Congregation Shema Yisrael

I saw the sun rise over the Mediterranean Sea and set on the Old City of Jerusalem. I touched the stones of the Nativity Church in Bethlehem and drank mint lemonade under the stars in Ramallah. I got the chance to see and hear the stories of Palestinians in Deheisha refugee camp and swim in the cold, cold springs of Bet Ayn, a settlement that has been described as right wing, reactionary and “the hill of the crazy people.” I thought Bet Ayn was beautiful country and some of the places reminded me of the hippie shacks you see in the Black Hills sometimes — people living out of campers, buses, and trailers on rough roads. But that’s not a complete picture either. -Mark K. Tilsen

A few days ago, I read the full blog written by Mr. Tilsen at tankabar.com and was surprised. You might want to click on the link I posted in the last sentence before continuing to read here, so you can see what he said. However, it never, ever occurred to me before, to compare the history and circumstances of Native Americans in the U.S., to the Palestinians in Israel. The thing is though, are they even remotely the same?

The first part that struck me was the introduction to Mr. Tilsen’s blog which states:

Mark K. Tilsen, assistant director of marketing at Native American Natural Foods, went to Israel and Palestine with his 82-year-old grandfather…

Israel and Palestine?

I have to keep reminding myself that, for a significant portion of the world, both “nations” continue to exist. Of course, Palestine is just what the Roman empire renamed the Land of Israel, after they kicked most (but not all) of the Jews out, and after leveling the Temple and razing Jerusalem in 70 C.E. It isn’t the ancient name for Israel, and isn’t what Israel was called before God created the Land and gave it to the Children of Israel (remember Canaan?).

Yet, between 70 C.E. and 1948, that special piece of geography was consistently referred to as “Palestine”. My wife knows an elderly Jewish woman who was born in “Palestine” (pre-1948) and came to the U.S. carrying a Palestinian passport. But that was then (See Wikipedia for a synopsis of the establishment and development of modern Israel). My primary view of Israel is a Biblical one, so I suppose I lack the general political, social, and secular perspective on the matter. I also lack a few other things.

In Irshad Manji’s book The Trouble with Islam: A Muslim’s Call for Reform in Her Faith, she describes her trip to Israel and to the “Occupied Territories” (Gaza and the West Bank) in Chapter 4, “Gates and Girdles”. While Manji’s point of view is somewhat unique respective to Islam, she did successfully give me a perspective on Israel and “Palestine”, that I don’t usually experience. Of course, I’m not a Muslim, so that’s to be expected.

I’m also not Jewish or Israeli, I’m not Native American, either. Ethnically and racially, I think of myself as a “mutt” or “Heinz 57 sauce”. I’m a mix of German and central European peoples, so I can’t really claim a single heritage. I also wasn’t raised in a specific ethnic context beyond “generic” White American, so I’ve got those filters (or blinders) to contend with. I say all this to ask the question that some of you reading this will probably ask: I’m I particularly qualified to discuss all these complex racial, ethnic, geopolitical, and religious issues, if I don’t experience life from those contexts?

Mr. Tilsen is a Native American and also describes himself as “half-Jewish”. I certainly don’t have his view of life or his lived experience. One of Mr. Tilsen’s statements speaks to this:

So often, we get visitors who come to our Rez and, after a week here, feel they know what “those Indians need to do.” I think that comes from a place of privilege and righteousness that is not meant to be hurtful at all, and means well. But, ultimately, it is not very helpful.

I don’t want to write this article “from a place of privilege and righteousness”, but I do have a need to write it. Not to be hurtful, and not to be well meaning but ignorant, but to try and see (and try to help others to see), if we can really view Palestinians with the same eyes as Native Americans in the U.S. Being neither Native American nor Palestinian, I can be accused (probably successfully) of “blowing smoke” or otherwise, not knowing what I’m talking about, but then again, there’s this:

The LORD had said to Abram, “Leave your country, your people and your father’s household and go to the land I will show you. “I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” -Genesis 12:1-3

I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant between me and you and your descendants after you for the generations to come, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you. The whole land of Canaan, where you are now an alien, I will give as an everlasting possession to you and your descendants after you; and I will be their God.” -Genesis 17:7-8

