By Christine Darg
Jerusalem Channel
Some of history’s most tragic figures are failed political leaders and religious imams who teach their people to hate Jews, to name streets after terrorists, to abuse children as suicide bombers.
After the signing of the Oslo Accords and the establishment of the Palestinian Authority (PA) more than 20 years ago, Palestinians were hoping for democracy and freedom of speech. However, according to Jerusalem journalist Khaled Abu Toameh, the PA has proven to be “not much different than most of the Arab dictatorships, where democracy and freedom of expression and the media are non-existent.”
“Given the current state of the Palestinians,” Abu Toameh wrote, “it is hard to see how they could ever make any progress towards establishing a successful state with law and order and respect for public freedoms and democracy.”
When we first moved to Israel as journalists, the Arabs for the most part were friendly with Israelis. There were no checkpoints when I drove happily from Jerusalem to Bethlehem to shop at the Friendly Market and other places. I never got tired of the sight of driving past Rachel’s Tomb on the outskirts of Bethlehem, looking as ancient as a scene from the Bible.
Following the Oslo accords signed on September 28, 1995, Rachel’s Tomb was placed under Israeli jurisdiction. Jews could reach the holy site in bulletproof vehicles under military supervision. By September 2002, Rachel’s Tomb was surrounded by a concrete wall and watchtowers as an enclave for Jews to visit. The beautiful Biblical scene seemed lost forever under ugly concrete. Only when Jesus returns can this scene be restored to its original beauty.
Walls. Fortifications. Watch Towers. But Jews and Arabs are brothers, and some say, they are genetically the same.
Currently I’m reading “The Lion’s Gate,” Steven Pressfields’ book about being on the front lines of the Six Day War. On page 130, he quotes Moshe Dayan’s description of the Arabs. Dayan’s portrait of the Arabs is accurate to what I know and love:
“I am no hater of Arabs. I grew up with Bedroom herders and farmers. We have plowed together, and planted, and sat side by side in the furrows to take our noon mean.
“Who is the Arab? No man makes a better friend than he. None will stand his ground with greater courage. To the Arab, honor is all. He will drain his blood for the clan and the tribe, and for the stranger he has taken in at the gate. No one laughs like an Arab, or loves his children with such tenderness. . . .”
So what happened that an Arab parent would no longer love their children with tenderness but send them off to be suicide bombs?
As former prime minister Golda Meir once famously said: “Peace will come when the Arabs will love their children more than they hate us.”
Moreover, to quote Abu Toameh, pro-Palestinian groups and individuals in the West “do not seem to care about the sad state of affairs of the Palestinians under the PA and Hamas. The only wrongdoing and evil they see is on the Israeli side. By ignoring the plight of the suppressed Palestinians, these ‘pro-Palestinian’ activists and groups are actually aiding the PA and Hamas in their efforts to silence the voices of dissent and criticism.”
I could despair for the Arabs except for the fact that the Lord loves them and is presently visiting them through the divine agencies of dreams and visions. Many Muslims are experiencing a saving knowledge of the Lord.
“For, behold, in those days, and in that time, when I shall bring again the captivity of Judah and Jerusalem, I will also gather all nations, and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat, and will plead with them there for my people and [for] my heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations, and parted my land.” (Joel 3: 1-2)
“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem [under King Messiah’s ultimate rule]: they shall prosper that love thee. Peace be within thy walls, and prosperity within thy palaces. For my brethren and companions’ sakes, I will now say, Peace be within thee. Because of the house of the LORD our God I will seek thy good.” Psalm 122: 6-9
Moreover, in Isaiah 19, God’s confederacy for the region is clearly stated. He promises to heal Egypt, whom he calls “My People,” to restore Assyria {Asshur}, whom he calls “The Work of My Hands,” and bring those nations into confederation with Israel, “My Inheritance.” This is the messianic league that God in Heaven foresees and prophesies to be “a blessing in the midst of the earth.” (Isaiah 19: 24)
This will be the ultimate restoration of brotherhood in the Mideast.
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