It appears that Israel’s longest war is coming to an end. Once the hostages are released, it will mark the beginning of Israel’s healing.
The nation will celebrate the return of its hostages. The hostages who are still alive will go through the struggles of adjusting to normal life. The families of the hostages whose bodies will be returned, will go through the process of grieving their loved one. Everyone impacted by October 7th will be in a process of healing from the deep trauma that has affected them all.
Outside of the hostages being returned, there is now a chance for normal life to return to Israel. For the past two years, families have lived apart. Tens of thousands of Israeli soldiers have been serving on the frontlines in Gaza. They have put their jobs and their lives on hold as they defended Israel against Hamas. Those families will now be reunited. Husbands and wives will have to adjust to life together again. Relationships will need to be mended. Businesses that have been on hold will need to be rebuilt. Children will no longer go to bed worried about whether their father will return home, because they will be going to sleep each night reunited.
Sadly, the toll of the war has been great on Israel. Hundreds of Israeli soldiers have been killed. Thousands of families have been affected, and many of them will never be complete again.
As Christian Watchmen over Israel, we are not naïve. We understand that this is not a peace that will end all wars for Israel. We know that there will be more hardships for Israel. For a start, Hamas will never accept Israel’s existence. Just as before, Hamas will be conspiring new ways to develop itself, to regroup, and to rearm. Peace will not last forever, however, it may provide Israel with a period of respite from this long and brutal war.
Israel has been in this position before. Since its rebirth as a nation in 1948, Israel has been attacked many times: the War of Independence in 1948, the Six-Day War in 1967, the Yom Kippur War in 1973, the First and Second Intifadas of the 1990s and early 2000s, as well as dozens of wars other wars either to defend themselves from Islamists on their borders, or to quell Hamas’s terrorism against Israelis since Israel completely withdrew from the territory in 2005.
The Jewish people have been in a constant state of defending themselves and then rebuilding once the fighting is over. Unlike the Palestinians, Israel doesn’t get assistance from the world. It has to do the job alone. But rebuild Israel will do. Israel is strong and resilient.
There are many questions we have for the future. How long will this peace last? Can Hamas be trusted? Will all of the hostages really be released? Which of Israel’s many enemies will try to destroy her next?
Israel also has to contend with a new form of hatred against it. The information war unleashed against Israel in the past two years has been out of control. The lies, distortions, fakery, hatred, anger, and outrage have all culminated to create a beast of antisemitism that has engulfed social media and large swathes of the internet. The Biblical prophecy that the world will turn against Israel is no longer limited to the United Nations and governments, it has now infected the hearts and minds of ordinary people around the world who have been brainwashed by anti-Israel propaganda.
Most shamefully, the Church is increasingly turning against Israel.
Christians have the Bible to guide them, yet many are being misled because they refuse to take God at His Word. Christians should be the best friends of Israel, united together in love and steadfast defenders of God’s promises for each of us. Instead, many Christians are being deceived by a satanic lie that is turning them against Israel and against God’s Word.
In Britain, the open hatred of Jews in public discourse is frightening. The normalisation of antisemitism is a cancer that will destroy our society if it is not dealt with.
The physical battles Israel faces are reminiscent of the spiritual battles the Church is facing. And the way we handle these things is similar. Israel is in need of much-needed rest, but it will never underestimate Hamas again. Israel will always be ready for war. Likewise, Israel’s enemies will never underestimate Israel’s capabilities again. Israel has proved itself in a seven-front war. It has been truly miraculous how God has carried Israel through these past two years.
Christians must also not underestimate our enemy. The hatred of Israel that has exploded in these past two years means our work is not over. We cannot rest; we must continue to speak the truth and combat this evil. We are the Bride of Christ. Jesus is not going to return to a Bride that is disconnected from its Jewish roots. The Church must stand with Israel and the Jewish people now and always.
The Watchmen on the walls must always remain vigilant. The enemies of Israel cannot be trusted. And this peace, if it comes to fruition, will not last forever. But we pray that Israel will be at peace long enough for its wounds to heal.
“Comfort ye, comfort ye My people, saith your God. Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished.”
(Isaiah 40:1–2a)
