Should Israel Annex the West Bank?: Church Leaders Weigh In

Last updated on: June 16, 2020 at 7:25 pm

June 16, 2020 by Nijay Gupta

Should Israel Annex the West Bank?: Church Leaders Weigh In

Dr. Bruce Fisk has brought to my attention a statement on the issue of Israel’s possible annexation of the West Bank next month, written by the Network of Evangelicals for the Middle East (NEME). NEME stands against this possibility.

We oppose Israel’s proposed annexation of the West Bank: it is not good for Israelis nor for Palestinians.

Evangelicals share a deep love for the Jewish people. Some identify as “pro-Israel” because of how they read the Bible and what they believe about the end times. Others might endorse annexation because they believe God promised the Land to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and their descendants. Many Christians in the West regard Palestinian Muslims with deep suspicion, while giving little or no thought to the plight of the Palestinian Christian community and their historic connection to the Holy Land.

Whatever our differences, all Christ-followers are called to be peacemakers who extend the love of Jesus towards all persons and care as he did for the vulnerable and the marginalized. Christ is not honored when his disciples support injustice. Munther Isaac and Jamal Khader, leaders in the Palestinian Christian community, warn that if Israel annexes the West Bank, “many Palestinian Christians and members of the Church will lose the land they lived in and farmed for generations.” They see it as “a mortal blow to a dynamic Christian presence in the birthplace of Jesus.” There must be a better way. As followers of the Good Shepherd, we raise our voices in opposition to annexation and in support of a just and durable peace for both Jews and Palestinians in the Land.

We at NEME are not alone. Many in Israel, in Europe, in the U.S., and around the world see annexation as bad for Palestinians, for Israelis, for the U.S., and for the witness of the Christian church.