N a z a r e t h – Jesus Christ is the only hope for the resolution of the conflict between Palestinians and Jews in Israel. This is the conviction of adherents of the reconciliation movement Musalaha (Arabic for reconciliation), which Christian Palestinians and Messianic Jews in the country support together. Before the 140 delegates of the Council of the European Baptist Federation (EBF), meeting in Nazareth, the founder and leader of Musalaha, Salim J. Munayer (Jerusalem) called for a “theology of reconciliation”, since reconciliation is the central theme of the Christian faith. The command of Jesus to love one’s enemies, and the call of the Apostle Paul, to live at peace with everyone (Romans 12:18) remain relevant today. In particular, Christian Palestinians in Israel suffer under double discrimination. They are frequently discriminated against by the Jewish majority and also by Muslims, both because of their ethnicity and because of their faith: “How can a blond Jew who has just immigrated here from Russia say to me that the land belongs to him, when it has already been in possession of my family for ten generations?” It is all the more important to overcome racial boundaries, cultural differences and differing religious views and to live with one another in peace. Munayer criticized the theological view that there is a second way for Jews to be saved, outside of Jesus Christ, and also the Palestinian liberation theology which gives Palestinians the right to resist. “If my theology is not a source of blessing for my enemies, then there is a problem.” According to Munayer, there is no Biblical support for the unconditional and uncritical support of the state of Israel of many Christians in the western world.

Hopelessness leads to suicide

Pastor Evan Thomas (Netanja), a Messianic Jew and chairman of the board of trustees of Musalaha, explained that the stand-still in the peace process between Jews and Palestinians, along with the resulting hopelessness, is the main reason for a high suicide rate among young people in the Holy Land. About 400 people take their own lives each year, and that number is rising. For this reason, the reconciliation service of Musalaha is so important. According to what Thomas said, about 3,000 people take advantage of various offerings, including retreats in the desert where Jews and Palestinians learn that they can only survive there if they work together, children’s camps, women’s meetings, and evangelistic actions. As Thomas further informed the EBPS, the movement, founded in 1990, is finding growing support among Jewish academics, as well as Muslim leaders. In Israel, about 15,000 Messianic Jews and 10,000 evangelical Palestinians live outside of the West Bank.