ABOUT THE BOOK
In the wake of Hamas' attack on Israel on October 7th 2023,
the Middle-East conflict once again dominated headlines. Reaction to the initial attack and Israel's response have been diverse. The level of atrocities being reported by the established media and social media initially shocked and horrified the world. What would cause such an unprovoked outburst of this nature?
While Israel did not respond immediately on a large scale, when they did, many quickly rose up to demonstrate and accuse them of being apartheid oppressors who have cruelly subjugated the Palestinian people and illegally occupied the land for the past seventy-five years. Truth claims began flooding the media, in support of both sides, leaving many confused and unsure of what to believe.
At times it would appear that those who shout the loudest must be speaking the truth. But is that the case? Despite the abundance of conflicting 'truth claims,' is it possible to arrive at an informed opinion about the authentic historical narrative and what motivated hostilities?
Going beyond the historical narrative, there is also the question of what the theological response of the Church should be. We live within a broad Church. There are those who consider Israel to be the 'apple of God's eye', who can do no wrong and must be supported at all costs. Then there are those who contend that the Church has replaced Israel, and therefore the Jewish people no longer have an inherent spiritual or physical claim to the land. Finally, there is a middle cluster who have never taken time to consider this as a potential theological issue, and would not have a clue where to begin. Can we then arrive at a consensus? Does the bible bare any relevance to this modern dilemma? Is it possible to support the claims of one without discriminating against the other, or trampling all over our moral and theological beliefs? Or, is it a case that there is no religious question to contend with, and we simply consider the moral and humane aspects alone?
With this booklet, the author seeks is to present clear, easy-to-read, essential historical information to the reader, followed by a brief reflection on the Church's theological response, so they will be able to successfully navigate what can be a perplexing moral and spiritual maze.