What Christians should know about Gaza
The mass killing of Palestinians is taking place in the open, and in real time, with daily reports and pictures of the horrible destruction of Gaza. Speaking as a Christian, I must say that the bombings, starvation and massive destruction is something the church cannot pretend not to know.
The facts to see
The facts are there for all to see. Over two million Palestinians, half of them children, are trapped in a narrow strip 22 miles long and five to eight miles wide. In the first 100 days, Israel has rained upon them more bombs than the U.S. dropped in six years of fighting in Iraq. Families are ordered to vacate their homes, which are then systematically flattened, with no safe place to go.
Their fields, livelihoods, infrastructure and food are destroyed, while the entry of relief foods, water and medicines is strictly controlled, so as to create deliberate starvation … all while the world watches. Thirtysix hospitals have been forcibly evacuated or bombed, leaving pregnant women without care and no anesthesia for the amputation of limbs. The horrors continue unabated.
How can we explain the muted reaction of the church and its leaders, where calling for a ceasefire, an end to the suffering, and a just solution for Palestinians is viewed as “controversial”?
One reason, of course, is the residual guilt over past sins and the fear of being accused of antisemitism. To be sure, the Western church has much to repent in its two millennia of antiJewish bigotry and discrimination. No one will argue that antisemitism doesn’t exist, sometimes just under the surface.
A church afraid
But we need also to acknowledge that the charge has been weaponized to label any criticism of the state of Israel and its policies as antisemitic.
The entire weight of guilt over centuries of anti-Jewish bigotry is then brought down on the head of anyone who dares criticize the conflict or even sympathize with the victims of current Israeli policies. Anti-Zionism is conflated with antisemitism, which is the one unforgivable sin. The church is afraid.
Not all Christians are silent. There have been strong voices raised against the horrors in Gaza, but the response of the church as a whole, and its leadership in particular, has been tepid, and nowhere in proportion to what is going on.
The fact that the U.S. is itself so deeply implicated may be part of the problem. The fact that such criticism may carry a cost in terms of friendships and relationships is another. Concern about ecumenical relationships between local churches and synagogues has often prevented Christian leaders from speaking out or even calling for an end to the ongoing suffering.
Most of all, however, I believe many Christian leaders have bought into the narrative demonizing Hamas and believe that its obliteration is a proper and moral response to the events of Oct. 7. By taking those events out of context, and painting Hamas as a pure evil that must be eliminated, Israel’s actions have been justified and excused.
Christian failure
Calls for a ceasefire have been seen as capitulation to terror and sympathy with its perpetrators. It seems most Christian leaders are more attuned to this narrative than to the gospel and the words of the Prince of Peace.
I fear that in the years to come, Christians will look back in wonder and regret at their failure to act morally during this ongoing holocaust.