Israel-Hamas Thread II

Philip_B said:

One of the things I have some trouble with is the generalisation that all Palestinians are Muslim, given that they are not. There are Palestinian Christians across a range of denominations, including various forms of Orthodox and Anglican Christianity, as well as Samaritans. I will leave the long essays to others.

Click to expand...

What is the percentage weighting of the various religious communities among the ‘Palestinians’ in the Gaza Strip agglomeration?

According to the latest census, more than 1.8 million people live their. According to the UN, around one million people are currently in Gaza City.

According to Wikipedia, the population of Gaza consists mainly of Muslims who follow Sunni Islam, Muslims make up 99% of the population. The Christian population is likely to be negligible. Wikipedia estimates the number of Christians in the Gaza Strip at just 1,000 before Oct 7. Now there are only 650. Yet the Christian community there is older than Islam. In ancient times, Gaza was a thriving Christian landscape, with archaeological remains bearing witness to numerous churches and monasteries. With several hundred members, the Greek Orthodox Church is the oldest and strongest of the three Christian communities in Gaza. The Catholics number 135 members, followed by the Baptists with 25. The followers of the Samaritan religion are estimated to number between 550 and 600 believers, most of whom live in Judea and Samaria, with the rest living in Israel.

Judea and Samaria, with approximately 3.3 million "Palestinian" inhabitants, has roughly one million more residents than Gaza. Children represent about 44% of the total population (41% in Judea/Samaria, and 47% in Gaza Strip). The number of Christians is around 45,000 to 50,000 in Judea and Samaria and Jerusalem combined. This represents approximately 1–2% of the total population of the historical heartland of the Jewish people.

While the US plans a new post-war order for Gaza, Israel's military warns of an old mistake: billions from Qatar could flow not into homes and schools, but once again into the hands of Hamas.

For years, the Gulf emirate was considered Hamas' most important source of funding. Millions in cash, approved by Israel in the hope of buying stability, flowed into the sealed-off territory every month. The result, as we know, was not peace, but a terrorist organization that consolidated its military power until Oct 2023 and plunged Israel into a devastating war.

Following Israel's military victory over Hamas and the ceasefire, Washington worked closely with Arab states to draft a plan for the future of Gaza. The explicit aim of this structure was to exclude Qatar, the state that had financed and provided political cover for Hamas for decades.

Neither Qatar nor Turkey should ever be allowed to regain influence in Gaza. Qatar has fed Hamas with cash, with millions flowing into rockets, tunnel systems, and propaganda.

A glance at western Khan Younis shows that this concern is not unfounded: the orange-red apartment blocks of the “Hamad Quarter”, financed by Qatar after the 2014 war, still stand there, almost undamaged, while the surrounding city lies in ruins.

The army is calling for the flow of money into Gaza to be placed under international control. Without strict supervision, Israeli authorities warn, there is a risk of repeating the mistakes of 2014: billions spent on supposed reconstruction projects that ultimately served to expand Hamas' arsenal.

Qatar and Turkey are ideologically close to the Muslim Brotherhood and protect Hamas. Egypt and the Emirates, on the other hand, see them as a threat. That is the crucial difference that Washington needs to understand.

Washington can talk about the end of the war, Israel celebrates the return of its hostages, and Hamas presents itself as a surviving force. Reconstruction is imminent, but for Jerusalem, the crucial question remains unanswered:

Who will rebuild, and for whom?

After 737 days, Israel can breathe again.

Amidst the chaos of nations, as the world order shifts and, sadly, many countries increasingly turn against Israel, only a few, such as Donald Trump, stand courageously and openly on the side of the Jewish state.

Especially at this time, this moment reminds us of the prophetic words from the Book of Joel:

I will also gather all nations, and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat, and will plead with them there for my people and for my heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations, and parted my land. Joel 3:2

This land does not belong to people, governments, or organizations. It is G-d's land. And He has given it to His people, not for a limited time, but forever. Therefore, any attempt by the nations to weaken Israel politically, territorially, or morally is not a diplomatic process, but a spiritual conflict.

The demand for a two-state solution and the division of the land, these are not neutral decisions, but direct interventions in G-d's plan of salvation.

The prophets have announced it: He will hold the nations accountable, not out of vengeance, but to establish justice. F-r God cannot be mocked. What the world calls a “peace plan” may prove to be a “judgment” in G-d's eyes when it concerns His land.

But in the midst of it all, one promise remains: Israel will endure forever

And I will plant them upon their land, and they shall no more be pulled up out of their land which I have given them, saith the Lord thy G-d. Amos 9:15

Every time Israel seems to be surrounded by darkness, G-d kindles a new light, a sign of His faithfulness and His covenant.

A call to all Christians and concregations:

When we witness such events today, we are not neutral observers, but part of what G-d is doing on earth. We are called to stand with Israel, pray for Israel, and raise our voices where the truth is being silenced.

How Israel reinterprets the term: ceasefire