The Big Challenges for Israel’s Next Government

The Big Challenges for Israel’s Next Government

I wanted to inform you on the internal issues in Israel. Most supporters who pray for Israel have little understanding of our domestic issues. My friends in Israel who do not know Yeshua have a similar understanding and share these concerns. Prayer should be offered for these matters as well. I hope this is helpful to you all.

While everyone knows that Israel has to deal with hostile enemies from Iran, Hezbollah in Lebanon and Iraq, Hamas in Gaza, and the Houthis in Yemen, maybe Turkey, and Pakistan, my points here do not deal with that. The present government is dealing with it well, and any other right-of-center or centrist government will probably follow similar policies. I want to outline the major domestic issues, which, if not dealt with well, could be existential threats to Israel. The present government of Israel is not seriously engaged in solving these problems. Of course, we believe God will preserve Israel for the return of Yeshua.

The Haredi (Ultra-Orthodox) Challenge I. The majority are not Zionists but depend on the Zionist state for their survival through an amazing and unfair benefits setup. Challenge I is that they refuse to do army or national service. They make up 14% of the population now and will be 16% by 2030. Their idea is that Torah study should exempt them from service (by Torah they really mean Talmud). Israel’s manpower needs and the injustice of their exemptions has enraged the rest of the Jewish population. At least they can do national service. The Supreme Court has found their exemption to be contrary to Israel’s Basic Law.
The Haredi (Ultra-Orthodox) Challenge II. The government supports their school system beyond the support of other schools, but they do not teach basic knowledge courses that would prepare them for work. They live on massive welfare support, with the women working, as if a state within the state. This is not sustainable.
The Haredi Challenge III. This point is related to #2 above. The state cannot afford to not have them working and paying taxes. Except for clergy and rabbi leaders, all should be required to enter the work force and be educated to do so. Those Haredi who do train for work excel in the work force.
The Education Challenge. Israel’s education system is in steep decline. Test scores are abysmal, teachers are underpaid, and classrooms are overcrowded. Israel’s place as a start-up hi-tech nation is in jeopardy. The present government does not focus on this. The level of ultra-Orthodox education support undercuts support for the rest of the schools.
The Challenge of Orthodox Nationalist Extremism. The national Orthodox are distinguished from the Ultra-Orthodox. They serve in the armed forces out of proportion to their percentage of the population. But a minority of them are messianic extremists and violent. They attack Arab villages in the West Bank, burn cars, tear up their agriculture, and kill flocks. While the present government says it disagrees with such actions, under the despicable radical Ben Gvir, the present government will not fight this with resolve, prosecutions, etc. This is serious lawbreaking. These extremists start new settlements with modular units. These settlements are illegal. Again, the government does little, for the same reasons: Ben Gvir’s party and Smotrich’s party. Whatever one thinks of the two-state solution (which is now dead in my view), new settlements should be legally approved before such squatting. Some are planted to displace Arabs. The spirit is similar to the first-century Zealots.
The Challenge of the Cost of Living, Especially Housing. If Israel is to keep its Jewish population in the Land, young families need to be able to afford to live here. Housing supply and affordability have been badly managed. A three-bedroom apartment in most places costs more than a large house in many parts of the U.S. Food, automobiles, and more are so expensive.
The Challenge of an Independent but Accountable Judiciary. The present judiciary system and the Supreme Court are weighted toward the self-perpetuation of judges appointing judges. It is not like in the United States, where judges have to be appointed by the executive and then approved by Congress. The reforms proposed by the Netanyahu government under Simcha Rothman and Yariv Levin are extreme and will end the independence of the court, opening Israel to international courts that step in on war crimes if there is no independent court system. These extreme reforms make the court subject to the veto of the legislature. These proposals produced big national protests before the October 7th war broke out.
The Challenge of Justice for Arab Israeli Citizens. Because Arab Israelis form parties that are represented in the Knesset (Parliament) but are not part of governing coalitions, they have little political power. The exception was Ra’am, which joined the previous government under Naftali Bennett. But this is beside the point in regard to morals and ethics. Arab towns and cities should get the same funding as Jewish cities and towns for services, police funding and crime fighting, road building, housing permits, etc. Yes, there are mixed cities like Haifa where this does not apply. But the Arab Israeli towns are the issue. This injustice opens them to radical Islamic ideas and identification with the West Bank Palestinians.
The Challenge of Justice for Arab Villages in the West Bank (Judea and Samaria). I will not write about Gaza, which is being managed under President Trump’s plan. The justice issue was covered in part in regard to the extremism of the radical religious in #5. Though Israel will no longer support a two-state solution, Israel can foster business development and agricultural progress in these villages, giving them autonomous local rule.
The Challenge of Diplomacy and Israel Promotion. Israel has done an abysmal job. Its diplomatic corps is weak, understaffed, and underfunded. Qatar spends billions funding anti-Israel propaganda on social media and programs in American universities. They are pro-Hamas. The blood-libel lie of genocide and human rights violations is a constant drumbeat. Of course, there are human rights violations, and I noted them above. To be convincing, Israel has to clean up its act. But the lie that Christians fare poorly in Israel is a lie. Yes, some radical religious people disrespect the historic churches and priests in Jerusalem. These are decried and prosecuted. But compare the human rights record of Israel to any Muslim country, to Russia, China, Iran, Turkey, and Pakistan, and Israel wins hands down. You would never know this from social media. Leftists identify more with Muslims! One thing needed is to break through the massive Stockholm syndrome among Arab Christians who, in fear, do not tell the truth. They say their hardship is due to Israel and not Islam, but if they are speaking the truth confidentially, they will tell you it is persecution under the Muslims. Bethlehem was an 80% Arab Christian city before it was given to the Muslim Palestinians to rule. Under Israeli rule they prospered, but after, they fled. So also the decline of Nazareth due to Islam. Israel needs to mobilize wealthy donors to fight the propaganda from Qatar. Hamas soldiers age 14-17 are enlisted as terrorist soldiers and should not be counted as child casualties that are Israel’s fault. Israel seeks to prevent civilian deaths in war; Hamas intentionally puts them in harm’s way. As the lie is told over and over again, the effort to repeat the truth over and over again in short videos, testimonies, and fact presentations is needed. This is a massive undertaking that will cost billions. The present government has hardly made the effort, aside from occasional statements by government spokesmen.
The Challenge of the Yordim. This is the challenge of those leaving Israel — 270,000 in the last three years. They are not religious. The cost of living, extremism, and war have discouraged them. Facing the challenges enumerated here is key, but there should also be strong outreach to them.
The Challenge of Citizenship Justice from the Interior Department. The Interior Department resists those who apply for citizenship who do not have synagogue connections, which is not according to law. They resist those who are qualified by law, such as descendants of Jews (one grandparent) who follow other religions, and especially those who believe in Yeshua. They resist the spouses and children of citizens. These are not missionaries, though for them, believing in Yeshua defines one as a missionary. The court standard is clear. The department is run by the ultra-Orthodox Shas party, extremist Sephardic Jewish Orthodox. This is part of coalition power politics. The head of Shas is a convicted criminal who served jail time. This is another sick aspect of the present coalition. Israel needs all the loyal citizens who apply. The court decision that disqualifies a halakhic Jew (Jewish by Orthodox definition) who comes to believe in Yeshua should be reversed.

