20 thoughts on “It is time”

  1. Peter says:
    April 19, 2016 at 09:27

    Some years ago I read the book ‘Blood Brothers’ by Palestinian Christian Elias Chacour. He detailed how his Palestinian Christian village were evicted from their homes and how despite winning various court battles were never allowed to return.

    I find it interesting how the modern State of Israel now enjoys such unflinching support from evangelical Christians. It seems ironic to me if one considers that Christians through the yeas have been probably exceeded Muslims in their attacks on the Jews.

    Let’s list just a few examples, The Gospel of John which exonerates the Romans and demonises the Jews. John Chrysostom, the ‘golden mouthed’ Archbishop of Constantinople who criticised Christians being on friendly terms with the Jews. Peter the Hermit who lead 40,000 pilgrims in their destruction of whole Jewish communities in Eastern Europe Balkans in the 12th century. Martin Luther who issued a number of attacks on the Jews, saying their houses should be ‘razed or destroyed’. Indeed it was Martin Luther’s teachings that were used as the ‘spiritual’ basis to justify the holocaust.

    It almost seems that given its appalling history of victimising the Jews, the Evangelical Church now wants to err on the other extreme. To make up for their sins of the past. But I don’t think that is the whole story. I think what is really going on is that Christians became very excited about the thought of Biblical Prophecy being fulfilled when the modern State of Israel emerged in the 1940’s. The famous book, ‘The late Great Planet Earth’ by Hal Lindsay assured its readers that based on the reformation of Israel and the Biblical prophecy that the second coming of Jesus should be sometime in the 1980’s.

    Whilst like other prophecies, this failed, the sentiment that it spurred, of the reformed Israel being an instrument of ‘God’ has not abated.

    What else we learn from modern Israel is an aspect of human nature. When people have been persecuted, rather than giving them more compassion, instead we see that when they get in charge they tend to then become the persecutors.

    There is a romantic human notion that those who are persecuted must be noble in character, but the reality is that the persecuted are just like everyone else, the difference is that they have no power, whilst the persecuted have power.

    Sorry Mak, that I have rambled on here.

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  2. Barry says:
    April 19, 2016 at 12:31

    I might be wrong, but I think that’s the first time the US State Dept has openly acknowledged Israel’s appalling treatment of Palestinians. I don’t know what the American public saw of the bombing of the Gaza Strip in 2014, But I think most Kiwis were horrified by what we saw on our TV screens each night. To me there were many incidents that I could only describe crimes against humanity.

    I know our government denounced the Israeli actions, but as long as the US sits on its hands and does nothing, what are the chances that Israel will do the right thing on its own?

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  3. inspiredbythedivine1 says:
    April 19, 2016 at 14:01

    The US acknowledging the abuses of Israel’s awful treatment of the Palestinians is a huge step in the right direction toward stopping it. Now, if only we could acknowledge our own acts of barbarity when it comes to warmongering, we’d be even a step closer to being a nation that’s aware of what the words “human rights” actually mean.

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  4. Ron says:
    April 19, 2016 at 17:17

    “http://www.themideastbeast.com/donald-trump-move-the-palestinians-to-puerto-rico”>Donald Trump: Move the Palestinians to Puerto Rico

    “It’s perfect. Puerto Rico is over 1,000 square miles bigger than the West Bank and Gaza, far more fertile, and the influx of millions of migrants will boost its economic recovery,” Trump explained. “I’ll even build them an exact replica of that darn mosque they’re always killing innocent Israelis over.”

    “There’s a fortune to be made by fulfilling people’s jihadist sex fantasies on a Disney-scale,” he said, outlining some of the main attractions of ‘Trump Gaza’: a topless ‘72 Virgins Casino,’ “Safari-style” tours to mock refugee and jihadist training camps, ‘Shoot Your Own Rocket’ and ‘Dig Your Own tunnel’ workshops, ‘Catch a Zionist’ competitions, ‘Torture a POW’ sessions, as well as underground “Abu Ghraib-themed” BDSM parties. “Let the Puertostinians both preserve and profit from their native culture,” Trump said.

    Desperate times call for desperate measures.

    Trump 2016

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  5. Swarn Gill says:
    April 19, 2016 at 17:58

    What are your thoughts on this article by Sam Harris? I just thought it was an interesting perspective. http://www.salon.com/2014/07/28/sam_harris_why_dont_i_criticize_israel/

    Personally I don’t know that I agree with his assertion that Israel wouldn’t commit genocide. While it’s true they could at any time, for the same reason Harris points out it would be bad PR if they did to kill children, I would say the PR would be far worse for genocide. I am glad that the U.S. might eventually take a more balanced approach to looking at the evils of both sides of the conflict instead of constantly supporting Israel blindly. I also think that when the most powerful countries are supporting Israel this also forces Palestine to act more extreme, and perhaps more importantly makes them more open to being run by extremist regimes because western nations aren’t overly concerned with Palestinian sovereignty.

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    • makagutu says:
      April 20, 2016 at 09:02

      That was an interesting read.
      He claims for instance that Israel has dealt with restraint, he says Gaza is overpopulated so we expect children might be caught in the cross-hairs and so many other things.
      He could be right on many of the things he claims.
      Israel receives support, financial and military from one of the most armed nations in the world.
      It is absurd to have a nation based on religion.
      The Arabs must stop demanding the annihilation of Israel.

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  6. Nan says:
    April 19, 2016 at 19:16

    When I was “saved” and wasting spending my time in church, Israel was put on a pedestal. They could do no wrong. After all, they were the home of our Lord and Savior!

    Argghhh!

    Bernie’s got it right — there needs to be some balance. Of course, this will NEVER go over with the fundagelicals.

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    • makagutu says:
      April 20, 2016 at 08:06

      Do you see this balance in our lifetime?

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      • Nan says:
        April 20, 2016 at 23:55

        Probably not. The Christian right, unfortunately, has too much power and they’re not going to let ANYONE criticize or take over their beloved Israel. No matter that the Israeli government is doing some pretty atrocious stuff to the Palestinians. All’s fair in love and war, right? At least when you’re not on the receiving end.

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