What will it take to bring peace in Gaza? This Orthodox Jewish man has an idea: “I have a solution that’s as radical coming from an Orthodox Jew as it is one, perhaps the only one, that can bring genuine peace,” declared Jonathan Feldstein, an Orthodox Jewish Israeli. “With no good solutions based on past failed models and unreliable partners, it’s time to think out of the box”.
Desperate times call for desperate measures, and as much as Jesus is an anathema for many Jewish people—especially the more religious and Orthodox—the love and support from Christians around the world has not gone unnoticed. The heart of those following Jesus, who love God's word and God's people, has made a deep impact. It led Feldstein to this conclusion:
“The solution for long-term peace in Gaza is Jesus.”
Clearly Israel has to do what it has to do to protect its people, but the suffering of the ordinary people of Gaza cannot be ignored. Hoping that they will somehow hate Hamas so much that they start to love Israel is foolish and unrealistic. Sure, there are an increasing number of voices speaking out against Hamas from within Gaza, but the hatred for Israel has only got worse. Peace in Gaza seems as distant as ever. So what happens now?
A change of heart
You can change regimes, and you can change laws and government structures, but how do you change hearts? Only Jesus can do that. But how does this happen? Feldstein talks about how to counteract the steady diet of hate they have been fed with Christian faith and love. He clearly believes this would help free people in Gaza from the hateful mindset they've inherited and that building an alternative culture based on the teachings of Jesus would give them the opportunity to prosper.
The “buffet of hate” as he calls it has come to them via their schools, their mosques, their very infrastructure. But it's not just Gaza. Radical Islamists the world over teach the false doctrine of Islamic supremacy and the insistence on Muslim control over the region again.
Is peace in Gaza possible?
Many people think that a simple ceasefire would bring peace in Gaza, but it's not as easy as that. The epicenter of the problem is not located in Gaza at all.
If you listen carefully to the various terror groups and their stated goals, it’s all about Jerusalem. Whether it’s the Al Quds Brigade (Al Quds being the Arabic term for Jerusalem), or the emblem of the PLO with the entire land of Israel as being Palestine, and on the scarf the Dome of the Rock with the slogan “Jerusalem is ours”, or the name of the Hamas operation on October 7 (Al Aqsa Flood) it’s all about Jerusalem and the Temple Mount in particular. ISIS was determined to gain an Islamic caliphate with Jerusalem as the capital, and in 2006, a Hamas leader declared in Damascus: “By Allah, you will be defeated in Palestine. Then our nation will sit on the throne of the world.”2 Where is the throne of the world?
In Ezekiel 43:6-7, God says, “Son of man, this is the place for the footstool of my throne on earth. Here will I dwell forever among the Israelites.”
This is why Israel, and Jerusalem in particular, is so controversial. This is why we are told to pray for the peace of Jerusalem in Psalm 122. It is the place from which the Messiah will rule and reign on earth—His HQ, if you like. The battle is on. God has made His purposes clear, and Satan will fight Him every step of the way. And it is a great privilege for us to be here in the land at this time in history. But it’s not comfortable. The battle is being waged here and now, not only in Israel, but across the whole world. Your prayers matter.
Feldstein's is indeed a radical solution. Though there are not many Israelis suggesting that Jesus is the answer, a huge number of Israelis want to see peace in Gaza, and do care about the rebuilding of the area and the prosperity of the people. Far more than you'd be led to believe by the media. Many have room in their hearts to care and pray for those over the border who have endured so much at the hands of Hamas. The constant hope and yearning for peace still fills this land. Israel is in trauma, in deep pain. Yet many are unwilling to give up on Gaza entirely.
“But to really bring lasting peace, we need a Christian Gaza… Let’s pray that Gazan’s dissatisfaction with Hamas increases and that they all get a little Jesus.”
Amen, brother.
- WashingtonTimes.com, The solution for peace in Gaza is Jesus: We need a Christian Gaza for Middle East peace, Jonathan Feldstein, February 26, 2024
Photo by Christoph Schmid on Unsplash
