Land of Paradox

My heart is broken.  I just returned from a trip to Israel and the Palestinian Territories.  Though not my first visit, I am always surprised by the paradox, and not surprised at the intensity of emotion and conflict.  

• Israeli's earn an average wage of $21,000 annually, Palestinians earn an average of $1000.
• Israel's economy is ranked #17 in the world, yet it received the most foreign aid of ANY other country.  Palestine has incredible poverty, and many economic sanctions imposed by Israel.
• Israel exports 10% of the world's military equipment, through a massive defense manufacturing infrastructure.  Palestine is barely permitted to have small arms for it's security forces.
• Evangelical Christians have donated millions of dollars for things like Ambulances to the State of Israel Ministry of Health, the expansion of Jewish settlements in Palestine, and the restoration of archaeological sites as testified by plaques and written tributes all over the country... Palestine makes headlines when human rights activists try to force humanitarian aid through blockades, and it ends up confiscated by Israel.
• Israeli settlements built with public funds by right wing Jewish extremists cut through 1000 year old olive vineyards confiscated by the government and block local Palestinians from commuting to work... Palestinians try to repair or add-on to their family owned homes, and building permits are denied.  When they build anyway, the home is in jeopardy of being bulldozed. source.
• A church in Jerusalem is fire bombed by Israeli terrorists, and it barely makes the news, Palestinians rally at Friday prayers to protest unfair government policies, and it's an international headline.
• Israel as a state is the #17 economy in the world with a "rapidly developing high-tech sector, which is backed by a thriving Venture Capital industry and service sector.  The Israel diamond industry is one of the world's centers for diamond cutting and polishing. It is also a world leader in software development and is a major tourist destination." The economy grew by 8% one recent year, outperforming every other nation on earth.  source.  The Palestinians try to manufacture products and are blocked by Israel from getting raw materials. Unemployment in the Palestinian territories is holding around 25%.
• Jewish immigration, predominantly from the countries of the former USSR, that has brought over one million new citizens to Israel. These new immigrants, many of them highly educated, now constitute some 16% of Israel's 7.5 million population.  Meanwhile Palestinian populations continue to decline, as residents are denied human rights, and homes are bulldozed for new Israeli settlements.

it really is no suprise that the conflict exists.  I have been trying to put this in perspective from a US point of view.  If the US boycotted enterprises owned by African Americans for example, refused to grant them passports, discriminated agaist them in housing, confiscated their their homes and land, refused employment, built walls around their towns, blocked raw materials from their businesses, and the hiring practices of US white companies forbade hiring blacks... or made their wages 2000 percent less, and then Christians, acting in the name of Christ gave money and ambulances in the name of Christ and prayed for the success of the whites... we would just about mirror what is happening in Israel.  In fact, doesn't that sound alot like the US in the 1960's, maybe a bit worse?

But that kind of discrimination would be illegal...  in the US.  Why then does the US, and evangelical Christians as well, enable discrimination by giving more aid and support to Israel than any other nation on earth? Paradox. Let's pray for peace, and take action consistent with those prayers.

Need to learn more?  http://www.ifamericansknew.org/