Why I think this won’t end well for Gaza

Will the present ceasefire lead to a lasting, just peace?

My opinion, in a word, “No.”

NB: I addressed this question and more in a brief YouTube video.

Why not? Well, there are many reasons, which I suppose space wouldn’t offer us the opportunity to explore them all.

I may center on just one. And let me illustrate it with a lesson from the Solomon story.

In 1 Kings 3-4, the Lord allows Solomon to “Ask what you wish me to give you” (1 Kings 3:5). Solomon, as you may well know, asks for “an understanding heart” [wisdom] (1 Kings 3:9). The Lord, of course, declares that because Solomon asked for wisdom, He will grant him riches as well (1 Kings 3:13).

Now, too often, Christians look at this story and conclude that riches and honor are necessarily a blessing from God. The careful reader of 1 Kings, however, knows better.

After all, in the opening verses of 1 Kings 3, the author sets the stage for what we should expect. This story will not turn out well.

First, the author informs us that Solomon arranged a marriage for himself with the daughter of Pharaoh. The reader, of course, knows: The OT law explicitly forbids marriages with foreigners (Deut 7:3-4; Exod 34:15-16; Ezra 9:1-2), and Solomon was exceptionally well known for breaching this command,

“Now King Solomon loved many foreign women . . . from the nations concerning which the LORD had said to the sons of Israel, ‘You shall not associate with them, nor shall they associate with you, for they will surely turn your heart away after their gods.”. . . He had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines, and his wives turned his heart away (1 Kings 11:1–3; Neh 13:25-27).

Second, the author of 1 Kings also notes, “Solomon loved the LORD, walking in the statutes of his father David, except he sacrificed and burned incense on the high places” (1 Kings 3:3).

As we proceed through the Solomon story, we learn that Solomon took his wisdom and riches and combined them with his great power.

The tragic results fell on the people of Israel: Solomon conscripted large numbers of Israelites and foreigners into forced labor to complete his plethora of building campaigns (see 1 Kings 4:6; 5:13–15; 9:15, 20–22). “Your father made our yoke hard; now therefore lighten the hard service of your father and his heavy yoke which he put on us, and we will serve you (1 Kings 12:4).

Solomon, in other words, became the new Pharaoh.

What happened?

Solomon got wisdom. He had riches. What else did he need/want?

The problem is that he had unrestrained power, and he utilized his profound wisdom to manipulate those around him so that he might gain more.

As the saying goes, “Power corrupts. And absolute power corrupts absolutely.

The problem was his power.

Now, imagine what unrestrained power might do for someone without the wisdom of Solomon?

What I do not understand with respect to the political landscape within much of the Christian community is the lack of willingness to critique those in power. It is as though secular leaders are immune to the ways of Solomon.

The irony is that Christianity emphasizes the sinfulness of humanity. Paul even warns about the danger of wealth, calling the love of money “a root of all sorts of evil” (1 Tim 6:10).

Why, then, do Christians not stress the need for checks on power—whether it be in a church, business, or in the political arena?

What does this have to do with the promise of peace in Israel-Palestine?

NB: We will discuss the situation in Gaza and the prospects of a lasting peace with Yousef Alkhouri on Wed, Oct 22, at 8:00 am EST.

Then, later that same day (Wed, Oct 22, 8:00 pm EST), we will discuss the prospects of peace with International legal expert Jonathan Kuttab.  

Everything. I remain highly skeptical that a lasting peace is on the horizon when Benjamin Netanyahu has almost the unrestrained support of the US. The consequences of this power for the people of Gaza and the West Bank have been evident for years.

NB: Sure, he has the concerns of the international community, but even then, this has hardly posed a problem for him. Shortly into the assault on Gaza, the ICJ concluded that he was on the path toward Genocide and that clearly had an effect on Israel and the US’s actions in Gaza or the West Bank.  

It is simply dangerous to give unrestrained power to anyone. It is even more dangerous when the head of a nuclear power has it.

So, why do I think that the present ceasefire will not provide a lasting peace?

NB: This video (15 mins), which was produced by Bethlehem Bible College, is one of the most powerful exhortations/rebukes/prophetic charges to the Western Church I have ever seen.

Because Netanyahu has no reason or desire to secure it.

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