By Tom Brennan
This article is personal, please indulge me. One of the most searing and traumatic experiences any family can undergo is a missing child. The heartbreak is replaced by the cold numb feelings when the news comes that the body has been found. Recently three Israeli families received the news that their kidnapped sons were murdered by Hamas (Semitic translation: “violence”). Later, in retaliation a Palestinian boy was murdered by thugs. Another family grieves. But here are some very important differences between the two news stories that the mainstream media has missed (as if we didn’t expect them to).
The Hamas masked terrorists will be honored as heroes, celebrated for their act. The perpetrators of the murder of the Palestinian boy have been apprehended and will be punished as criminals. Presently, the “heroic” Hamas terrorists are launching waves of rockets and missiles at civilian targets in Israel. They set up many launch points from villages and towns, using their own women, children and old people as shields. In Israel there are bomb shelters decorated with toys, flowers and other child-like distractions to keep children’s minds off the explosions and incoming death. How would any British, French or American mother or father feel if everywhere they looked there were bomb shelters, painted with scenes to distract their children from the possibility that someone who never even met them wants to kill them just because they are Jews.
And yet the news services count the tragic deaths from IDF’s strikes as they try to destroy the hidden launch sites. So much for objectivity I guess. A US Presidential spokesman casts blame on Israel instead of the terrorists for attacks. I have friends in Jerusalem. Recently we exchanged emails after his home was attacked for several days by rioters. I live in the United States, they live in Israel. Our friendship makes these attacks too close to home for me.
When friends overseas are in danger, we have the multiple frustrations of depending on mainstream commercial info-tainment “news”. We want to know what is going on and now, not after the sports scores or what some overpaid, underworked and irrelevant celebrity is up or down to lately. We want to help. We want other to care. As Christians we have a real advantage: we are commanded to love one another as we have been loved. We are obliged to show our faith by caring. Right now Israel is under attack from a leading element of terrorists from the south, and north and the march of the Caliphate continues to the north. Israel is the only functional, democratic place in the Near East which practices freedom of religion and is known for binding the wounds of its “enemies”. You can ask the Syrian refugees who have received medical treatment from Israel.
How can you as a Christian supporter of Israel take effective action right now? For one, pray for the Peace of Jerusalem. Next is to write or call your representative to your national government and ask them to write, sponsor or support a resolution of support for Israel. Use social media to voice your support. If you already belong to one of the excellent pro-Israel organizations, find out what they are doing and help. If your church has a Facebook or other social media page use that as well.
By the way, Israel is “open for business”. Even though they have 15-45 seconds to get to a bomb shelter from Hamas’ terrorist rockets, they will take your order, pack & ship, call or write you back. They have lived like this for years and haven’t quit. Today you can buy online and the websites are up and running. Contracts and agreements are in full effect. Christians, Arab Christians and Muslims live and work in Israel and they are still at work.
As governments waffle, TV news people give mis-information, and misguided groups try to divest, Christians need to stand fast with a people who have stood fast for over 3,500 years. Now more than ever we need to show our support for our brothers and sisters in The Land of Israel. It’s too close to home for too many of us to hold back.
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LINDA says
ISRAEL AND THE JEWISH PEOPLE, I SUPPORT YOU 100%. IAF YOUR MY HEROES I LOVE YOU <3 <3 <3 FOR THE GREAT WORK YOU DO CANT SEE ENOUGH OF YOUR AWESOME POWER SHOWN TO THE WORLD, TO LEAVE ISRAEL AND GOD'S PEOPLE ALONE. THE IDF SOLDIERS, I LOVE YOU TOO MY PRECIOUS ONES <3 <3 <3, MY HEART BLEEDS FOR ALL OF YOU AND WHAT YOUR GOING THROUGH. TO THE GOVERNMENT AND LEADERS OF ISRAEL, I DID NOT THINK YOU HAD IT IN YOU TO STAND UP TO THIS WORLD AND IM TRULY SO PROUD THAT YOUR SHOWING THIS WORLD TO NOT UNDERESTIMATE YOU AS THE LEADERS OF THE GREATEST COUNTRY IN THE WORLD. AND TO ALL OF THE JEWISH PEOPLE IN ISRAEL STAND STRONG OUR LOVED ONES, I LOVE EACH AND EVERYONE OF YOU SO MUCH. ISRAEL AND ALL OF YOU ARE MY FAMILY AND I AM INLOVE WITH YOU ALL AND ISRAEL. GOD BLESS YOU FOREVER. I AM A CHRISTIAN AND STRONG SUPPORTER OF ISRAEL I LOVE YOU MORE THAN MY OWN COUNTRY AND WOULD LOVE TO LIVE IN ISRAEL AND HELP IN ANY WAY THAT I CAN <3 <3 <3 I LOVE YOU