Civil Disagreement in a Time of Civil Unrest?
Israel and Palestine’s Origin Story
What I have known about the conflict between Israel and Palestine begins with Israel’s origin story in Genesis and God informing Abram about his plans to make him into a great nation:
Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you.
I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you;
I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you. Gen 12:2-3
And then, we read again in Genesis God clearly telling Abraham that he was to give him the Palestinian land:
‘To your descendants I give this land, from the Wadi of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates.’ Genesis 15:18[1]
I have also known that from the destruction of the temple in 70 AD, and the resulting global diaspora to the culmination of overwhelming persecution in World War II, the Jewish people have been routinely marginalized across the globe. The divine unconditional promises of prosperity and property to Abraham and his offspring, and the following introduction of a challenger to Israel’s inheritance[2] provides a backdrop for the global-political conflict we see today.
Lastly, I have heard a steady mandate from Christian and non-Christian Westerners that in issues of Middle Eastern conflict, we must side with Israel- a sentiment I have to believe is founded in an interpretation of Genesis 12.
Prior to reading Bunton’s The Palestinian-Israeli Conflict, [3] I was aware of the deep entrenchments in attitudes of identity, entitlement and victimization of both groups that have perpetuated the violence. In it all, I see the imprints of the ancient actions of Abraham and his family. I could not cite for you all the details of contemporary events that led up to the war in the 40’s and the dramatic events of the 60’s. My knowledge was restricted to a vague understanding of military and UN maneuvers that waffled between capitulation and pent-up anger resulting in frightening violence spanning decades.
How A Very Short Introduction Helped Me
In Bunton’s work, I found a detailed account that filled in blanks of understanding- I can get lost in who is shooting at whom and lose sight of historical events that each party believes entitles them to their actions. I was intrigued to learn the origins of the Two State solution, and the conditions that presented barriers to its implementation. It is worth reflecting on the various offerings that have been made to and rejected by the Palestinian people over the course of this history and how things could have played out differently,[4] although we all understand the limited value of retrospective critiquing. I also appreciated the maps that show the different ways that third parties have tried to slice and dice a swath of land that is really no bigger than the area which I call home: the Willamette Valley. The thought of having such extreme hostility and partisanism in an area that I could easily traverse in the span of a half day puts it all in a different context.
Since the writing of Bunton’s book, and the devastating attacks of October 7th, the United States and other Western countries have seen vigorous protests taking up sides in the matter. Last Spring, many colleges were forced to close their campuses, and even disrupt plans for graduation ceremonies, all while members of administration were being critiqued for their management of the crowds. And we enter another minefield of controversy where the latest stunning event makes us forget the history that led up to it and civil dialogue on the key issues are nowhere to be seen.
How I Navigate the Situation
You who know me know that my default is to lean into such “wicked” [5] topics with questions. As I was wrestling with this post, I found myself returning to this strategy:
- How would Israel behave If it did not see itself as the underdog but instead lived as heirs to the maker of the universe?
As a believer in Christ, I am the recipient of another blessing from God. Thankfully it is not dependent on my always acting in faithful obedience because I screw it up all the time. As a joint heir with Christ and that inheritance I am compelled to operate with the belief that there is ample blessing to go around, and I need to share it.
- Would Israel behave differently if it remembered God’s faithfulness of the past?
Do stories like that of Lot taking the better portion of land [6] and God responding by giving Abraham even more inspire us to abandon a scarcity mindset?
- Is today’s Israel the same Israel that was the ordained by God and recipient of His promise so many years ago?
I have struggled with the last part of that promise to Abraham: “I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” While the origins of Israel are unique, their treatment of those who are on land they want is very much like what we see in all nations everywhere; that is a process of wrestling property away from a people that have built their lives on disputed territory. It feels that Israel operates under a blank check of sorts with Western countries who interpret the passage in Genesis 12 as a warning to not hold them accountable. And yet friends should be able to disagree with and provide accountability to each other.
____________________
[1] This promise of land is restated and reaffirmed in several places: see Gen 12:1-7, 13:14:17, and 17:8.
[2] The origins of the strife in the Middle East can be traced from Sarai, Abram’s wife losing patience with God and taking the lineage of Israel into her own hands by orchestrating Hagar and Abraham’s conceiving of Ishmael, the forefather of the Arab race.[2] From then on, Israel alienates and mistreats those in the lineage of Ishmael, who becomes the forefather of all Arabs. Gen. 16:1–16; 21:8–21
[3] Martin Bunton, The Palestinian-Israeli Conflict: A Very Short Introduction, Illustrated edition (OUP Oxford, 2013).
