Newsletter:
Vol. 4. Iss. 1
21 February 2003
Report of Peace Mission to
Israel/Palestine
Gary L. Olin
Our second encounter was with David Parsons, the spokesperson for the International Christian Embassy. David put forth his group’s Christian Zionist rhetoric and Biblical interpretation. Although for David this was not an interpretation. He spoke the obvious and irrevocable truth. Christians have but one mission here at the end times, that is to assist in every way that we can to get all the Jews of the world back to Israel and establish Jerusalem as their capital. David is utterly convinced that Christians are to actively encourage Jews to come back “home.” Christians are to fully support every effort of Israel to claim all the land and then win every Jew to the Lordship of Jesus Christ as the true Messiah. This will usher in the end of time and the final reign of Christ.
We saved the most colorful of the three for last. Hagi Ben Artzi is a fundamentalist Zionist who expounds the philosophy of an earlier Zionist Rabbi Kook. Hagi was most engaging as he held forth. Hebrew scripture is quite clear, he insists. The return of Jews to Israel in the twentieth century is God’s redemption of the land. The course of history is inevitable. Israel is to be established with Jerusalem as its capital. When all Jews have returned, Jerusalem will be the center of the universe and all nations will come to learn there. As for the Palestinians, they are the Biblical Caananites in Hagi’s world and they have three choices. They can live in peace in Israel with human rights, but with no political rights. They can leave, and if they choose this course, Israel will help them go. If the Palestinians choose neither of these, then Israel has no alternative but to drive them out. Hagi is willing to have Christians help Jews return to Israel, but if it is for the purpose of converting Jews to Christianity, the Christians must also go!
Three strong voices. Who to believe?
Gary Olin traveled to Jordan and Israel/Palestine on a fact finding peace mission with the Society for Biblical Studies (SBS) under the leadership of the Rev. Peter Miano, Executive Director of SBS. Dr. Olin is a member of the Society's Board of Directors.