I hope and pray for a change in government — a moderate conservative government without extremists that can face and make progress on these challenges.

The Myth of Recent Origins for the Theology of the Restoration of Israel

The catalyst for this article was my search for a piece on the views of the Wesleys — the founders of Methodism — on the Jewish people and their restoration. A very good article by Asbury Seminary professor Nicholas Railton, Charles Wesley and the Jews, turned up in my search. I had not really looked into this before, but several of Charles Wesley’s hymns pointed clearly to the restoration of the Jewish people. I was right, and Railton’s article confirms a very robust affirmation in Charles Wesley. See the link here: https://place.asburyseminary.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2638&context=asburyjournal

One of the pervasive myths now gaining new traction on social media is that belief in the election of the ethnic Jewish people is a theological aberration of recent origin, traceable to John Nelson Darby in the mid-19th century (the founder of Dispensationalism). Tucker Carlson, who now platforms antisemites, has asserted this as well — going so far as to call Christian Zionism a “brain disease.” He is no biblical theologian. But more credible voices repeat this falsehood too, among them Munther Isaac of Bethlehem Bible College. One of the most common errors across many fields of knowledge is putting forward theories and narratives that fail to account for all the evidence. In the theory of knowledge, we call this the criterion of comprehensiveness (see my book The Biblical World View: An Apologetic).

The history of the historic Protestant Evangelical view on Israel is somewhat complex. Yes, there were Protestants who continued to teach that the Church was the Israel of God and had superseded ethnic Israel, which was no longer God’s elect people. But many Protestant thinkers and biblical theologians disagreed.

Back to the Bible

The Reformation was a back-to-the-Bible movement. Its doctrine of grounding all teaching in Scripture alone (sola Scriptura) meant that many came to their understanding by reading the Bible in context and accepting the plain meaning of the text — unless the text itself indicated analogy or symbol. One of the finest books on this subject is The Puritan Hope by Iain Murray, which surveys Puritan thought from the late 1500s through the 1600s. Murray argues that the consensus affirmed the continued election of ethnic Israel and their eventual turning to the Lord — and several Puritans argued for a literal return to the Land. English Puritans like Elnathan Parr and Samuel Rutherford were very clear on this. The founder of Harvard, Puritan Increase Mather, could not have been plainer in his exposition of Romans 9–11.

Murray does not extend his account beyond the Puritans, but the story continues. The Lutheran Pietists — Jacob Philip Spener, August Hermann Francke, and the commentator J. A. Bengel — embraced restorationist ideas as well. These men were among the influences on Ludwig von Zinzendorf, who became the leader of the Moravians. His commitment to the Jewish people was passionate; he even planted several Messianic Jewish congregations. He, in turn, influenced the Wesleys.

