![\"\"](\"https:\/\/wp-media.patheos.com\/blogs\/sites\/1298\/2024\/09\/Gaza.children-8094956_1280-scaled.jpg\")
The West Bank is under siege by Israel<\/strong><\/h2>\nWith all the attention on the war on Gaza, extremists within the Israeli government have seized the opportunity to intensify the oppression of the Palestinians in the West Bank. And things are beyond \u201cout of control.\u201d In fact, I fear that it will soon be too late if we do not speak up now.<\/p>\n
Now, you might say that this is an overreaction. But I dare say that the events of the past 11 months have shown that it is anything but.<\/p>\n
It is time that we ask, \u201cHave Israel\u2019s recent activities in the West Bank validated Palestinians\u2019 fears? Or, perhaps we should ask, \u201cIs Israel on the path of complete ethnic cleansing of all Palestinians? <\/strong><\/p>\nTorn between two narratives<\/strong><\/h2>\nWhen the terror attacks of October 7, 2023, happened, many American evangelicals were quick to affirm that Israel has the right and even the moral responsibility both to defend itself and to destroy Hamas.<\/p>\n
Of course, we might inquire as to whether or not the Palestinians deserve the same rights. Do they not also have the right to self-defense?<\/p>\n
NB: Now, it should be noted that I have condemned Hamas\u2019 attack on October 7\u2014particularly because they killed, injured, and kidnapped civilians.<\/em><\/p>\nWhy, then, do the Palestinians not have the right to defend themselves and their land?<\/p>\n
NB: International law affirms that an occupied people have the right to armed resistance against their occupiers. <\/em><\/p>\nThe Pianist<\/em><\/strong><\/h2>\nI recently watched the powerful movie The Pianist<\/em>, which followed the life of a Jewish man in Warsaw during the time of the German occupation and the establishment of the Warsaw Ghetto. I was struck by some of the parallels between the ghettoization of the Jews and what the Palestinians are facing today.<\/p>\nNow, I realize that this is an argument one has not been allowed to make for most of the years of this conflict. After all, the Warsaw ghetto led to the gas chambers.<\/p>\n
Now, there is no doubt that the Holocaust was one of the greatest crimes against humanity the world has ever seen. And I am in no way making such a comparison.<\/p>\n
What I am trying to say is that the present oppression of the Palestinians, both in Gaza and now in the West Bank, is eerily similar to what the Germans did in the late 1930\u2019s.<\/p>\n
The reason for making this assertion is that we want to draw attention to what is happening in Gaza and the West Bank now so that it does not lead to the complete genocide of the Palestinians.<\/p>\n
Oppression of the Palestinians<\/strong><\/h2>\nThe fact is that the Palestinians have lived under an oppressive occupation for 58+ years. Over six decades, the state of Israel has systematically confiscated more and more Palestinian lands, which has forced Palestinians into smaller and smaller enclaves.<\/p>\n
Israel has since built illegal settlements on said lands to the extent that there are now 750,000 Israelis living in the West Bank.<\/p>\n
Instead of detailing the oppression and the terror that the Palestinians in the West Bank are facing, I encourage you to watch our latest livestream, \u201cUnder Siege: Voices from the West Bank Amidst Gaza\u2019s Shadows<\/a><\/em>.\u201d In this livestream, we interviewed Mercy Aiken, who just returned from the West Bank and reported her experiences. Note:<\/strong> This livestream is not meant for children (which alone tells you the horrors that the Palestinians are facing).<\/p>\nWhat if we don\u2019t speak up, and when we finally do, it is too late?<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
Our goal is to keep these posts free of charge. I do not intend ever to hide them behind a paywall. I can only do this if those of you who have been blessed by them and can afford to give ($5, $10, $25, or more\/month) do so. You can give a tax-deductible contribution by following this link<\/span><\/a>.<\/b><\/p>\nPlease share this post and let others know about determinetruth<\/p>\n
If you wish to view this blog on your smartphone through the Determinetruth app <\/b>download the \u201ctithe.ly<\/span><\/a> church\u201d app and insert \u201cdeterminetruth\u201d as the church name of the church you wish to follow. Once it is loaded, click on the \u201cblog\u201d icon, and it will automatically load.<\/p>\n
Torn between two narratives<\/strong><\/h2>\nWhen the terror attacks of October 7, 2023, happened, many American evangelicals were quick to affirm that Israel has the right and even the moral responsibility both to defend itself and to destroy Hamas.<\/p>\n
Of course, we might inquire as to whether or not the Palestinians deserve the same rights. Do they not also have the right to self-defense?<\/p>\n
NB: Now, it should be noted that I have condemned Hamas\u2019 attack on October 7\u2014particularly because they killed, injured, and kidnapped civilians.<\/em><\/p>\nWhy, then, do the Palestinians not have the right to defend themselves and their land?<\/p>\n
NB: International law affirms that an occupied people have the right to armed resistance against their occupiers. <\/em><\/p>\nThe Pianist<\/em><\/strong><\/h2>\nI recently watched the powerful movie The Pianist<\/em>, which followed the life of a Jewish man in Warsaw during the time of the German occupation and the establishment of the Warsaw Ghetto. I was struck by some of the parallels between the ghettoization of the Jews and what the Palestinians are facing today.<\/p>\nNow, I realize that this is an argument one has not been allowed to make for most of the years of this conflict. After all, the Warsaw ghetto led to the gas chambers.<\/p>\n