Abraham will surely become a great and powerful nation, and all nations on earth will be blessed through him. For I have chosen him, so that he will direct his children and his household after him to keep the way of the LORD by doing what is right and just, so that the LORD will bring about for Abraham what he has promised him.” -Genesis 18:18-19

God also said to Moses, “I am the LORD. I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob as God Almighty, but by my name the LORD I did not make myself known to them. I also established my covenant with them to give them the land of Canaan, where they lived as aliens. Moreover, I have heard the groaning of the Israelites, whom the Egyptians are enslaving, and I have remembered my covenant. “Therefore, say to the Israelites: ‘I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. I will free you from being slaves to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with mighty acts of judgment. I will take you as my own people, and I will be your God. Then you will know that I am the LORD your God, who brought you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. And I will bring you to the land I swore with uplifted hand to give to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob. I will give it to you as a possession. I am the LORD.’ ” -Exodus 6:2-8

After the death of Moses the servant of the LORD, the LORD said to Joshua son of Nun, Moses’ aide: “Moses my servant is dead. Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give to them – to the Israelites. I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses. Your territory will extend from the desert to Lebanon, and from the great river, the Euphrates – all the Hittite country – to the Great Sea on the west. No one will be able to stand up against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you. Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their forefathers to give them. -Joshua 1:1-6

I could go on and on, but you get the idea. The Biblical references of God giving the Land of Israel to the Jewish people as an “everlasting possession” seem “everlasting”. Yes, I know that Genesis 17:7-8 says “you and your descendants” referring to Abraham, so you could say that Israel also belongs to the descendants of Ishmael (by the Egyptian woman Hagar), and thus to the Arabs as well as the Jews, however, the Torah specifically names Isaac as the “son of promise”, which is why Hagar and Ishmael are ultimately sent away, while Issac remains to be raised by Abraham and Sarah. In turn, Jacob is named as the true inheritor and not Esau, and from Jacob, come the twelve tribes of Israel (see Exodus 6:2-8 above). Like I said, my primary viewpoint of Israel and who “owns” it, is from the Bible as the Word of God. From my perspective, the Word of the Creator of the Universe, trumps politics or political correctness.

All that said, let’s take a look at a few similarities. I won’t go into the historical details in any depth. You can get that from the history books. Let’s just say that, pre-1948, Palestine is under the authority of various factions and nations, the most recent being the British. The primary population of Palestine at that time seems to be Arabs, though there was always a minority Jewish population in the Land. Along comes the end of World War II, the public “discovery” of the Holocaust, and eventually, the U.N.’s establishment of the modern state of Israel. About ten seconds later, every Arab nation in the Middle East declares war on the Jews. Long story short, the Jews beat back the opposition and stand their ground, “occupying” a portion of “Palestine” and “renaming” it Israel. 1967 and 1973 are both wars that the Arab nations started and Israel finished. In both wars, Israel gained additional lands (which Biblically, are part of what God gave the Jews originally). The Jews “occupy” more of Palestine (some of which they’re forced to give back). The “indigenous” people are pushed into refugee camps (call them “reservations”) and are marginalized in what is thought of as their own land. You can certainly start to see parallels forming.

Let’s take a trip into the past, and look at that part of the world we now call the United States of America. Again, I won’t go into the history in any sort of detail since it’s vast, but long story short, once upon a time, a bunch of European Empires discover, and then decide to establish colonies in a new land. Unfortunately for them, that land is already occupied by an indigenous people. Gee, too bad. The nations with more firepower decide to move in and take over. The indigenous people and marginalized and, over a few centuries, moved into reservations (call them “refugee camps”). You can certainly start to see parallels forming.

(Note: Keep in mind that my extremely compressed histories are written a bit tongue-in-cheek. I do not mean any disrespect for the long periods of suffering these sections of time represent).

