Palestine or Israel?

As news of the Palestinian elections unfolded, I initially felt a sense of dread and sadness. How could the average voter choose a violent, militant leadership? Even in the face of decades of corruption, it seemed ridiculous! Then I began to think about it this way. If I were a mother in Palestine, what would my life be like and how would I vote? To begin with, I guess I'd be grateful if I were allowed to vote at all! Women do not have a whole lot of standing or influence in Palestinian society. Having been raised in a "refugee camp" without decent schools or medicines, I'm probably not very well educated. My political decisions would be based on a very narrow set of factors -- how my husband told me to vote and what I heard through neighborhood gossip. I can't read for myself beyond the most basic words. My biggest concern is how I will feed my family today, and neighborhood gossip says that my husband can't find work because of the Israelis. It says that it's because of them that I can't get medicines when my kids have ear aches. It says that it's because of them that my kids can't go to school. So how would I vote? For the guy that says he going to make "them" go away! Am I right? Have I thought it through? Probably not. I don't care about it anyway. I just want my kids to have a better life than I do. Americans sit down hard in their chairs, scratch their heads, and say, "How did that happen? How could they vote for Hamas?" I contend that it was a desperate attempt to make things better or to change what is, not necessarily to eradicate a race. For years, I have been guilty of looking at the "Palestinian situation" and thinking that after almost 50 years, no one should be living in "camps" and that they should have simply moved on. But realistically, how do you do that when you have no education and don't know where to turn? How do you do that when your whole life, from your cradle to now, has been a string of blaming the Jews for your poverty and your misery? Is it right? Of course not! But no one has taught me anything else. You can't read or understand the newspapers. You don't understand that these Jews think that they should live on Grandpa's land because they think they've got a covenant with Almighty God. You just want it to change!

As an American, I look at the middle east and root for the Jews. They returned to the land promised to their fathers, just as the prophets said they would. But here is where they made the mistake: after centuries of persecution, they returned with a 'you don't bother me, I won't bother you' mentality. They have tried desperately to work out a diplomatic, negotiated solution. But God didn't tell them to do that. When he told Joshua to take the land, He told him to kill and destroy all who were there. God told them not to allow anyone to live. In today's "civilized" world, we think that's simply horrible -- but it's God's command and decree for the Jews to live in Israel.

As the prophets also foretold, it will never end until the world ends. When Jesus returns and sets things right, then it will end. Will Hamas kill Jews until then? Of course. And the Jews will return their attacks in kind. Our only hope now is, as it has always been, Jesus Christ. I pray that He comes soon!