Now, there is no doubt that the Holocaust was one of the greatest crimes against humanity the world has ever seen. And I am in no way making such a comparison.<\/p>\n
What I am trying to say is that the present oppression of the Palestinians, both in Gaza and now in the West Bank, is eerily similar to what the Germans did in the late 1930\u2019s.<\/p>\n
The reason for making this assertion is that we want to draw attention to what is happening in Gaza and the West Bank now so that it does not lead to the complete genocide of the Palestinians.<\/p>\n
Oppression of the Palestinians<\/strong><\/h2>\nThe fact is that the Palestinians have lived under an oppressive occupation for 58+ years. Over six decades, the state of Israel has systematically confiscated more and more Palestinian lands, which has forced Palestinians into smaller and smaller enclaves.<\/p>\n
Israel has since built illegal settlements on said lands to the extent that there are now 750,000 Israelis living in the West Bank.<\/p>\n
Instead of detailing the oppression and the terror that the Palestinians in the West Bank are facing, I encourage you to watch our latest livestream, \u201cUnder Siege: Voices from the West Bank Amidst Gaza\u2019s Shadows<\/a><\/em>.\u201d In this livestream, we interviewed Mercy Aiken, who just returned from the West Bank and reported her experiences. Note:<\/strong> This livestream is not meant for children (which alone tells you the horrors that the Palestinians are facing).<\/p>\nWhat if we don\u2019t speak up, and when we finally do, it is too late?<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
Our goal is to keep these posts free of charge. I do not intend ever to hide them behind a paywall. I can only do this if those of you who have been blessed by them and can afford to give ($5, $10, $25, or more\/month) do so. You can give a tax-deductible contribution by following this link<\/span><\/a>.<\/b><\/p>\nPlease share this post and let others know about determinetruth<\/p>\n
If you wish to view this blog on your smartphone through the Determinetruth app <\/b>download the \u201ctithe.ly<\/span><\/a> church\u201d app and insert \u201cdeterminetruth\u201d as the church name of the church you wish to follow. Once it is loaded, click on the \u201cblog\u201d icon, and it will automatically load.<\/p>\n
Why, then, do the Palestinians not have the right to defend themselves and their land?<\/p>\n
NB: International law affirms that an occupied people have the right to armed resistance against their occupiers. <\/em><\/p>\n I recently watched the powerful movie The Pianist<\/em>, which followed the life of a Jewish man in Warsaw during the time of the German occupation and the establishment of the Warsaw Ghetto. I was struck by some of the parallels between the ghettoization of the Jews and what the Palestinians are facing today.<\/p>\n Now, I realize that this is an argument one has not been allowed to make for most of the years of this conflict. After all, the Warsaw ghetto led to the gas chambers.<\/p>\n Now, there is no doubt that the Holocaust was one of the greatest crimes against humanity the world has ever seen. And I am in no way making such a comparison.<\/p>\n What I am trying to say is that the present oppression of the Palestinians, both in Gaza and now in the West Bank, is eerily similar to what the Germans did in the late 1930\u2019s.<\/p>\n The reason for making this assertion is that we want to draw attention to what is happening in Gaza and the West Bank now so that it does not lead to the complete genocide of the Palestinians.<\/p>\n The fact is that the Palestinians have lived under an oppressive occupation for 58+ years. Over six decades, the state of Israel has systematically confiscated more and more Palestinian lands, which has forced Palestinians into smaller and smaller enclaves.<\/p>\n Israel has since built illegal settlements on said lands to the extent that there are now 750,000 Israelis living in the West Bank.<\/p>\n Instead of detailing the oppression and the terror that the Palestinians in the West Bank are facing, I encourage you to watch our latest livestream, \u201cUnder Siege: Voices from the West Bank Amidst Gaza\u2019s Shadows<\/a><\/em>.\u201d In this livestream, we interviewed Mercy Aiken, who just returned from the West Bank and reported her experiences. Note:<\/strong> This livestream is not meant for children (which alone tells you the horrors that the Palestinians are facing).<\/p>\n What if we don\u2019t speak up, and when we finally do, it is too late?<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Our goal is to keep these posts free of charge. I do not intend ever to hide them behind a paywall. I can only do this if those of you who have been blessed by them and can afford to give ($5, $10, $25, or more\/month) do so. You can give a tax-deductible contribution by following this link<\/span><\/a>.<\/b><\/p>\n Please share this post and let others know about determinetruth<\/p>\n If you wish to view this blog on your smartphone through the Determinetruth app <\/b>download the \u201ctithe.ly<\/span><\/a> church\u201d app and insert \u201cdeterminetruth\u201d as the church name of the church you wish to follow. Once it is loaded, click on the \u201cblog\u201d icon, and it will automatically load.<\/p>\nThe Pianist<\/em><\/strong><\/h2>\n
Oppression of the Palestinians<\/strong><\/h2>\n