Wait a minute. They’re not quite the same. Where in the Bible (or any holy book), does it directly say that God promised the United States of America to any of these (former) European Empires (none of them are “empires” today)? Where does it say in the Bible (or any holy book) that any of the people of these (former) European Empires, originally possessed the land at the command of God, were subsequently exiled on a number of occasions for disobeying God’s commands, and were finally exiled for almost 2000 years, with a final promise from God to return them to their land when the time was right? Answer: no where that I know of. However, the Bible does say all that, including the promise of return, about the Jewish people and Israel:

“Return, faithless people,” declares the LORD, “for I am your husband. I will choose you – one from a town and two from a clan – and bring you to Zion. Then I will give you shepherds after my own heart, who will lead you with knowledge and understanding. In those days, when your numbers have increased greatly in the land,” declares the LORD, “men will no longer say, ‘The ark of the covenant of the LORD.’ It will never enter their minds or be remembered; it will not be missed, nor will another one be made. At that time they will call Jerusalem The Throne of the LORD, and all nations will gather in Jerusalem to honor the name of the LORD. No longer will they follow the stubbornness of their evil hearts. In those days the house of Judah will join the house of Israel, and together they will come from a northern land to the land I gave your forefathers as an inheritance. -Jeremiah 3:14-18

If you use the Bible as your litmus test for the truth of God’s intent and promises, then it is overwhelmingly clear that the two-state solution isn’t the “solution” God outlines in the Bible. Of course, not everyone who reads the Bible comes to the same conclusions, and I continue to be amazed at Christian churches who support the establishment of a Palestinian state within the borders of Israel. I honestly don’t see how they can support their positions based on the Bible, but then again, a lot of theologies are currently operationalized in houses of worship that don’t match their ancient holy texts.

Am I being closed-minded, narrow-visioned, and just generally “unfair”? Quite possibly. I found this quote from Mr. Tilsen to be illuminating:

I have no conclusions and the complexities of the issues are profound and startling. The Palestinians I met want one thing, “Do not add or take away, but tell everything you see. Tell our story.” The refrain from the Israelis I met was, “Things are complex. Don’t judge until you understand. There are two sides in every story.” …I feel like Palestine and Israel are battling for moral high ground and whoever is the bigger underdog or victim wins.

I don’t doubt that Mr. Tilsen is more fair in his appraisal of the Israelis and Palestinians than I am. For that matter, Irshad Manji’s comments on the same topic in Chapter 4 of her aforementioned book are more fair as well. Clearly, both Tilsen and Manji are willing to give equal time to Israeli and Palestinian perspectives alike. Why don’t I?

While there are superficial similarities between Native Americans in the U.S. and Palestinians in Israel, the parallels break down very quickly, once you introduce the Bible. That’s really the key factor since, without a Biblical perspective, both situations and circumstances can be viewed only through the lens of politics, race, ethnicity, religion (which is not the same as an Objective God’s will), and the shifting human definitions of justice and right. As a believer who considers the Bible the Word of God, and who doesn’t believe that God changes His mind or goes back on His promises, I see those promises as pointing unerringly at a Jewish Israel. I also see Israel as a unique nation and thus, what happens in Israel in terms of God’s establishment of “citizenship”, cannot reasonably be applied to the United States, or to any other country. Palestinians aren’t the same as Native Americans and vice versa. Both may seem to experience the same struggle, but issues of national ownership are quite different, relative to the Bible.

My “Bible-centric” point of view is also why I don’t see things in quite the same manner as Irshad Manji (though I’m becoming an admirer of her writing). I don’t see a Palestinian “right” to one square inch of Israel. As I said before, the Word of the Creator of the Universe trumps all other words. Of course, if I were an adherer to the Koran and not the Bible, my perspective would be different, but I’m not and it isn’t. As I said in my prior blog The Objective God, everyone has biases, and I have mine. I’m biased towards the Bible and the God of Israel. Why I’m so biased, I can’t explain. A secular person who might be considering a life of spirituality could certainly ask me, why I “selected” the Bible above any other holy writing and faith context, and I’d have a hard time crafting an answer. My response operates as much on a spiritual as a practical level. There are just too many things that “lined up” in my life, that resulted in who I am today and what I believe.