[4] Bunton, 82.
[5] Joseph Bentley PhD and Michael Toth PhD, Exploring Wicked Problems: What They Are and Why They Are Important (Archway Publishing, 2020).
[6] see Genesis 13
About the Author
Jennifer Vernam
6 responses to “Civil Disagreement in a Time of Civil Unrest?”
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Jen, I love your questions! It’s especially intriguing to think about this whole conflict through the lens of a scarcity mindset, as you say. Certainly, God has made enough to go around and those who follow Him don’t need to get caught up in grabbing what’s “theirs”. I’m going to be reflecting on this one for a while. Thanks!
Jen, I love your approach of leaning into “wicked” problems by asking good questions. And, if there ever was a modern-day wicked problem, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict seems to check all of the boxes. Using your three questions, I wonder how evangelicals in the West would approach things: 1. “How would evangelicals in America and the West behave if they saw themselves as heirs to the maker of the universe? (And how would they view events in the Middle East, today?)? 2. “Would evangelicals behave differently if they remembered God’s faithfulness?” 3. A great questions for evangelicals to discuss as they interpret scripture: “Is today’s Israel the same Israel that was the ordained by God and recipient of His promise so many years ago?” If so, or if not, what are the implications?
HI Jennifer,
As always, your perspective helps me to see deeper into a topic.
Through the power of AI, I searched for the “other side of the coin.”
Islamic Perspective
Though the question asks for a biblical view, it’s important to note the Islamic perspective as well, given the significant Muslim population among Palestinians.
“Allah the Almighty has not used the word “يَمْلِکھَا” [in the aforementioned verse] but in fact said “يَرِثُھَا”. This manifestly shows that the true heirs [of Palestine] will always be Muslims, and if it goes into the hands of some else at some point, such a possession would be similar to a scenario in which the mortgagor gives temporary control of their property to the mortgagee. This is the glory of Divine revelation, [and it shall surely come to pass].” (Al Hakam, 10 November 1902, p. 7)
There wasn’t a lot on the actual land being assigned to Muslims, but the above interpretation signals to me that like many Christians, an aspect of holy writ is taken and interpreted to suit the political exigencies.
The book (and others of its time) lack a regard for the scripture of both Judaism/Christianity and Islam. These faith systems shape the identity of the groups (ala Fukuyama) and a deeper discussion of this would have been nice to see in the book.
With all that being said, my time in Ukraine revealed how little my opinion matters. God opened my eyes to the work that I “CAN’ do to help Ukrainian Christians who are leaping to the task God has set before them.
The over simplified response I have to both conflicts (Palestinian/Israeli and Ukrainian/Russian) is my effective act of PRAYER. The rest is above my pay grade.
Shalom…
Hi Jennifer, I appreciate how you articulated your questions and I too have been pondering Genesis 12. You wrote, “While the origins of Israel are unique, their treatment of those who are on land they want is very much like what we see in all nations everywhere; that is a process of wrestling property away from a people that have built their lives on disputed territory.” I was quite surprised at how and which territory has been acquired. If Israel were to turn and be a blessing to Palestine, I wonder how that would impact the region?
Great post, Jenn, with great questions. It seems to me that those questions also lead to a somewhat more complex and quite controversial question related to God’s promises to Israel in light of the church. Like all complex issues/problems that need some nuance, evangelicals have chosen to mirror society and go the route of being dogmatic and suspicious of others, so that any critique of Israel’s actions makes you suspect and probably lands you in a ‘replacement theology’ camp! One thing I am increasingly aware of as we approach these complex and contentious issues is the importance of careful thinking and precise communication (of course, with a good dose of humility and curiosity). Thanks for modelling that.
Honestly, we are diving into deep, critical thinking right off the bat this semester. I had to chuckle when I thought of last year’s first book about Oxford. Definitely a lighter topic.
Thanks for again showing the power of simply asking thought provoking questions. To add to your questions, I wonder how things might be different if Israel as a whole embraced a risen Saviour instead of one that is still on the horizon? Would the perspective then be less about territory and religious control and more about an overall Kingdom mindset of humanity’s need for the gospel steeped in sacrificial love?
All these questions, need to be kept in the forefront for all of us.
Thanks, again, Jen, for causing more deep thinking. Perhaps now, I’ll read a page of the Oxford book for nighttime enjoyment. Ha! Ha!