During a brief humanitarian truce this week, some 1,000 Palestinians, almost all of them Muslims, left their homes and sought refuge in one of the only two churches in Gaza. (CBN)
Israeli military leaders say they hit 45 terror sites in Gaza overnight Thursday, including a Hamas command post. Israeli aircraft also killed a senior Islamic Jihad leader and two of his sons. And Palestinian sources say Israeli ground troops and Hamas gunmen fought intense battles in the north and center of the Gaza Strip. Meanwhile, with fighting in its 18th day, another pause for humanitarian aid may be on the horizon.
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Donald Trump s Jerusalem decision dampens Christmas celebrations
Donald Trump s Jerusalem decision dampens Christmas celebrations
Michael Kumsiyeh, A Souvenir Shop Owner In The Manger Square, Squarely Blamed President Trump For The Doom And Gloom. PTI | Updated on: 25 Dec 2017, 08:42:08 PM
Bethlehem/Jerusalem:
US President Donald Trump’s recent decision to declare Jerusalem as Israel’s capital has taken joy out of Christmas for the people in the holy land who witnessed a low key celebration today with thousands of tourists choosing to stay away from festivities.
The Manger Square, where tourists and locals generally jostle for space before the midnight mass, looked forlorn with signs of despair visible on the faces of sellers and street vendors.
Israel began the most recent bout of violence against the Palestinians after its courts ruled that Palestinian civilians should be forcibly expelled from their homes in East Jerusalem’s Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood in order to increase the Jewish presence in the occupied city. Palestinian Christians and Muslims protesting against the imminent evictions were last month attacked
In an op-ed for the
Washington Post, Gergory Khalil has called for evangelical Christians to rethink their âreflexiveâ support of Israel. Not only is Khalilâs call misguided, it also presents a caricatured (and even distorted) picture of evangelical support for Israel, also misrepresenting the history of âChristian Zionism.â
Michael Brown holds a Ph.D. in Near Eastern Languages and Literatures from New York University and has served as a professor at a number of seminaries. He is the author of 25 books and hosts the nationally syndicated, daily talk radio show, the Line of Fire.
As for Khalilâs call being misguided, why should the most recent terrorist attacks against Israel cause evangelicals to support Israel less? Why should a murderous assault on Israeli citizens, including children and women, lessen our sense of solidarity with the Jewish people and Jewish state? And, if this support is ultimately grounded in Scripture, why would current events