Arab World Ministries, based in Loughborough, said: ‘Let us pray for a lasting peace to this ongoing conflict. May the God of justice and peace protect the vulnerable, oppose those who seek to do evil, and bring righteousness. May all involved follow in the ways of the Prince of Peace.’
Christian TV station SAT-7 CEO Ri-ta El-Mounayer commented: ‘We are deeply shocked and grieved by the events we are witnessing in the Holy Land. We can barely comprehend the pain, horror, and loss that young and old alike are suffering. Our hearts go out to all those caught up in the fighting, especially to those whose lives have already been changed forever, by the loss of loved ones, or by injury and trauma.
‘One mother contacted our viewer support team from Palestine to say: “My children and I locked ourselves in our home, trembling at rocket sounds but finding peace in prayer and trusting in God’s love and protection. Please pray for us, SAT-7. We are having constant online prayer meetings to stay united and comforted”.’
The Anglican Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem runs the al-Ahli Arab hospital in Gaza. Its director, Suhaila Tarazi, has issued an emergency appeal.
At least one Messianic Jew has been killed in the violence, US magazine Christianity Today reported. It stated: ‘David Ratner was called a war hero by his commander, saving the lives of five fellow soldiers as their post was stormed by 400 Hamas fighters. Shot in the neck, he continued in combat for the next eight hours.’
It also quoted Eli Birnbaum, a branch director of Jews for Jesus in Israel. ‘The level of hatred and evil displayed in these acts is truly shocking,’ he said speaking of Hamas terrorists’ brutal massacres in Israel. ‘It is unlike anything we have seen in decades and has deeply shaken the population.’
The magazine added: ‘He challenged Israelis to seek justice without vengeance. And he asked everyone to remain genuinely concerned for Jew and Palestinian alike – while praying for Gaza and its liberation from Hamas. “What can we do to represent the Lord as our nation is in crisis?” he asked. “Please pray for us, that we choose wisely how to shine his light in a very dark place right now”.’
Christianity Today also spoke to Hanna Massad, a former pastor of Gaza Baptist Church now living in the USA. He described Gaza as ‘a big prison… And usually every visit finds things a little worse than before.’ He also said of the Palestinians: ‘We are not treated with common dignity, but according to the document we carry.’
And it reported: ‘Palestinian evangelicals have volunteered to help. The Convention of Evangelical Churches in Israel announced that any displaced Messianic believer is welcome to stay with its member families. “What can we as Arab Palestinian Christian citizens of Israel provide in a time like this?” the convention’s chairman, Botrus Mansour, preached at his church in Nazareth. “The answer is Jesus”.’
Meanwhile, an Arab evangelical scholar, whose name was not given in order to protect his identity, wrote on the US-based Baptist Standard website: ‘As Arab Evangelicals we understand the issues at the core of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict are multifaceted and encompass historical, religious and socio-political dimensions. We firmly believe true and lasting peace will fully materialize only when the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6) returns.
‘Today, our prayers as Arab Evangelicals encompass two vital aspects – praying for an end to the war and for the spread of the gospel.’