The Growing Consensus in British Christianity

By the 1800s, these convictions about the election of the Jewish people and their restoration to the Land had gained wide adherents across Great Britain. This was part of the background for the joint German Lutheran Pietist–Anglican effort to found Christ Church near the Jaffa Gate in Jerusalem (ministry beginning in 1842, the center completed in 1849). The British Parliament passed legislation to establish this church. Queen Victoria was involved and endorsed it. The project was undertaken in anticipation of the Jewish people’s return to the Land and their coming to faith near the time of the Second Coming. Christ Church in Jerusalem stands today as a monument to that history — and it was certainly among the currents that shaped Britain’s Balfour Declaration supporting a Jewish homeland in the Land. This history is well told in Oskar Skarsaune’s book Israel’s Friend. Sadly, this fine work by the former dean of the Lutheran theological seminary in Oslo exists only in Norwegian.

In any case, all of this history — except for Balfour itself — predates any influence of Darby. I only wish that those who oppose the doctrine of Israel’s restoration would at least tell the truth, rather than advancing a partial and misleading narrative.

Today, even the Roman Catholic Catechism affirms the election of the Jewish people and declares that God’s gifts and call to Israel are irrevocable (Romans 11:29). It cites Romans 9 — “to them belong the covenants.” Does that include the promise of the Land? It is not stated explicitly, but the implication is plain, and some Roman Catholic leaders have said so. The Catechism also ties the return of Yeshua to the Jewish nation’s turning to him (see paragraphs 674 and 839).

So let us be bold. Our view of Israel’s restoration is not some recent aberration — it is a classical Protestant position with deep and distinguished roots. Let us learn this history and defend our theology. For a summary, see my book Passion for Israel.

Why I Avoid Teaching a Detailed Scenario on the Last Days and Today’s Wars in the Middle East

The doctrine of the last days, or eschatology, is an important study in biblical theology. There is now an overwhelming consensus in biblical scholarship that the last days began in the first century with the coming of Yeshua—His ministry, death, resurrection, and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the Feast of Shavuot (Pentecost). The Kingdom of God has come, but in an “already and not yet” way. We are invited to live in and from the Kingdom under the rule of Yeshua, to live in Kingdom community.

There is, however, much in regard to the Kingdom that is not yet. Until the Age to Come, after the return of Yeshua, this “not yet” will continue. There will be a final intervention at His return that brings His Kingdom rule in fullness. We are the players on the stage of last days/eschatological history who, by fulfilling the will of God and extending the Kingdom of God, move history toward the climax of His coming again. I am happy to say that there is broad consensus on this understanding.

The Last of the Last Days

However, there is still the matter of the last of the last days and the description of battles or wars that are part of the events at the end of this age leading to His coming. One of the key events is the turning of the Jewish nation to Yeshua. This last-days event is described in the Roman Catholic Catechism, paragraph 674, as key to His return. He will not return until His ancient people recognize Him. Yes, even the Roman Catholic Catechism notes that the end of this period is connected to the Jewish people.

I do want to address the detailed scenarios that some put forth about the last of the last days, especially those connected to events in the Middle East and the nation of Israel. In this time of war with Iran, many seek to find these events predicted in the Bible. When I was a teenager, concentration on end-times scenarios was a major emphasis. For those who did not live through that time, it is hard to imagine. There were regional prophetic conferences. Detailed scenarios were presented about the lineup of nations against Israel—a restored Roman Empire of nations, the importance of Russia as a key invader from the north, and China from the east.

I was intrigued and made special efforts to attend—sometimes at the summer camp where I was a counselor and sometimes in New York City. During my college and graduate school years, after reading many interpretations, I came to the conclusion that we are not meant to know the detailed sequence of events, but only a broad outline.

Ezekiel 38 and 39 provide one example. Do these events, describing an invasion of Israel from the north—Gog and Magog—occur before the time of the Antichrist and then lead to a lull? Note that it takes Israel seven years to burn the weapons of the defeated invaders (39:9–10). There is no description in these texts of the coming of the Messiah in glory (Zech. 14).

Three primary interpretations are common. The first is that this is simultaneous with the battle for Jerusalem and the defeat of the forces of the Antichrist—simply describing a parallel battle in the mountains of Israel. The burning of the weapons then takes place during the beginning of the Millennial Age. The second, as described above, is that this battle takes place some years before the battle for Jerusalem in Zechariah 12 and 14. The tribulation and the Antichrist come later as a separate matter. The third is that it is symbolic of the final war before the Age to Come, and we are not to pin down specifics at all.

Dr. J. Barton Payne was a brilliant professor of Old Testament at Wheaton College Graduate School. I highly recommend his volume, An Encyclopedia of Biblical Prophecy. Payne interprets every predictive prophecy in the Bible and presents a case for the time of fulfillment for each one. He lists 15 periods of fulfillment. The Ezekiel passage is placed at the end of the Millennium as the final rebellion—the same as the rebellion after the 1,000 years in Revelation 20.

