E DITED BY W ESLEY H . B ROWN AND P ETER F . P ENNER
Christian Perspectives on the Israeli-Palestinian Conict
E DITED BY W ESLEY H . B ROWN AND P ETER F . P ENNER
Christian Perspectives on the
Israeli-Palestinian ConямВict
NEUFELD VERLAG
Contents
Christian Perspectives on the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict Occasional Publications – published in cooperation with International Baptist Theological Seminary of the European Baptist Federation o.p.s. (www.ebf.org) IBTS Nad Habrovkou 3 CZ-16400 Praha 6 Czech Republic www.ibts.eu, IBTS@ibts.eu
NEUFELD VERLAG
Cover design: David Neufeld, Schwarzenfeld, Germany Composition: Markus Neufeld, Bamberg, Germany Printed by: Digital Print Group, Erlangen, Germany © Neufeld Verlag Schwarzenfeld, Germany Publication date: March, 2008 ISBN 978-3-937896-57-1 Best.-Nr. 588 657 All rights reserved: No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means – electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise – without prior written permission. www.neufeld-verlag.com
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List of Figures
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List of Tables
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Introduction: European Christian Leaders Face the Challenge of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict Wesley H Brown & Peter F Penner
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2 Prague Declaration
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3 A Historical Overview of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict and Christian Responses Wesley H Brown
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4 Messianic Jewish Views of Israel’s Rebirth and Survival in the Light of Scripture Lisa Loden
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5 Their Theology, Our Nightmare Mubarak Awad
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6 The Political Reality of Living in Israel, with a Suggested Path towards Reconciliation David Friedman
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7 Palestinian Christian Responses to the Conflict Yohanna Katanacho
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8 A Biblical Theology of Israel and the Recent History of the Near East Ron E Diprose
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9 How Shall We Interpret Scripture about the Land and Eschatology? Jewish and Arab Perspectives Philip Saa’d
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1o The Doctrine of Election, the State of Israel, and “End-Times” David Friedman
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11 Western Restorationism and Christian Zionism: Germany as a Case Study Wilrens Hornstra
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12 Reconciliation between Women in Israel/Palestine Lisa Loden
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13 Christ is Our Hope Azar Ajaj
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14 Witnessing to Religious Jews and Palestinian Muslims: Perspectives from the Book of Acts Peter F Penner
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15 Jesus and Just Peacemaking Theory Glen H Stassen
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About the Contributors of this Book
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Index
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About IBTS
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List of Figures Fig. 3.1
1947 – United Nations Partition Plan.
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Fig. 3.2
1949 – 1948-49 War.
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Fig. 3.3
Israel’s Taking and Giving of Land.
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Fig. 3.4
1967 – The Six-Day War.
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Fig. 3.5
1978 – Camp David I.
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Fig. 3.6
2000 – Proposed Camp David II Settlement.
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Fig. 3.7
2002 – Plans and Proposals.
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Fig. 3.8
1967 de facto line; settlements, wall and Jordan Valley.
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Fig. 3.9
West Bank – Settlements in Jerusalem and the occupied territories diminish Palestinian self-rule.
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Fig. 3.10 Israel’s wall and settlements: a land grab.
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Fig. 3.11
Israel’s wall and settlements in Jerusalem.
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Fig. 11.1
The three dimensions of Christian Zionist theology/ idealogy.
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Fig. 11.2
The three dimensions as three phases in Israel’s history.
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Fig. 11.3
Development in number of books ďŹ rst published in a given period, divided by national ity of author (cumulative).
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Fig. 11.4
Relative development in end-time and Israel books.
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Fig. 11.5
Relative development in Restorationist and Christian Zionist books.
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Fig. 11.6
Development in number of books ďŹ rst published in a given period, divided by type of Restorationism and Christian Zionism.
142
List of Tables Tab. 14.1 C4 type community.
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Tab. 14.2 C5 type community.
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Tab. 14.3 C6 type community.
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1. Introduction: Leaders Face the Challenge, W H Brown & P F Penner
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Introduction: European Christian Leaders Face the Challenge of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict WESLEY H BROWN & PETER F PENNER
countries meeting in Prague? Can the leaders find any unanimity of response, despite the pain of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the different ways in which Scripture is interpreted and applied to the conflict? Delegates from twenty countries said an unanimous “yes” as they met at IBTS Prague. They were exposed to the painful realities and complexities of divergent Christian Arab and Messianic Jewish positions, and asked how Christians might contribute in some small way to reconciliation and peace with justice. They found a ray of hope in some grassroots efforts within Israel/Palestine to hear and understand one another, and to respond with compassion and help in times of crisis. Delegates pledged their support and prayer for reconciliation and peace initiatives, and challenged the churches to make practical and prayerful contributions in partnership with Christian Arab and Messianic Jewish communities in Israel/Palestine.
Christians interpret the events of the last 60 years in the land of Israel or Palestine in very different ways, with frequent claims to biblical passages for their positions, whether of support or condemnation. Christian Zionists and Palestinian Christian liberation theologians both assert that they interpret Scripture responsibly. Who is right? This book is a collection of articles from an International Baptist Theological Seminary Directors Conference on the topic of “Christian Perspectives on the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict” (Prague, November 13th to 17th 2006). The different articles will endeavour to explore divergent Christian positions presented by both Jewish and Arab spokespersons from the Land and examine their pre-suppositions and biblical interpretations. Western discussions on the Israel-Palestine issue will be presented in different articles concerning the tension that we find in the West concerning Israel/Palestine and the conflicts of the region. Other articles will also seek to impart information about current efforts toward peace with justice and reconciliation, with a challenge to support grassroot ministries that are built on responsible biblical foundations. What happens when Israeli and Palestinian spokespersons from Jerusalem tell their dramatic stories to Christian leaders from twenty 10
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2. Prague Declaration
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Prague Declaration
Meeting at the International Baptist Theological Seminary in Prague, 13-17 November 2006, with Israeli and Palestinian involvement, delegates from twenty countries (Israel/Palestine, Romania, Russia, Kazakhstan, Moldova, Holland, England, Scotland, Northern Ireland, Serbia, Bulgaria, Kyrgyzstan, Ukraine, India, South Africa, South Korea, Czech Republic, Latvia, United States, and Italy) agreed that: We affirm our faith in Jesus our Messiah and Lord, the inspiration and authority of the Bible in matters of faith and practice, and our love for all peoples. We acknowledge — with deep regret the Church’s historic role in anti-Semitism. We affirm the right of the State of Israel to exist, free from the threat of annihilation. — with deep sorrow Christian indifference to and ignorance of Palestinian suffering. We affirm the right of Palestinian self-determination.
We pledge our support and prayer for those in Israel/Palestine who engage in reconciliation and peace initiatives, building bridges between people. We call upon our churches — to partner with local ministries (Messianic Jewish and Christian Arab) to identify and respond to the needy, starting with the “household of faith”. — to use their influence with governments to promote peace with justice. — to act with great sensitivity when making public statements about the situation or about other faiths, abstaining from statements that could endanger local believers or discredit their witness. — to encourage reconciliation efforts in the Middle East. We pray — that our churches will inform themselves and support the indigenous outreach/witness of the local Christian Arab and Messianic Jewish communities. — that all involved parties will seek God’s guidance in the pursuit of peace with justice by non-violent means. — that the Church will exhibit a spirit of love and humility as they view the conflict. — that the Church will be an agent of healing rather than a source of division in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Prague, Czech Republic, 17 November 2006
We rejoice to learn of the growing number of Jews who are coming to know their Messiah and of the vibrant witness of Christian Arabs in the Middle East. 12
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