The “Peace Process” is dead and no one is mourning - but where do we go from here? Politicians wring their hands, heads of state pout and point the finger of blame at Israel. Meanwhile our Israeli leaders try every politically correct way to explain why we have a right to be here. We’ve heard history lessons ad nauseam, seen glowing reports of wondrous Israeli inventions showing how important we are for the world, what an island of democracy we are in a sea of totalitarianism, etc., etc.

What the talking heads ignore or are too embarrassed to say for fear of sounding provincial or parochial or even, heaven forbid, “religious” is that we’re here for one reason - God said so. That would be the one God - the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob - not Allah or anything else that passes itself off as a deity. Our God promised the Land of Israel to the Jewish people whom He would regather from the ends of the earth, not because we’re better than anyone else and not even because we deserve it. Simply put, when God speaks He fulfills His word.

Were our leaders to truly believe the scriptures rather than consider them no more than “sacred literature” or communal history/mythology, they would act very differently. An example of this type of faith-based action is the well-known battle between the boy David and the giant Goliath. The young shepherd, armed only with a sling and some smooth stones came against the seasoned warrior who had been terrorizing Israel’s army and their leaders for a long time. Today’s UN, EU and the Obama administration would have assessed the stand-off and insisted on everyone sitting down at the negotiating table and talking out their differences. It wouldn’t have worked then and it won’t work now.

The giant mocked David (just like the Muslim world is mocking Israel today):  “Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks?” And the Philistine cursed David by his gods (nothing much has changed - their gods just changed their names - to Allah - but the cursing continues).  David’s response (I wish this were Israel’s response today):  “You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin (a bomb?). But I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the LORD will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you and take your head from you.” ….. Then all this assembly shall know that the LORD does not save with sword and spear; for the battle is the LORD’S, and He will give you into our hands.” (1Samuel 17)

Never fear, I’m not advocating beheadings - only Muslims do that. What I am saying is that we must not be ashamed of our Scriptural heritage in the land of Israel. How to flesh this out in political terms I have no idea and there surely won’t be a total solution until Messiah returns and rules from Jerusalem. However, when we’re called upon as citizens of democratic nations to choose our leaders let us look for people like those who surrounded David before he became the second king of Israel…

From the tribe of Issachar, there were 200 leaders ... All these men understood the signs of the times and knew the best course for Israel to take. (1 Chronicles 12:32 - NLT-SE)

May God give us leaders with spiritual discernment and moral fortitude both here in Israel and in America.