Well, I have to say that after reading these various views, I am not convinced that I know. I lean toward the second interpretation.

Who are the nations that Ezekiel describes? Traditional prophecy conferences from the 1960s identified this as a Russia-led alliance. But convincing arguments have been put forth by Walid Shoebat and Joel Richardson that Turkey is the nation involved, and that the descriptions and language better fit tribes in northern Turkey. I think there is credibility to their arguments. Classical Dispensationalism argued that the Antichrist would arise from a revived Roman Empire, not this coalition. Richardson, however, argues that the Antichrist is Islamic.

The Broad Outline

I have come to the conclusion that it is not important to know the detailed sequence of the last events before the return of Yeshua, and that we should not spend much time trying to figure it out. However, I do believe in a broad outline that guides my response to events today.

First, the Body of the Messiah will be completing its task of preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom in all the nations as a witness (Matthew 24:14). Secondly, many Christians will partner with Messianic Jews to make Israel jealous (Romans 11:14). This witness will be accompanied by revivals and outpourings of the Spirit (Joel 2:28–30). Israel will be prepared to corporately call on Yeshua (Matthew 23:39).

Thirdly, there will be invasions and wars (Ezekiel 38–39) leading to a final invasion where the forces of the Antichrist reach Jerusalem. Multitudes from the nations will be involved (Joel 3). The Jewish people will be anointed to fight (Zechariah 12), but the defeat of their enemies leads to tearful repentance and looking upon Yeshua whom they pierced. A parallel passage in Zechariah 14 describes the final invasion and the coming of Yeshua, who stands on the Mount of Olives and defeats all the invaders (Zechariah 14; Revelation 19).

I do not think we need to concern ourselves with more than this broad outline.

In this light, how should we view the war with Iran and its proxies? It is one of those last-days wars and does foreshadow more to come. But I believe there will also be a time of peace. I would simply say: keep your eye on Turkey. I thought this even before they became more radically aligned in the Muslim world and moved away from their earlier alliance with Israel.

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Partnership for Israel Ministries and the Middle-Man Organizations

When I was visiting Israel in the 1990s, I heard a statement that was quite sad: “Those who do can, and those who cannot raise funds.” This statement reflected the view of congregational leaders who were doing the hard work of establishing congregations, winning people to faith and discipleship. Yes, they needed financial support for high rents or building purchases, education programs, and staff expansion. However, taking time away from their work to raise funds was difficult, and when they did so, the work suffered. Some with great charisma for public presentation were raising funds and paying themselves large salaries. I knew of one who bought a huge luxury house, yet he was producing almost no fruit. He traveled the world! Individuals and congregations that gave support simply did not ask the hard questions.

Fostering Real Covenant Partnerships

At the time, I thought, wouldn’t it be wonderful to pair people who were excellent in congregational ministry leadership so that support could be raised without the work being hindered? Indeed, they would establish partnerships between churches and congregations in the Land—partnerships of prayer, mutual visiting, and giving. This would include Bible schools and other ministries. Over 25 years have passed, and this idea is still unrealized.

Some of my readers know that I serve on the executive of the important Jerusalem Council II project, which seeks to see the whole Church hold a council and declare itself with regard to the Messianic Jewish community and the Jewish people. Here is a LINK. We approved a document called the Seven Affirmations. The fifth affirmation calls upon churches to share their resources to strengthen congregations and Messianic Jewish schools and institutions. One reason this statement was made was to see restitution from the Church due to its past refusal of Jewish identity and life in Yeshua.

Organizations That Profess to Do This

There have been some attempts to build organizations that would support Messianic Jewish ministry, but I am not yet satisfied. I am not yet seeing lasting covenant partnerships with congregations. What often happens is that the important goal of building real partnerships is difficult, so the organization ends up building partnerships with itself and grows in staff and overhead.

I still dream of something I call Partnerships for Messianic Jewish Ministries. There would be an absolute commitment to foster covenant relationships between congregations and ministries in the Land and ministries and congregations from the nations. I am not young, but I do not feel old yet, and I hope I can be a spur to see this happen.

One more point. Some years ago, I read the books of a passionate apostle in India who begged Christians from the nations to see that, though humanitarian work is valuable, the center of the Gospel of the Kingdom is proclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom with signs and wonders following, and planting and discipling. I think that in some organizations that are raising funds, this priority has been reversed.

The Hostage War

I have read much in the Israeli English press on the Gaza War. Others see what I am writing here. We could call this the Hostage war because of how this war was fought. It was very much focused on saving the hostages. The war was fought as a workaround due to the hostages

On strictly a strategy of war, the way to really win was to fully defeat Hamas. That would require a full occupation, just like with Japan and Germany after World War II. This could have been accomplished in less than a year. However, probably all of the hostages would have been killed. So, Israel’s work around had still killed most Hamas leaders, gotten most of the hostages out, sadly required releasing many terrorists, and now has taken over 70% of Gaza. The hostages are the emotionally charged issue beyond what those who do not live here can imagine.

