The Israel Government today approved the construction of a further 900 homes in the settlement of Gilo in East Jerusalem. This is land occupied during the 1967 conflict, and deemed illegal under international law. This is another blow to any hopes of Israeli-Palestinian talks any time soon. Any prospect of a two-State solution in the Middle East
is more distant than ever. And as for peace in the wider region, dream on!
The BBC reports that the US Government is ‘dismayed’, not least because it had made a personal plea for the construction to be halted. Others will simply say ‘no surprise there’ and wonder that anyone could have been optimistic after so many false dawns.
But the difference this time is not that the Israeli leadership views things differently – Benjamin Netanyahu is a hawk if ever there was one – but the American leadership certainly does. President Obama was, and remains, a breath of fresh air when it comes to seeing old problems differently. So this is a calculated act of defiance that changes the game.
Israel will not have taken this step unless it felt Obama was somehow weakened. Look across the Atlantic for the evidence. Netanyahu will be buoyed by the dip in the polls back in the States that show Obama has lost the early air of invincibility. And we can be sure that Netanyahu is in contact with right-wing Republicans who sense Obama's fallibility and believe he can be defeated, even in three years time.
What has this to do with mission? Well, if mission aims to bring about the Kingdom of God on earth, that Kingdom will be a place of justice. Any by any account, the plight of the Palestinians is the fruit of injustice. The Palestinians leadership have not been righteous in all their affairs – far from it. And as a result Israel has legitimate concerns for its safety, not least from Iran and Syria, who sponsor Hamas and Hezbollah, Israel’s sworn enemies.
As always, what is needed is for men and women of courage to break the cycle of hatred and violence. Leadership is nothing if it is not courageous.
Will Netanyahu find the courage to go for peace? Will Obama have the courage to call his bluff?
David Kerrigan
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