No Longer Blind

Before I came here five months ago, it would be safe to say that I was a blind supporter of Israel. Anything they did, I would support, and I would vocally defend them in all their actions and endeavors. Any atrocities or mistakes that they would make I would put into "quotes" to show my contempt for people who condemned Israel. My constant refrain was "We have no idea what it's like living in Israel and dealing with the things they deal with on a daily basis, so how dare we criticize them?" This statement still holds true, and I will still say it. However, over the course of the last several months, I've made the obvious discovery that Israel isn't perfect. While they are incredibly unique and are blessed with an amazing military, citizenry, government, and the One True God, the fact remains that Israel makes mistakes just like every other country. Are these mistakes magnified by our media and the international community to the point of the ridiculous? Yes. Does that change the fact that Israel makes mistakes and isn't perfect? No. Israel is not perfect, and they have black marks on their record just like every other country on Earth. One of these is the Sabra and Shatila massacres, where Israel stood by and watched while their Lebanese Christian allies entered Palestinian camps and slaughtered hundreds of men, women, and children during the First Lebanon War. Ariel Sharon, the Defense Minister at the time, knew about the intent of the Christian forces in advance, but did nothing to stop it. The old me would point to the countless acts of butchery and terrorism committed by Palestinians against Israelis as justification for this. While it is true that the Palestinians have been far more guilty of committing acts of terror than the Israelis have, it does not change the fact that this massacre was wrong, and Israel should have stopped it. Another area of blindness for me before coming here were the Palestinians themselves. Before coming, I looked on the Palestinians with suspicion, remembering the video of Palestinians dancing in the streets in Ramallah, Jericho, Hebron, and other cities in the West Bank in the aftermath of 9/11. I would point to 1948, where the Jews accepted partition of Palestine but the Palestinians did not, as justification for denying them a state. I would say things along the lines of "They had their chance, and they threw it away." This statement is true: the Palestinians did have a chance for a state in 1948, and many chances afterwards, but every chance they have received over the years has been rejected. The old saying "The Palestinians never miss an opportunity to miss an opportunity" is absolutely true. That being said, however, this semester has opened my eyes to the Palestinian side of the conflict. It helped that I took a Palestinian History course taught by a Palestinian. Over the last five months, I've learned another simple truth: the Palestinians are people too, and regardless of their history, they deserve to be treated like human beings. Does this mean that they deserve a state in the West Bank? I don't know. Does this mean that their demands for Jerusalem should be accepted? No. I don't know what should happen, and I don't have any answers for a solution to this conflict. What I have learned here, however, is that the status quo isn't sustainable; something needs to be done. As a Christian, I can no longer turn a blind eye to the massive human suffering of millions of people in the West Bank, especially when the vast majority of them are decent individuals. What does this new outlook on life mean for my view of Israel? I still support them. I am as close as a Gentile Christian can get to being a Zionist: I believe that Israel has a right to exist, to defend itself, and to live in security and peace with its neighbors, and I believe that that "security and peace" should be on its own terms. I believe that the Jewish People are the Chosen People of God, and that He has preordained their return to and defense of this land. I believe that the Jewish People have a Biblical right to the land of Israel, and I believe that they will never ever be separated from it again. I believe that Jerusalem is the eternal and undivided capital of the State of Israel. I believe that the continued existence of Israel is a modern miracle, and that Israel shall never be destroyed. I will go home as strong a supporter of Israel as I was when I came here, but this time I will acknowledge that Israel is not perfect, and that they have made mistakes. At the end of the day, however, I support the People of God, because "He who blesses you I will bless, and he who curses you I will curse."