This delayed war has enabled Hamas to win the propaganda war. It is doubtful that Israel can ever recover from the lies of Hamas about this war. But now comes the real D-Day for Israel. Will she finally conquer the last 30% and have a period of full occupation? Israel’s military leaders seem against this. It is amazing that Israel’s Generals have been quoted as against it. But then, will not Hamas survive to fight another day? It is amazing that the military/cabinet meetings are leaked. This is not good. Some say Bibi only pursues full occupation due to his radical right, B. Smotrich and Ben Gvir. It is a factor, but I think Bibi has come to believe that full occupation for a season is the only answer. In this, there will be more loss of support from the populations in the U. S. and Europe, and also a loss of support in Israel as well. Everyone who reads this needs to read “The Secrets Apparatus” by Cynthia Farahat. This book on the Muslim Brotherhood shows what Israel is really up against, and the rest of the world as well.

I am glad I am not the Prime Minister.

Palestinianism: An Ideology of Erasure

I was very impressed by an article on Einat Wilf by Herb Kenon, the frequent columnist in the Jerusalem Post. Wilf had been a higher up in the government of Ehud Barak when he sought to bring about a two-state solution with Yasir Arafat with Bill Clinton mediating. Clinton famously said to Arafat that he made him a failure. After this, Arafat called for violent terrorism against Israel in an intifada. Then there was the offer of Olmert, such a generous offer that many were both upset and amazed. Yet Mahmud Abbas refused it. Wilf was on the inside of negotiations on the Barak team and followed closely with the Olmert offer. She also was a keen observer of the results of the withdrawal from Gaza and rather than choose freedom, Gaza was turned into an armed fortress involving almost the whole of the civilian population areas. This was before the Olmert offer. Sharon, the Prime Minister who withdrew from Gaza had died. Now Olmert the withdrawal would motivate Abbas for a peace agreement. He walked away.

Though it was hard for her, she came to the conclusion that the Palestinians do not want a state under any two-state formula but that this is only put forward as propaganda for the world. What they want is one thing, the elimination of Israel. As part of this, she chides both Bibi Netanyahu and Joe Biden for saying that their war was not against the Palestinians but against Hamas. She believes that this is delusional because the Gazans and most of the West Bank (Judea and Samaria) choose Hamas and are also dedicated to the elimination of Israel. She calls this Palestinianism an ideology of the necessity of the erasure of Israel. Israel must not be allowed to exist as a nation-state on any part of the Land. (“From the River to the Sea” as the chant goes.”) Only by facing that we are at war with the Palestinians who support Hamas can we begin to face that only overcoming this ideology will bring victory, and fighting the war does mean a more realistic view of the task. I think that it requires an occupation and reeducation, if not by Israel then by other nations together who would be committed to re-education. David Biven, the Foreign Secretary at the end of the British mandate described the problem,

“His Majesty’s Government have thus been faced with an irreconcilable conflict of principles. For the Jews, the essential point of principle is the creation of a sovereign Jewish state. For the Arabs, the essential point of principle is to resist to the last the establishment of Jewish sovereignty in any part of Palestine.”

It was and so it continues. She even speaks of dialogue with moderate Palestinians who deny that Israel is a people but claim it is a religion and has no right to a state. Of course, Israel is a people with even a very strong genetic unity.

Wilf also presents other very important insights. She describes the antisemitism behind the anti-Israel orientation of the nations. Whatever the problem the world faces, somehow the Jews plug into the equation as foundational to the problem. She notes the words as placards, colonialism, racism, apartheid, imperialism or white supremacy. I add communism (Marx was a Jew). Somehow the Jews are responsible in every case. This is astonishing but is historically true. Whatever the evil is in the discourse of the time the world would be better off without the collective Jew. This is astonishing. Nothing has to be based on real truth or analysis but the propaganda of media reigns. Constant repetition of the lies establish the lies in the mindset of a population. It will require a massive effort to counter this.

For Wilf this is just the way history has developed. However, for those who believe the Bible, this no accident of history. Rather it is a manifestation of dark demonic evil and the opposition to Jewish destiny. That destiny is to be an instrument of the redemption of the World and the return of Yeshua. The Jewish people/Israel are a great proof of the truth of the Bible and all the powers of evil have to oppose the Jewish people, God’s living apologetic for the truth.

Culture Formation and Social Media

As we come into the New Year, may we see a great cultural shift.

