• OPINION \ Jan 05, 2017
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    Palestinian Christian pastor responds to John Hagee's pro-Israeli remarks
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Palestinian Christian pastor responds to John Hagee's pro-Israeli remarks

Despite the negative response from some fellow Christians, the US refusal to veto the UN vote against illegal settlements was the right decision, and one that was long overdue. The whole international community agreed that Israeli settlements in the West Bank are an obstacle to peace. Many of these countries are good friends of Israel. In addition, most Israeli human rights organizations hold that Israeli settlements in the Palestinian territories are obstacles to peace. Increasingly, Jewish organizations such as J Street and Jewish Voices for Peace support President Obama and John Kerry in condemning Israeli settlements in the West Bank. It is delusional to assume that the whole world is wrong and Christian Evangelicals and the Israeli government are right. I have spent over 35 years as a missionary among the Palestinian people, who simply want and deserve the basic freedoms so many of us take for granted. The settlements and the occupation make this impossible. When Evangelicals fail to look deep into the conflict and therefore take the side of the oppressor, they miss the chance of being instruments of peace and reconciliation.

 
In the last 100 years, Evangelicals, in general, have not once contributed to peace in the Middle East and have missed many opportunities to stand on the right side of history. Evangelicals supported both wars on Iraq, and Rev. John Hagee urged his constituency to support a US invasion of Iran. Some believe this will hasten the end times, as if humans can manipulate God’s agenda. As long as we, Evangelicals, have a corrupted eschatology, we will never rise to our Lord's call of being peacemakers.
 
I urge you Pastor Hagee, get off your high eschatological donkey. It is time to stand with the true victims who are stranded on the Jericho Road. Evangelicals must move toward a more informed position, acknowledging the human rights of Palestinians and Israelis alike, before the Holy Spirit can use us to end this conflict.
 
 
Rev. Alex Awad
Missionary to Palestine, December 23, 2016
 
Original Post of John Hagee can be found here - makeadifference.cufi.org/john-kerrys-final-harmful-insult-to-israel/
 
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