War In Lebanon

Christianity Today‘s series on the war involving Israel and Hezbollah today features a piece by a Chicago rabbi. He writes on how evangelicals and Jews might listen to each other through reading the Scriptures they share (he quotes several times from the Torah/Pentateuch). He is aware that evangelicals are suffering in Lebanon, though strangely seems unaware of evangelical Zionism, given the tone of his appeal for understanding of Israel’s response not simply to Hezbollah’s recent terrorist actions but their overall threat. He makes implicit comparisons between the call for the annihiliation of Israel with Nazism.

Having said that, I struggle with his idealistic description of Israeli military action. Yes, Israel may have warned people to flee and it certainly is difficult militarily if Hezbollah has ensconced itself in civilian areas (as seems doubtless true). But there is no acknowledgement of the testimony from some injured civilians – that fleeing convoys have been bombed and there is no hope for those without cars to escape.

I found a more balanced condemnation of the evil on all sides here from Jim Wallis. Hezbollah provoked this, but Israel’s response is immoral, as is western ‘diplomacy’.

‘Condemnation’, I said. Perhaps a bad choice of word. But in Gospel terms will there be any hope until there is confession?

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