We have seen in the last years that when cultural influences and the culture formation elite use the levers of social media they can radically change the morals and change the direction of the culture. From abortion to critical race theology, to transgenderism, the LGBTQ agenda, to rejecting lifelong marriage is a key to society, the society changed in ways that could not have been anticipated 50 years ago. But it was rapid. A rock song in the early 60s “Band of Gold” sang of lifelong love and fidelity. Some years later the Rolling Stones sang, “Let’s spend the night together.” The people did not come against this change and condemn it. (Yes, of course, some preachers did but they were not forming the culture)

Israel, as well, has been subject to a terrible onslaught of lies in social media and fuels anti-Semitism. Lies about the war in Gaza, Lebanon, and Iran have been ubiquitous.

The recent election gives hope that some of those empowering these trends have lost power, whatever people may or may not think of Donald Trump. What is needed is an army of social media influencers for conservative social values. Social media creates massive change quickly whereas flyers, tracts. and print media of yesteryear took lots of time to build support and influence. Let’s hope for an army of social media culture formation people.

And may we learn to present the Gospel in social media. Let’s promote the wonderful miracle stories of transformed lives, miracles, physical healing and so much more.

My Flight with an Israeli Jewish Atheist

On my recent flight from Israel to the United States, I sat next to an Israeli Jewish atheist who grew up on a kibbutz. As we talked about Israel, the war, and Israeli and American politics, he noted that he was planning to move with his family to the United States. His wife is a U. S. citizen. She is a medical doctor. He is in hi-tech. Why does he want to move? Because life in Israel is too expensive, and too difficult in other ways, and there is too much war and terrorism. As an Israeli, I sought to encourage him and persuade him that Israel needs him. No doubt they are a successful couple that has made it. I got the impression that he does not own his own home and being a Tel Avivian, this is unusual.

It is true that the Israel government and the developers have mismanaged real estate in Israel so there is not an adequate supply. This drives up costs and hurts young families. But education and health care are good and very inexpensive in Israel. But overall, costs are way too high.

However, I sought to share a more divine-purpose perspective. He professed his belief in evolution, and I sought to show that the naturalistic atheist version of evolution was systematically incoherent. He was not convinced but was quite indoctrinated.

A generation ago, the majority of Israelis were atheists who did want to build a model society, especially those from the kibbutz movement. However, I think my new friend proves the point that over the long haul, atheism will not sustain Israel if Israel is not elect of God and has no divine purpose for the sake of humanity, why sacrifice for Israel? Why not assimilate and escape antisemitism? Ethnic pride? When push comes to shove, either due to war or economic pressures, too many of the atheists and agnostics will abandon Israel and the Zionist vision of having our own state. This new acquaintance strongly argued for his atheism, pointing to evil and suffering to disprove the existence of a good God. He does not represent the trend in Israel today. They are discovering belief in God and even see his protection in the present war.

I noted not long ago in a Facebook post that one modern Rabbi argued that faith in God was necessary to sustain Israel. Israel will not be sustained because Israel has a great economy in the world and people can live a nice life, but Israel has a divine purpose in the world. Most Jews who now believe in God in Israel might celebrate the Feasts or have a Passover celebration but do not want to be under the yoke of Rabbinic Judaism and its focus on keeping the miniate of Rabbinic laws. Such Jews in Israel are open to reading the Bible and the promises in the prophets of our return to the Land (Isaiah 43, Jeremiah16, 23, Amos 9, Joel 3, and many more passages)

Though not yet becoming Messianic Jews are Israeli Jews coming to a faith that I have envisioned as a step in the right direction and toward Yeshua. Yes, this is right now a weak faith, and some may also embrace superstition, some aspects of Eastern religion, and some aspects of paganism, but the God that is being embraced is a personal God who effected the exodus. Could we persuade them to be Biblical Jews and be committed to believing the Bible and the Laws of God from the Torah that are applicable today without the heavy yoke of Rabbinic Judaism? Could they also read about God’s grace and forgiveness as taught in the Hebrew Bible? Could they really become Hebrew Bible Jews? Could they be interested in the teaching of Yeshua without yet fully embracing the teaching of the New Covenant Scriptures about him and his deity? Some Christians like Francis Schaeffer used to talk about pre-evangelism. I wonder if belief in God and the Hebrew Bible could be due to a move of God’s Spirit in preparing people for the Good News of Yeshua. I think Messianic Jews can have a very fruitful dialogue with the Jewish people of Israel in returning to faith in God. Sometimes our way into dialogue with secular atheist Jews is to show them the supernatural fulfillments in Israel’s regathering to the Land in our day.

The Religious Motive and Conflict

Many secular Westerners have great difficulty in dealing with world conflicts because they ignore the religious foundations or motives for such conflicts. Yes, there are also ethnic motives, and they may overlap with religious motives, but I want to write on the religious motives. The famous liberal Christian thinker Paul Tillich defined faith as “Ultimate Concern,” the foundational motive that drives us. People are inherently religious. This includes humanistic people. Yes, we can note people whose god is “self” and whose drive is for their own ease and pleasure. But many people have to live for something more. maybe some false idea of seeking justice which they define as equality. In this regard, the United States Supreme Court defied “Secular Humanism” as a religion. (Torcaso v Watkins (1961). Of course, there are different secular humanisms from classical Marxism to the Objectivism of Ayn Rand. Marx presented a prophetic vision and an eschatology that led to a glorious age of peace, accord, and prosperity. It is very religious and the commitments to it were at a religious commitment level. When it failed a famous book, “When Prophecy Fails.” was applied to Marxism.

