(RNS) — Since the beginning of Israel’s war in Gaza, Arab Christians in the Middle East have complained that Western Christians, particularly white evangelicals, have exhibited a lack of compassion for the Palestinians, nearly 40,000 of whom have died since Hamas attacked southern Israel on Oct. 7. The Middle East has long been fodder for apocalyptic preachers aiming to excite their television audiences or megachurch parishioners by using the latest conflict as proof of a dubious prophecy.
In recent years such Christian Zionism has become common among American politicians as well, reaching an extreme in the current violence with former Vice President Mike Pence approvingly signing Israeli bombs intended for Palestinians and Lebanese targets and Nikki Haley writing on an Israeli bomb destined to kill Arabs, “Finish them.”
Arab Christians in the Middle East, evangelical and others, have now decided that they can no longer be silent about their co-religionists’ ugly solidarity with what has been called at best an act of revenge and at worst a genocide.
Besides the tens of thousands of women and children killed, hospitals, houses of worship, ambulances, universities and bakeries have been shelled and a population has been starved. Churches and Christian shelters in Gaza are no longer safe havens. Yet many in the global church are either silent or have approved of the carnage taking place in Gaza and, increasingly, across the region.
The statement issued on Monday (Aug. 5) said: “Arab evangelical leaders from Palestine, Egypt, Jordan, Iraq, Israel, Syria, and Lebanon signed a plea to Christians everywhere to restore unity in the body of Christ, which has been hurt due to the distorted view of Western church leaders.”
In their statement, coordinated by the Rev. Fares Abraham, a Palestinian American who heads Levant Ministries, these leaders “lament the silence and at times support of some church leaders within the Western Church regarding the actions in Gaza — actions that have been labeled as plausible genocide by the International Criminal Court, human rights groups, and an increasing number of nations.”
They “urge for accountability and call for an immediate ceasefire, the release of all hostages, and the unrestrained flow of aid into Gaza.” At the same time, the signers said they “unequivocally reject all forms of violence against civilians to achieve justice,” citing the biblical books of Jeremiah and Romans.
They further “condemn all religious, political, and social ideologies that hinder a lasting peace including antisemitism, islamophobia, and Christian Zionism. As citizens of our nations, we believe we are called to speak the truth and pray for those in authority so we can live in peace.”
Titled “A Collective Call to the Global Church from Middle East Evangelical Leaders,” the two-page statement asserts that there is a “discernible missional gap” between the Western church and the churches of the Middle East.
To bridge this divide, the statement invites Western Christians to visit the Middle East and reckon with the emergency Palestinians are facing, “to visit not only the ancient biblical sites and relics of the past, but to come and engage with the living stones of the Middle East — a faithful community of believers who have maintained their presence in this region for over two millennia.”
The Arab leaders are holding a meeting on Zoom on Sept. 18 for all church leaders who wish to join them. In addition, they said they would be “honored to come to your church, speak at your special event, or join your podcast to share incredible stories of how God is moving in the Middle East.”
Church leaders are also invited to attend an evangelical Christian summit in Jordan in the spring of 2025 to further cement the unity of the church that has been badly hurt by one-sided support for Israel.
Among those signing the statement are the Rev. Sameh Maurice of Kasr El Dobara Evangelical Church in Cairo; the Rev. Jack Sara of the Middle East and North Africa Evangelical Alliance; the Rev. Edward Awabdeh of the Evangelical Alliance Church in Syria; the Rev. Nour Sahawneh of the Mafraq Alliance Church in Jordan; the Rev. Ara Badalian of the Association of the Iraqi National Evangelical Churches; the Rev. Khalaf Barakat of the Egyptian Baptist Convention; the Rev. Hanna Katanacho of Nazareth Evangelical College; the Rev. Issam Raad of Health Outreach to the Middle East; the Rev. Ezzat Shaker of Evangelical Churches of Egypt; the Rev. Mazen Al-Halteh of the Dahyet Al-Nakheel Nazarene church in Jordan; and the Rev. Munther Isaac of Bethlehem Bible College.
It might be a tall order expecting church leaders who have built their entire careers on false distortions, but the Arab evangelical leaders are hoping to see some balance and compassion for people created in the image of God, rather than warmongering from their fellow Christians.
(Daoud Kuttab is a Palestinian journalist and publisher of Milhilard.org, an online publication dedicated to Christians living in Jordan and Palestine. Follow him on X @daoudkuttab. The views expressed in this commentary do not necessarily reflect those of Religion News Service.)
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