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 PrintableVersion Israel: the mystery of peaceGood stories; flawed premiseISRAEL: THE MYSTERY OF PEACE '... There's no argument for a Palestinian State because this is not a biblical option.' Invariably the wording on the back cover, if not the title itself, will give you clues as to the author's presuppositions and the purpose in writing. Julia's book is no exception. We are told she is the editor of the international newspaper, Israel and Christians Today, which is sent unsolicited to pastors and clergy in the UK, and provides a regular pro-Israeli diet of news and stories for the undiscerning Christian. Julia fulfils the indispensable criteria for writing yet another book about Israel / Palestine when she concedes that the invitation to visit the country came from the Israeli Government Tourist Office and that, with a book in mind, she 'didn't know anyone in Israel well enough to ask for their help' (p.13). Ray Lockhart, the former vicar of Christ Church in Jerusalem, came to the rescue and provided Julia with introductions to a handful of Messianic Christians who provided the moving stories which reinforce her theological presuppositions. Ray has also written the foreword in which he makes it clear that 'a politically drawn map runs the danger of leaving out the contour lines of God's purposes and will, therefore, almost inevitably, fail to achieve a positive outcome' (p.10). Ray was until recently living in the illegal Jewish settlement of Gilo. This perhaps explains why he opposes its return to the Palestinian authority under the Road Map. PresuppositionsJulia's own presuppositions are clear. She claims in the opening paragraph that 'there is peace in the Holy Land between Jews and Arabs today' (p.11), that is, among those who accept that God is restoring the Jewish people to Palestine which is their inalienable inheritance. The Palestinians sadly, have no right to political equality or territorial existence but must learn to submit to Israeli rule or leave. Nevertheless, Julia is confident that, in her own words, this 'collection of rather bizarre stories' demonstrates that a peace movement is emerging that 'will soon take the world by storm' (p.11). Sadly, references to Palestinians, Arabs and Muslims are almost entirely negative while Jews are seen in a positive light. Without any compassion for the humiliating, dehumanising effects of 37 years of brutal military occupation, Julia laments the 'visual cacophony of discordant, disjointed life. So many men on the streets; unable to go to work, they have nothing to do - yet there is so much to do. So much rubbish to clear. So many roads to mend. So many broken cars. Unfinished houses. Broken telephone wires. Fruit falling off the trees' (pp.38-39). The implication is obvious. If the Palestinians would only get off their lazy backsides they could create a society just like the Israelis have. How accurate?Julia's brief visit leads her, not surprisingly, to make many superficial and inaccurate observations. The Rev. Andrew White is not, I understand, the Archbishop's special envoy to the Middle East. She also insists: 'This is not a conflict between two ethnic groups, Israel and the Palestinians... It's not even a political conflict. It's a religious conflict' (p.156). By this she means between Judaism and Islam. Ironically, some of strongest criticisms of Israel's illegal occupation of Palestine come from Christians and secular Jews. Julia sees the occupation of Palestine in spiritual terms and refuses to acknowledge that a peaceful political compromise is possible. For this reason she insists: 'Don't waste time praying for a human compromise' (p.166). The tragedy is that this kind of inflammatory writing undermines Christian witness in the Middle East and places the lives of Christian missionaries at risk right across the Arab world. God's map?The sub-title of the book is 'True stories demonstrating God's Road Map for Peace in Israel Today'. I do not doubt that these are indeed true stories (and they are inspiring), although I question whether they provide a guide to God's 'Road Map for Peace in Israel' today. The Hebrew prophets like Amos and Ezekiel provide a much more accurate indication of God's Road Map. Instead of providing a biblical justification for the ethnic cleansing of Palestine, my reading suggests Israel is about to experience another exile: 'Thus says the Lord God of Israel: You shed blood, yet you would keep possession of the land? You rely on your sword, you do abominable things ... yet you would keep possession of the land?...' (Ezekiel 33.25-28). If you want an insight into how Zionist Christians justify from the Old Testament their attempt to pacify Palestinians into submitting to the Israeli expansionist agenda, this is a good book. If you want to understand the theological reasons for the Israeli occupation of Palestine and the genuine path to peace, then I would recommend Colin Chapman's Whose Promised Land? (Lion) or Gary Burge's Whose Land, Whose Promise? (Paternoster) reviewed in Evangelicals Now in May 2004 - or wait for my own book Christian Zionism: Road Map to Armageddon? to be published by IVP in September 2004. Stephen Sizer, © Evangelicals Now - August 2004 |
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