Ayn Rand looked for a utopia from free enterprise and one ethical norm, “Do no harm.” The god of Ayn Rand is the entrepreneur who creates wealth for all as part of a democratic free society. (See Atlas Shurgged.) Today we see that commitment to abortion rights, the LGBTQ agenda, and transsexualism are all based on religious views and levels of commitment. The passions of these movements show religious commitment. The great philosopher Herman Dooyweeerd showed such religious motives as being ubiquitous. We see religious motives in the persecution of Christians by Hindus in India, though Hindus do not seek to conquer the world.

However, this essay is not mostly about the issue of world views and religious motives in general. It is rather that our Western leadership, when not committed to Biblical faith fails again and again to credit and understand the religious motives of world conflicts and why such religious motives, when sick and evil, need to be confronted head-on. Western diplomats wrongly think that if they go beneath the surface one will find Western values, in the Arab, the Chinese Communist, or the Iranian jihadist. They think they can get a hold of that and find peace, but often the ideologies are only defeated in a great defeat in war or by religious conversion. The Chinese Communists suppress free speech and Christianity because they want no competition to their religious idealogy. It parallels the Catholics who used violence to shut down Protestant orientations in the old religious wars.

I want this essay to emphasize the Middle East and Islam. We will never grasp what we face unless we absorb the hard truth that for Islamic fascists or jihadists, there is a religious motive to destroy Israel and to take Jerusalem. Nothing else will do and the honor of Mohammed and the god of Islam requires war and strategy to accomplish this whether it takes a year or a hundred years. All that was in the ruling territory of Islam (Dar Al Islam) has to be recovered. This means recovering Spain for Islam and parts of Southern and South East Europe. From there, Islam must go forward to conquer the world. We see such motives now in the immigrant Muslim populations of Western Europe. Yes, there are reformed Muslims who do not share this worldview. They build their Islam on the more peaceful passages of the Koran. They exist. But the conquering and violent passages are ubiquitous and when movements arise to return Isralm to faithfulness to its origins some will return to violent jihad. Unless we understand that Israel is up against religious warriors, we will not face what is necessary to fight and overcome this evil religion. It will take true propaganda and military might. Those arrayed against Israel, Iran, its proxies, Hezbollah, Hamas, and West Bank radicals. The Houthis, Iraqi jihadists, and jihadists in Syria, all share this foundational religious motive. It explains why Gazan mothers are happy for their children to be trained to be martyrs. Because the Devil is behind this ideology, prayer must be a central part of the strategy for Christians.

It is my conviction that only Biblical faith provides the orientation and strength to defeat the evil worldviews that are opposed to us. The teaching of Yeshua does not order us to conquer the world by the sword but by the very powerful signs and wonders Gospel of the Kingdom. Only the Gospel can defeat the ideologies of evil. When we speak of the Gospel, however, we are speaking of more than just the offer of personal salvation through receiving Yeshua as personal savior. The Gospel of the Kingdom is more robust and declares Yeshua as Lord over all spheres of society. This understanding of the Gospel was foundational to the Evangelical Harvard, Wheaton College. Its founder, Jonathan Blanchard, wrote the Wheaton motto, “For Christ and His Kingdom,’’ that Wheaton would raise up leaders for every sphere of life, to influence all spheres to embrace biblical norms. It was what compelled Blanchard and Wheaton to join the anti-slavery fight and to be part of the underground railroad for escaped slaves. It also compelled Charles Finney. Decades later when Abraham Kuyper became Prime Minister of Holland, he echoed Blanchard and declared that it was his vision that the Law of God would become the Law of the Land. Kuyper’s embrace of the Gospel of the Kingdom did not reject religious freedom and held a sacred place for the conscience of the individual.

Today we see a return to Blanchard’s and Kuyper’s views from those who argue that the Gospel of the Kingdom must seek to influence the seven mountains of culture leadership and formation. As Kuper said, Yeshua claims every square inch of human civilization and there is not one square inch that He does not claim as Lord. This should not be understood as conquering the world before or without the return of Yeshua, which Kuyper did not believe nor did Campus Crusade’s Bill Bright who embraced the Seven Mountains vision.

When we deal with the Middle East we are dealing with international law and relationships.

In my view, only the right Biblical faith, understanding the Gospel of the Kingdom, is best and clear enough to overcome the evil religious motivations of Islamic Fascism, Communism, the religion of LGBTQ ism, transgenderism, abortion and child sacrifice, and more. All of these orientations are foundationally religious. Hence the energy behind them. Only Biblical faith is adequate to defeat them, signs and wonders Gospel of the Kingdom.

