Israeli Settlers: CT’s Misguided Narratives on the West Bank

Imagine a foreign people moving into Texas and confiscating the land and farms of Texans. I suspect that many Texans would resist. And they would resist with violence.

Yet, when this happens to the Palestinians, somehow, they are the terrorists.

Oh, my bad. I forgot that things are different with the Palestinians. After all, the land belongs to Israel. God said so.

Now, let’s assume that God really said this (NB: I have a book coming out in the next month or two addressing this very question). The question remains as to whether or not Israel can simply take the land by force.

We must also question whether or not the Palestinians have the right to resist.

Now, I don’t support armed resistance. But I also don’t support armed confiscation of land.

NB: There comes a point when many Americans consider what is happening in Israel-Palestine and realize that it is eerily similar to the American narrative. We, too, uprooted the natives (some object to the use of “natives” when it comes to the Palestinians, but the term is appropriate in that they have lived there for some time) and claimed the land as ours by divine right.

CT’s “The Promised Land”

In my last several posts, I have been reviewing the podcast series “The Promised Land” produced by Christianity Today on the present crisis in Gaza.

My concerns over CT’s presentation derive from several factors. Most notably, CT consistently (and almost exclusively) portrays the Palestinians as radical Islamic extremists and the Israelis as peace-loving Jews who want to have a homeland of their own.

A few weeks ago, I noted Cosper’s portrayal of Yehuda Glick, a right-wing extremist in the Israeli government, as a fun, gregarious person, and in doing so, he has overlooked the dangerous actions that Glick has undertaken. Glick may well be a fun guy to hang around with, but his actions on the temple mount will only incite violence.

Then, in my last post, I began discussing Cosper’s interactions with an Israeli settler, Ari Bromovich, and his family.

Now, I am glad that Cosper was able to relate with Ari. He seems like a nice guy, but his views and actions are dangerous.

Instead of seeing the settlements for what they are, namely, illegal and for the danger they represent to any peaceful solution, Cosper represents the Arabs as the aggressors.

So, let me get this straight: if someone were to come to my land and into my home and take it by force (or “peaceably”—as long as “peaceably” recognizes that the IDF is standing ready to protect the settlers should the Palestinians resist), and I resist them, I am the aggressor?

Cosper, however, fails to see the problems. For him, Bromovich is merely living in the land, and his presence is a necessary means of protection for Israel. In fact, according to Cosper, it is the settler who is in danger. There is a conversation about how Bromovich needs a barking dog and how he is installing floodlights. All this suggests that he is the one who is in danger from his neighbors.

Settlers just want peace?

During the conversation, Bromovich relates how he wants to live peacefully with his neighbors. Yet, he also tells another narrative—one that certainly captures the imagination of Cosper’s audience. Bromovich relays how he is preparing for the final battle—one that the prophets have told us about.

Now, even though Bromovich is Jewish and certainly understands this final battle and the fulfillment of the prophets in a manner that does not affirm the Christian understanding, Cosper must know that his listeners are likely sympathizing with Bromovich because many of them also believe that the final battle is coming soon.

This is a serious problem. Cosper is feeding the imagination of many of CT’s listeners who see the conflict between Israel and Hamas from an eschatological lens. In this popular eschatological understanding, the Jewish people represent God’s side, and Hamas (along with Iran) represents the side of the Antichrist.

NB: Cosper and Bromovich regularly refer to Hamas as if Hamas were a threat in the West Bank. Hamas is not in power in the West Bank. Yet, Cosper allows his listeners to associate Palestinians in the West Bank with Hamas. 

Cosper may believe that he is just introducing this settler and his family. He may want us to think that they are just a good family. In many respects, they may well be. Still, Cosper intentionally feeds his audience a narrative that ignores the larger reality of what is happening.

For Cosper, Bromovich and his family represent a typical Jewish family living in the end times. This poor family, however, lives among the hostile forces of the Antichrist as they prepare for the final eschatological battle.

Somehow, Cosper never asks whether or not Bromovich would need a dog that barks and to install flood lights if he didn’t live on land that was stolen.

. . . to be continued

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