Understanding the Israel-Hamas War
By Hannah He
Some quick facts to refresh your memory or catch you up on the issue:
Who is Hamas?
Hamas is the ruler of Gaza after violently removing its political rivals in 2007. It wants to establish an Islamic state in place of Israel because it rejects its sovereignty and desires its destruction. The US, EU, UK, Israel, and others consider Hamas a terrorist group.
What happened on October 7, 2023?
Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel from Gaza, killing around 1,200 people, the deadliest in Israeli history. More than 250 people were taken as hostages to Gaza, and children, elderly, and young people died at a music festival. Hamas justifies its actions by citing the crimes Israel committed against Palestinian people.
How has the war unfolded since then?
In order to destroy Hamas and rescue hostages, Israel immediately countered with massive air strikes in Gaza, then followed with land and sea invasions. Operations have spilled over from northern to southern Gaza, where displaced Gazans have fled to for shelter in Rafah.
People who support
Palestine
Neither/Both
Israel
Are likely to be…
(support shifts right as age increases)
Muslims (45% sympathize entirely w/ Palestine)
Democrat
Younger Americans (18-29 year olds)
Examples
Columbia, NYU, CUNY college students
Humanitarian groups
Christians who place emphasis on being peacemakers, agents of healing, value individual lives
Christians who believe that both have rejected Christ and neither can claim a divine right to the land
Examples
Todd Deatherage (co-founder of the Telos Group)
Mennonite Central Committee
Experience Mission
RELEVANT magazine
White evangelical Christians
Republican
Older Americans (50-64 year olds)
Jewish Americans
Examples
Christian Zionist movement (most vocal organized Christian voice)
John Hagee (San Antonio, Texas-based founder of the Christian Zionist organization Christians United for Israel)
Are likely to believe that…
Israel is committing Genocide in Gaza
Hamas has valid reasons for fighting Israel (this belief decreases with age)
44% of Democrats ages 18 to 29 agree
33% or less of Democrats ages 30+ agree
College students are calling for universities to either disclose or divest from companies that are profiting from or facilitating Israel’s war in Gaza (including endowment funds)
I.e. Columbia University
Cease-fire is crucial
Christians should recognize the humanity in all, including both Palestinians and Israelis
Our priority should be to get humanitarian aid to Gaza + lift the blockades
No war is good
Need immediate ceasefire
Both Israel and Hamas have committed war crimes against humanity on or since October 7 (according to UN reports)
Hamas and 6 other Palestinian armed groups are accused of murder, torture, sexual violence, and kidnapping
Israel is accused of using overwhelming force in response to Hamas’s attack that has targeted innocent civilians, resulting in high casualty rates + committing war crimes (starvation, murder, deliberately attacking civilians, forcible transfer sexual violence, cruel treatment)
Overall people sympathize with the PEOPLE, not the GOVERNMENTS of each country
Israel has a right to defend the land God gave them + defeat their long-time enemies
Anything other than pro-Israel is antisemitism
Therefore the college campus demonstrations against Israel’s behavior in Gaza are unacceptable.
“I am also concerned by the large number of people who lean toward peace-forward options for ending the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. That 88 percent believe that lasting peace requires a mutually agreed-upon solution is commendable but out of touch with reality when Hamas is dedicated to the destruction of Israel.”
In general, views on the war look like this:
*Laura Silver, Becka A. Alper. “1. Views of the Israel-Hamas War.” Pew Research Center, Pew Research Center, 21 Mar. 2024, www.pewresearch.org/2024/03/21/views-of-the-israel-hamas-war/.
Because…
Younger generations have only witnessed Israel as an aggressor to Palestine.
There are nearly 24,000 civilians and around 10,000 children dead in Gaza so far.
Israel’s military occupation of the West Bank (not allowed) began long before the Oct 7 Hamas attack.
The House voted on June 12 to block U.S. funding for the reconstruction of Gaza, even after financing most of its destruction.
God created every person in the image of God
Everyone should have a chance at life
Christians are called to be peacemakers (Matthew 5:3-9)
“It really requires us to think outside the binary view that for one side to win the other has to lose. When you reduce it to that binary, you’re missing the fundamental truth that there’s not a good future for anyone there unless there’s a good future for everyone there.”
Older generations have witnessed Israel and Jews fighting to survive in this world throughout history.
Twelve hundred Jewish Israelis died on October 7, and hundreds were kidnapped.
God chose Israel so that all would come to know and worship the one true God.
“Although the whole earth is mine, you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation” (Exodus 19:6).
Romans 13:1-6
So what should Christians do about this?
Understand that Christians everywhere have differing opinions and interpretations of the Bible.
Pray for the leaders of each nation, for the world, and for civilians on both sides.
Prayer is an act of listening.
It is an opportunity to let God speak to you, rather than dumping your burdens onto Him. It creates an environment to hear and identify his voice.
Prayer is an act of transformation and empathy.
It opens our eyes to other perspectives and cultivates a more nuanced judgment. By praying for others, we practice empathy and bring their needs to God.
Prayer is an act of advocacy.
As members of the body of Christ, Christians advocate for one another by praying for one another. Prayer is also a way of partaking in the kingdom of God and engaging with the Holy Spirit.
Share the Gospel.
“As Christians—Jews, non-Jews, and Palestinians—we need to make it clear that the only hope for lasting peace is by becoming followers of Jesus. Gospel proclamation must be our high priority.”
Questions to ponder
Should we care about this war? Wars in general?
Where should it land within our inner circle of responsibility and outer circle of concern?
Should Christians support Israel because it was chosen by God?
Should we/why don’t we talk about this in church?
What does it mean for there to be scriptural support for multiple viewpoints?
Hannah He is a rising freshman at Swarthmore College who plans to major in English and Economics. She aspires to use her writing to glorify God and kickstart important Christ-centered conversations. She also loves to sing opera; serve in her church’s children’s ministry; draw; and have deep, late-night chats with her friends.
Instead of being salt and light in the world (Matthew 5:13-16) we’ve conformed too much to either the Left or the Right, embodying the same flavor as our non-Christian friends and neighbors in each of these camps. Now more than ever it may be time for us to take a step back from the political approach of our parents and grandparents, lest we waste the precious resources and energy God has so generously given us.