The truth may make you free, but gaining power not included

John 8:32: “And you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.”

As I noted in my last post, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) failed to account for all of the phones from each of the 15 Red Crescent emergency workers they killed in Gaza just under 2 weeks ago. As a result, the IDF’s initial explanation of what happened was a lie.

NB: The fact that the IDF attempted to bury the bodies of the 15 emergency workers, as well as the ambulances, testifies that they were deliberately trying to cover up what they had done. Why else would they have buried the ambulances also?

The phone that was discovered just so happened to be videoing the entire ordeal. It confirms that the emergency workers were indeed driving with their sirens blasting and their lights on, contrary to the IDF’s report. Since then, Israel and the IDF have changed their stories.

Wisdom from Mom

I remember the conversation I had with my mom when I was a child quite well. I don’t know what I had done, only that I had lied about it. She said something that has stuck with me to this day: “If you lie, how will I ever know when to trust that you are telling me the truth?”

Israel has once again restarted its assault on Gaza. In the past few weeks, they have not only bombed another thousand Palestinians, mostly women and children, but they have also renewed their efforts to use food as a weapon. As a result, the threat of famine has once again become a real danger in Gaza.

What is hard to understand is how this works with respect to Israel’s taking out Hamas. How does killing more civilians and restricting food and essentials into Gaza, effectively implementing a form of collective punishment, help Israel accomplish its goal of taking out Hamas?

It is this question that is bringing many Zionists and Christian Zionists to voice their inability to support Israel in its present campaign.

NB: Even a staunch supporter of Israel must admit that war has to have a semblance of ethics. There must be rules of engagement. These rules necessarily should prohibit the untethered killing of civilians and the use of collective punishment. After all, was not the production of the Geneva Convention of 1948 and its formation of the modern rules of warfare the result of the Nazi’s violation of such against the Jews? The irony is profound. How can we now say that the Jews are allowed to violate the very laws that arose from the ashes of their destruction?

Note: We will host a livestream with Joel Willits, “No Longer Silents: A Zionist’s Reckoning with Gaza and the Way of Jesus,” on April 29 at 2:00 EST. (Note: the link will work even after the event has been completed).

I will also interview noted Christian Zionist and professor at Dallas Theological Seminary Darrell Bock on May 7.

Truth

Truth is at the center of Christianity. For Christians, truth is not an abstract idea that can be sought after when convenient. Truth is embodied. Truth is a person. God is truth (John 14:6; 1 John 1:5—note, light and truth are often overlapping and synonymous).

The problem in having conversations concerning Israel-Gaza—and just about any other political affair—in the US these days relates to who and what we are supposed to believe.

Unfortunately, most fail to even ask these questions. It is too often assumed that “my” sources are telling the truth and that “yours” are not.  

The problem is complicated by the fact that the nature of the kingdoms of the world is that they rule for their own advantage and most often at the expense of others (See Mark 10:42-45). And that they rule through propaganda–i.e., deception. 

NB: This is worthy of a book and not a blog. However, it is important to note Jesus’ warnings about false prophets (Matt. 24:4-5, Mark 13:6-7, Luke 21:8) and the book of Revelation’s constant admonitions against “liars” (Rev 2:2; 21:8) and “lying” (Rev 14:5; 21:27; 22:15). 

Another critical component of the biblical story is that the nations of the world (the kingdoms, i.e., those that Satan offered to Christ)—that is, those in power—excel at making sure we believe they are good and are working hard to do what is right.

Two problems that the church must grasp

1) First, how are we (or anyone among the people, for that matter) to discern the truth when we know that those in power control the narrative to advance their agenda?

NB: This is one of the great advantages that we have in the 21st century. We have a plethora of alternative media sources. This, of course, may be a curse as well. After all, some of these alternative sources are whacked out. In addition, who has the time to wade through the vast amounts of info to discern which one has the truth?

2) Second, even though there are plenty of sources with which we can begin to plausibly discern the truth, many fail to do the necessary work.

We cannot trust those in power

The irony of this claim is that most believe it if their person or party is not in power, but will deny it if their person or party is in power.

