel as a nation. God’s loving and omnipotent will was the only factor in this selection, not Israel’s power, size, or merit. God’s redemptive plan took a new turn when He called Abraham to leave his homeland and promised to create a particular nation from his descendants (Genesis 12). This country became the kingdom of priests, a sacred country, and a destination where the glory of God could be revealed (Exodus 19:6).
Israel itself was the only nation to be called the son of God (Hosea 11:1) and the apple of His eye (Zechariah 2:8). As the heirs of the revelation of God (the Torah and scriptures) and at times the forebears of the Messiah, Jesus Christ, Israel was tasked with a mission of disseminating the truth about God to the world (Romans 9:5). Therefore, Israel’s establishment as a country is firmly based on God’s covenant faithfulness and sovereign will rather than human endeavor, supporting God’s greater plan of salvation and blessing for all peoples.
Praying for the peace of Jerusalem: A Biblical mandate
The first source of the scriptural command to pray for the peace of the city comes in Psalm 122:6-7, where it is said, Pray for the peace of Jerusalem, May they be that prosper, love. May ye be safe in thy towers, Thoous: Mayst be peace in thy walls. This is a prayer of shalom, of total peace that includes the spiritual health, safety, harmony, and prosperity of the people of God living there, not just of physical safety or the end of violence. Jerusalem is not merely a city mentioned in the Bible; it is a symbol and expression of a people who are in covenant with God and whose home is Jerusalem. To pray for its peace is to pray for its security, its material prosperity, and spiritual growth, to those whom God loves, and by whom He achieves the end of redemption.
The prayer to make peace in Jerusalem is echoing Jesus wish and sorrow in the New Testament (Luke 19:41-44; Matthew 23:37-39), when he told them to pray, so that they would be at peace, a feature also found in other biblical texts (please make peace with Israel) as in Isaiah 62:6-7 and in Jeremiah 29:7. To truly have peace, security, and spiritual healing, Jerusalem, and by extension Israel is encouraged to pray vehemently. In reality, peace in Jerusalem requires that God redeem and bless the city and its members; there should be peace in diversity, there should be an end to violence, and the hearts should be turned towards God, and in response to this, God has promised peace and redemption.
Reasons Christians should stand with Israel today
Here are several reasons for Christians to stand with Israel:
- The colonial heritage is the first explanation. Israel was established as one of the colonial ventures at the end of the 19th century and in the first half of the 20th century by the majority of Western nations that had engaged in colonialist policies over the previous few centuries. One of Western colonialism’s most successful tools in the Middle East is Israel. At the expense of non-Western lands and countries, Western governments and nations were able to attain economic wealth and comfort. They dominate the Arab world’s political and economic structures and take advantage of its natural resources.
- The second reason is that Zionists control the global financial market. For the past few centuries, Zionists have dominated the financial sector, particularly the financial markets in the West. Pro-Israeli power circles are a major source of support for Western governments. Fear of not being reelected was one of the reasons US Congress members cheered Netanyahu. Every observer is aware that the American electoral system has been dominated by pro-Israeli lobbyists, who are referred to as the primary kingmakers in the American political system. For reelection, the majority of American politicians thus endorse all Israeli policy.
The New Testament perspective on supporting Israel
Instead of fostering a political endorsement of the modern nation-state, the New Testament perception of supporting Israel is fundamentally spiritual in that the spiritual healing of the Jewish people is through their faith in Jesus Christ and fulfillment of God’s promises in Him. Christians are encouraged to bless the Israel of God, the Church of which both believing Jews and Gentiles are called upon to be redeemed, by praying for their redemption and serving the Christian community by participating in corporate prayer. The New Testament sees the spiritual rebirth of Israel in Christ, the ultimate fulfillment of the old covenants, although it does not ignore the importance of Israel in the past and the continued loyalty of God to the people of Israel.