Chanukah or Tisha Bav

Daniel Juster, Ph. D. and Senior Shaliach

The War with Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon

Israel still fights the long war in Gaza and soon may fight an all-out war in Lebanon against the Iran proxy, Hezbollah. However, the overall situation in the Middle East is much more dangerous than we may imagine. Israel’s liturgical narrative history recounts the depths of despair and defeat in the 9th of Av, the destruction of both Temples, the expulsion from Spain, and the Holocaust. However, Israel’s narrative also celebrates the extraordinary victories of Passover-Exodus, Purim during Persian rule and Queen Esther, and Chanukah in the war against the Syria Hellenist Seleucids. This Chanukah we again remember the great victories to save Israel under the leadership of the Maccabees, 167-160 B. C. Will the present wars lead to another tragedy or an amazing victory?

What We Are Really Up Against

In the short term, it does not look like another 9th Av. Israel will ultimately stay in Gaza even if there is a six-week truce. This truce is very unlikely since Hezbollah has no motive to give up the hostages without a total end to the war. Israel cannot do that, so we face a grievous and sad reality. Also, if Israel fully goes to war against Hezbollah in the north to enforce U. N. resolution 1701, that Hezbollah has to remain behind the Litani River in Lebanon and give up its arms so there is one Lebanese army, it will be a very bad situation. The number of Hezbollah missiles means that there will be devastation in Israel and many deaths, but Hezbollah will be defeated. If Iran enters the war, we hope the U. S. defends Israel. Iran was not ready for war and wanted its nuclear bomb first. This is what we are up against in the short term.

However, let us note what is not usually described. Israel is up against many other terrorist entities.

Explicit Enemies of Israel

First, there are the Houthis in Yemen who rule much of Yemen. The weak U. S. government has let them shut down the international sea lanes. Thomas Jefferson went to war for open seas! The Biden administration seems pathetically weak. The Houthis would be easy to defeat by air power. Israel faces the Houthis, who now send some troops to fight Israel.
Secondly, Syria allows its country to be a base for Hezbollah and the Iran Revolutionary Guard Corp.
Then there are the Hezbollah-aligned Shiites of Iraq.
Iran seeks to destroy Israel and leaders have professed that they should use the nuclear bomb against Israel. This is what Donald Trump meant when he said if Harris is elected, Israel will cease to exist. He defunded Iran but the Biden administration reversed this and provided hundreds of billions of dollars to Iran that financed her terrorist proxies, Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis, and more. The biggest gain for changing the Middle East would be regime change in Iran.

Dangerous Countries at Peace with Israel

First is Egypt. It is called a cold peace. Why? Egypt’s education system still fosters hatred for Israel. Egypt’s population is overwhelmingly anti-Israel. Can the cold peace survive? Egypt allowed the Rapha crossings and border tunnels to be used to arm Hamas to the hilt.

Second is Jordan. The situation in Jordan is very much like Egypt. However, the majority of Jordan is Palestinian and Hamas wants to overthrow the monarchy. Can Jordan remain at peace? Will the monarchy long survive?

Third is Qatar, which is supposedly an ally of the United States but fosters Hamas and provides refuge for their billionaire leader Mashal and did for their late leader Ismael Haniyeh. They also foster the Al Jazeera anti-Israel and pro-Hamas Newspaper.

Fourth is Turkey which now is more and more belligerent against Israel and is pro-Hamas. Erdogan, Turkey’s leader, says he wants Turkey to lead a world Muslim anti-Israel coalition. Their Islamist semi-dictator is still allowed to be part of NATO, a travesty. A regime change in Turkey would be very beneficial to the Middle East and for stemming Islamic fascist terrorism.

Fifth is Pakistan whose secret service and government allows ISIS connections and pro-Taliban policies.

Terrorist Populations

The West cannot get its arms around the fact that the so-called innocent populations are actually terrorist-supporting populations. Fighting a war against a terrorist-supporting population is a whole different order and there is no way to fight it without significant civilian deaths, especially when they allow themselves to be human shields. This was somewhat the situation in Germany in World War II, but it is much worse with Islamic Fascism.

The Feckless West

The feckless West more and more aligns with Israel’s enemies and makes Israel’s defense effort the crime. The West has imported a fifth column of Islamic Fascists which amazingly ally with the useful idiot leftist. They take over the streets and campuses and require ending investments in Israel. Weak college administrators and leftist city councils are likely to give in.

China and Russia as Allies of Iran

For their own purposes for world domination Russia and China now ally with Iran.

Conclusions

Well, you get the picture. It is as if the biblical picture of all nations coming against Israel is beginning to happen. Credible prophecy teachers see the last wars as Islamic-led. It is foolish for the Prime Minister to profess his faith in the Israel Defense Forces to save us. We will need the salvation that only comes from Yeshua. In God we must trust.

The last word is presented in the Bible. It will be the Feasts of victory and Chanukah that will prevail. Joel 3, Zechariah 12, and14 Ezekiel 38,39, and many more passages show us the end of the story. This is a time for much prayer, revival, and a great harvest in Israel.