God's Vision For Israel

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will address Congress on July 24. The bipartisan invitation was signed not just by Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) but also by House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY). From the start, though, some Democrats made clear they would boycott the speech, and more names kept coming in.

Nancy Pelosi is one of those dissenting Democrat names. 

Some say if only we could achieve a "Two-State Solution," there would be peace in the Middle East.

There are biblical reasons why that won't happen.

Netanyahu will speak---Democrats will boycott.

Peace will not come...yet.

Be informed, not misled.

Two of Capitol Hill’s most divisive and extreme Democrats were at odds earlier this month over one of the top political issues of our time—Israel and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s prosecution of the war against the terrorist/political group Hamas. 

Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) thinks it was wrong that Congress asked Netanyahu to speak before Congress on July 24th, while Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) says the embattled prime minister deserves to be heard.

Neither of them is the good guy in this fight, as Schumer dramatically undermined Netanyahu in March when he meddled in their political process by telling the Israeli people they should get rid of him by holding elections.

On Sunday, The Hill put out a headline mentioning how this "prompts quiet backlash from Democrats." Even if Democrats would prefer to not advertise their infighting, that Democrats are in disarray over the issue of supporting our ally in the Middle East is rather well-known and has been an issue Republicans have been and absolutely should be taking advantage of. 

Axios has reported on a growing list of Democrats looking to boycott the speech and even hold counter-programming events, reminding how close to 60 anti-Israel members boycotted Netanyahu's past addresses. 

On Sunday, Rep. Ro Khabcanna (D-CA) shared with NBC News' Meet the Press that he would not attend Netanyahu's speech, noting, "I'm not going to sit in a one-way lecture." Khanna also lamented "how [Netanyahu] treated President Obama, though he left out the role the Obama administration played in trying to oust Netanyahu. 

WATCH: As Israeli PM Netanyahu prepares to address a joint session of Congress, @RepRoKhanna (D-Calif.) says he "will not attend."

"I'm not going to sit in a one-way lecture. … How he treated treated President Obama, he should not expect reciprocity.” pic.twitter.com/d8MdydTA2B

— Meet the Press (@MeetThePress) June 16, 2024

Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), who has also spoken out against Netanyahu and Israel, shared with CNN's Manu Raju that she would not attend.

Warren also brought up a favorite talking point of Democrats, which is to demand a two-state solution, with a focus on further blaming Netanyahu. "Prime Minister Netanyahu has created a humanitarian catastrophe. He has also made clear that he does not support U.S. policy for a two-state solution that will let the people of Israel and the Palestinians develop their own nation self-determination and live with dignity," she shared. 

RE the "Two-State Solution."

The focus of Trump's "Abraham Accords" was normalizing Israeli relations with its Arab neighbors.  A key draw for these countries was creating a robust U.S.-backed partnership against the threat of Iran's nuclearization and its continued support of terrorism worldwide.

Though many other benefits developed from the treaty, standing firm against Tehran was one of the primary motivations. The diplomatic ties and strategic partnerships that ensued finally exposed as a lie the longstanding premise that no peace could be possible in the Middle East without resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

From the religious perspective, 400 rabbis signed a public statement discouraging the return to a two-state solution and pointing out how every time Israel relinquished land for peace, it led to increased terrorism and the killing of innocent civilians. The letter refers to the Jewish law that warns of the dangers of territorial concessions of the Land of Israel. It is further evidence that this course of action is not the road to peace.

For Americans, the conflict in the Middle East may seem like an endless quagmire of competing interests that we are rarely in a position to change.

However, Christians must understand God's heart for Israel and its people.  

From the beginning, God's promises to Abraham in Genesis 12:2-3, He declares: "I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse, and all peoples on Earth will be blessed through you." This is a promise for all believers that blessings come to those who bless Israel.

We are also told that it is God Himself who established its boundaries. Before Joshua enters the promised land, God decrees: "Every place on which the sole of your foot treads, I have given it to you, just as I spoke to Moses. From the wilderness and this Lebanon, even as far as the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and as far as the Great Sea toward the setting of the sun will be your territory" (Joshua 1:3-4).

Though the Israelites repeatedly disobeyed God's commandments and were often punished for their transgressions, His commitment to them never changed because the character and nature of God are immutable. Throughout the Bible, culminating in the final restoration of the nation of Israel in the Book of Revelation, God decries the destruction and divisions of its territory while repeatedly swearing an oath to avenge its people.

"In those days and at that time, when I restore the fortunes of Judah and Jerusalem, I will gather all nations and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat.  There I will put them on trial for what they did to my inheritance, my people Israel because they scattered my people among the nations and divided up my land…The Lord will roar from Zion and thunder from Jerusalem; the Earth and the heavens will tremble.  But the Lord will be a refuge for his people, a stronghold for the people of Israel" (Joel 3).

So, despite what governments will do in response to a political or social crisis, as believers, we must acknowledge that God's heart for Israel is not to divide its land or oppress its people. It is clear that any nation or people that defy these principles makes itself liable to God's judgment for its actions in contradiction to His will.

Takeaway

Though we know, according to biblical prophecy, that Israel's division is inevitable, the Lord is faithful to His promises and will ultimately restore Israel to its rightful place on Earth. Our duty as believers is simply to honor God's vision for the future. 

Be Informed. Be Discerning. Be Vigilant. Be Engaged. Be Prayerful. Be Blessed.