I have a confession to make. I’ve never been to Israel. It’s not that I don’t want to go, but the opportunity has never arisen. In some circles, I suppose I could be criticized, as one might criticize a Muslim who has never made the pilgrimage to Mecca at least once. Is it a sign of lack of faith in God, or lack of support of Israel? Am I talking out of both sides of my mouth? I don’t believe so. When God arranges finances and circumstances for me to go to Israel, I’ll go. Would a trip to Israel change my perspective? Good question.

I can’t say “no”, otherwise, why would I want to go? Part of a life of faith I think, is a desire to see those places that you consider most holy, and let them work their way into you. I’m not Jewish, but I want to stand at the Kotel and pray. I imagine it means as much to me, as it would for a Catholic to visit the Vatican (which I actually have visited), or a Muslim to visit Mecca. I’m sure it would change my perspective. I’m sure if I had the opportunity to walk the streets of Gaza, it would change my perspective, too. I don’t pretend there isn’t suffering, and that the Palestinian people at the level of the man, woman, and child, haven’t been oppressed and put upon, and treated poorly, by both the Palestinian and Israeli authorities. I’m sure I would take from such visits, an experience at least somewhat akin to what Tilsen and Manji describe, but to be mindful of Tilsen’s words, I hope I wouldn’t be arrogant enough to assume such visits would give me complete understanding of what I haven’t lived.

What I don’t anticipate such visits changing, is my faith in God. I don’t believe that visiting Jerusalem or Gaza, would change my commitment to the Bible as the Word of God. While I believe that Israel is a Jewish nation established by God as an “everlasting possession”, the Messiah isn’t here yet. The show is still temporarily being run by human beings, with human biases, and human frailties (see II Kings for examples of how things go when human beings are in charge of Judah and Israel). What’s the solution, then? Prior to Messiah’s return, is there a viable solution? I don’t think so. Is that fatalistic of me, or realistic? Look at the situation. Even within Jewish Israel, there’s no consensus of opinion. Some Jews believe a two-state solution is the only way to lasting peace. Others say the only solution is to abandon the idea of “Palestine”, and any Arab who wants to live in Israel, should become an Israeli citizen within the Jewish state. Like Tilsen’s quote says, “There are two sides in every story”, but only if you don’t factor in God.

In a secular, political, and ethnic sense, you can compare Palestinians to other peoples in somewhat similar circumstances, including Native Americans. In a Biblical sense though, I don’t believe you can. The world has troubles, and those troubles are going to become increasingly worse until the final battle. The Bible speaks of terrible wars and terrific suffering, including in the heart of Jerusalem, before God intervenes and fights the battle Himself. The Book of Revelation describes Messiah leading an army as a conquering King, and coming to establish his throne in Jerusalem. Many of the Rabbis believe there is no Temple on the Temple Mount, because the Messiah has yet to come and build it. That’s the solution I’m looking for. Until then, I’ll continue to stand up for what I believe is right. I can’t turn a blind eye to the suffering of any people group, including the Palestinians, but I have to recognize that it’s human beings that cause that suffering, including Fatah, Hamas, and even including Israel (though it would help a great deal if Hamas would stop firing rockets into Southern Israeli communities, and release captive IDF Soldier Gilad Shalit).

For now, and from a lived, human perspective, this is a geopolitical, ethnic, and religious conflict. Seen that way, there are two sides to every story. Seen from God’s perspective though, there’s only one side and only one story. We must all live within the narrative of the story, but for those who know how to read the book, we can see how it will end.

He will judge between many peoples and will settle disputes for strong nations far and wide. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore. Every man will sit under his own vine and under his own fig tree, and no one will make them afraid, for the LORD Almighty has spoken. -Micah 4:3-4

Afterword: I first became aware of Mark Tilsen’s blog post on tankabar.com when it was posted on twitter by @TankaBar_Jemma. I notified her of my desire to write this article based on the blog, but up to this point, haven’t heard anything back. I want to state that it is not my intent to offend or put off anyone, including Mr. Tilsen, or anyone associated with TankaBar. I also intend no offense to Native Americans or any other people group. While I’m writing on a blog for my congregation, the opinions expressed here are my own. I welcome your feedback.