Leaders Lying? Here are some examples

Within the last week, a reporter asked Trump, “Do you think blocking humanitarian aid is also effective pressure?”

Trump replied, “Well, you know how I feel about the Gaza Strip. I think it’s an incredible piece of important real estate. The level of destruction on the Gaza Strip is just incredible.”

There is so much to say here, but I will offer only one thought: namely, that, tragically, he seems unable to sympathize with the people of Gaza and the massive suffering they have encountered. Thus, when asked about blocking humanitarian aid, he only considers the beauty of the real estate and what a tremendous opportunity it presents. Even when he refers to the “level of destruction,” he does not refer to the people but the land.

Trump’s next thought reveals a blatant untruth: “I don’t understand why Israel ever gave it up.”

The first untruth: Israel “gave up” the Gaza Strip.

NB: This is either an outright lie or a simple untruth. If this is merely an untruth, it is equally scary because it would demonstrate that Trump has a seriously impoverished understanding of the geopolitical issues. This is Israel-Palestine 201.

Trump continues, “And I’ve said it, I don’t understand why Israel ever gave it up. Israel owned it. It wasn’t this man [referring to Netanyahu, who was sitting next to him]. So I can say it, he wouldn’t have given it up. I know it very well. There’s no way. They took oceanfront property [again, notice his evaluation of the land–quite telling] and gave it to people for peace. How did that work out? Not good. They gave it away for a good intention, and it didn’t work out that way.”

But wait a minute. Israel never “gave this land up.” The land has never been theirs.

The Gaza Strip was designated to the Arabs as part of the 1947 UN Partition Plan (resolution 181). In 1948-49, more Palestinians fled to the Strip as a result of Israel’s expulsion of 750,000 Arabs. In other words, the Gaza Strip was land dedicated to a Palestinian state in 1947, and it became a place of refuge for Palestinians fleeing Israel’s war of 1948.

It is true that, as a result of the 1967 war, Israel became the occupying power. But the Gaza Strip has never been “theirs.”

NB: Ironically, the land known today as the Gaza Strip was never under the control of Israel, including the ancient kingdom of Israel. Neither David nor Solomon ever had control of this land–though there was a brief time during the Hasmonean reign when “Israel” exercised control over the land comprising the Gaza Strip.

Furthermore, Israel certainly didn’t give it up “for peace.” In 2005, Israel withdrew its settlers from Gaza, but not in an effort to secure peace. They did so because it was too difficult and too expensive for them to maintain their presence in the Strip. 

Furthermore, Israel’s “gesture of peace” was widely understood as an opportunity to increase its focus on gaining control of the West Bank. The notion that they gave it up for “good intentions” is precarious at best and downright ludicrous at worst.

NB: settlers are illegal occupants by international law, and were understood by most not as a gesture for peace. It was well known that security concerns for these settlers made maintaining their presence in Gaza untenable.

See my conversation with Greg Khalil. 

Second untruth: “We never locked them in.”

Netanyahu immediately added to Trump’s words, “I think what the President talked about is, first of all, to give people a choice. Gazans were closed in, unlike any other place, including in arenas of battle. I mean, whether it’s Ukraine, or Syria, or any other place, people could leave. Gaza was the only place where they locked them in. We didn’t lock them in.”

WHAT? We didn’t lock them? Then who did?

This is the most incredulous statement I have heard in a long time. This isn’t merely an untruth. It is a flat-out lie. Netanyahu knows it is wrong.

Who does Netanyahu suppose the “they” are that “locked them in”? If Israel did not “lock them in,” then who did?

It is well known that Israel placed a land, sea, and air blockade on the Gaza Strip. It was Israel that built the wall that surrounds the Gaza Strip. It was Israel that placed a blockade of gas, water, food, and other necessities on the Strip immediately after October 7? Who closed all the crossings after the October 7 attack?

Israel did.

Mind you, I have only given two examples. Many more could be cited, but they will have to wait for a future post.

At this point, we need to ask, as my mom taught me, “If Trump and Netanyahu are willing to tell such a bald-faced lie, how can we trust what they say?

NB: If you wish to respond, “But, Rob, this is true of every nationalistic leader.” To which I would reply, “Precisely.”

. . . .

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