The decision by the UK government to sanction Israel is an attack on Biblical heritage. It targets Jews because it is telling the Jewish people that they are not allowed to build in Israel’s heartland, Judea and Samaria; it denies Jewish self-determination in their ancestral homeland. The UK Government has chosen to turn its back on Israel to appease its enemies.
The Oslo II agreement, between Israel and the Palestinians, left Israeli administrative authority over Area C (including section E1). It is not illegal under “international law”, as the UK Government has concluded, clearly repeating, without any due diligence, the inflammatory word on the street. Oslo II set the terms until otherwise determined in a final negotiation, which to this day has never materialised because Palestinian leadership has never been willing to accept a Jewish state.
But importantly, there is a matter of God’s sovereignty and the unbreakable promise He made to the Jewish people concerning the Land. Shamefully, there have been those overseeing the flock of the Anglican Church who have congratulated the Government’s decision. But every Christian should understand that we have a connection with the Biblical heartland BECAUSE of the Jewish people, not because of the Palestinians.
We, as Christians, have a Biblical heritage connected to the Land. It is the land of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; the land of King David and the prophets; the land of Bethlehem, where Jesus, who was a Jew not a Palestinian, was born. It is the land of Nazareth where Jesus grew up; it is the land of Galilee, where Jesus taught, healed the sick and called His disciples. It is the land of Jerusalem, where He was crucified, rose from the dead, and where Christians believe He will one day return. It is from Jerusalem that the Gospel went out. Christianity began in Israel; its roots are deeply embedded in the Biblical land of Israel through the Covenant given to the Jewish people through which Gentiles have been grafted in.
How, then, can Christians deny the Jewish connection to the Land, applauding the Government’s misguided decision? No, instead we should be speaking out.
Christianity would not exist without Judaism. We would not have the Bible if it wasn’t for the Jewish people. And yet the UK Foreign Secretary declared this week that the “two-state solution” is the “North Star” of Government policy. North Star? The Government has set a guiding light for itself that is contrary to the Bible, to historical fact, and to the moral conscience needed to stand with an ally. We must choose to follow a different guide: the Word of Truth.
- Pray that the UK will come to its senses regarding this wrongful decision.
- Pray for CUFI’s campaign, writing to the Foreign Secretary to express opposition to this decision.
Rosh Hashanah
The Jewish people are celebrating Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. Also known as the Feast of Trumpets, it is instituted in Leviticus 23:24 and Numbers 29:1.
“In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall have a sabbath-rest, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, a holy convocation.” (Leviticus 23:24)
There is concern that the UK Government’s decision and careless weaponisation of words (such as ethnic cleansing) that are also used by Israel’s enemies to demonise the Jewish state, could have a significant impact on the safety of Jews in Britain.
- Pray that Jews everywhere will have a blessed, peaceful and safe New Year.
- Pray for the protection of Jewish communities in the UK, in Israel, and around the world.
25th Anniversary of September 11th terror attacks.
Today, on the 25th anniversary, we remember the victims of the September 11th terror attacks. Many of us will have living memory of where we were when we learned of the 9/11 attacks. The shocking scenes remain etched on our memories; we remember the traumatic devastation caused by the hijacked planes, the fear of those running for safety, the bravery of those who made every effort to save lives, the stories of courage and faith, the people whose lives were taken, and those who never saw their loved ones again. We remember trying to make sense of why it happened and the sudden awakening to the Jihadist threat that had now launched a war on Western civilization as we knew it.
This was an attack against everything we stood for in the West. It was not just an attack on America, it was an attack on all of us; our values, our morality, our heritage, our prosperity, our freedom. Today, we see antisemitic tropes surrounding 9/11 – blaming Jews, just as antisemites have done for over 2,000 years for all other manner of excuses. We refuse this evil poison, and rebuke it in the strongest possible terms. We choose to stand against this wickedness; we refuse to let it overshadow compassion and solidarity with those still mourning; we choose to stand with our great allies, the United States and Israel; we choose to stand with all Americans on this solemn day; and we say, for the sake of generations to come, we must never ever forget.
God bless America.
