Understanding the Israel-Gaza conflict as Trump admin introduces peace plan
For many Christians in America, supporting Israel has always been expected, but as debate remains heated on the subject, the Bible is clear about pursuing peace
Opinion-editorial by Summer Lane | September 29, 2025
For many, the State of Israel is a distant thought – a nation separated from the United States by many thousands of miles.
It is a small country, barely bigger than the state of New Jersey. And yet, tremendous global conflict constantly festers at the edges of Israel’s borders. The word “Israel” stirs up strong emotions for some. Throughout history, the Israeli people, also known as the Jewish people, have been targeted for discrimination and even genocide.
It seems unbelievable that such a tiny country – and a small slice of the world’s population – is at the center of so much global hatred, and yet, that is where the world has arrived at this moment.
In the wake of a Hamas terrorist invasion into Israel on October 7, 2023, nations across the globe slowly began to pick a side – Gaza and its claim to Palestinian sovereignty, or Israel and its claim to self-defense.
There is robust debate about each of these positions on both sides of the aisle. But in recent months, the debate has become more contentious, and the insults have flown more virulently.
Pro-Palestinian protestors have openly chanted phrases that demand Israeli extermination, and many nations of the world oppose Israel’s ongoing defensive attacks against Gaza, arguing that the Holy Land is exacting a genocide against the self-proclaimed Palestinian people.
France and the United Kingdom, for example, have both chosen to formally recognize the statehood of Palestine, although the United States has objected to this due to the authority’s close association with terrorism and anti-Semitism.
And now, as popular conservative media figures like Candace Owens have turned the term “Zionist” – someone who supports the protection and development of Israel – into a dirty word, the chaotic noise on this issue has reached a fever pitch.
While President Donald Trump on Monday introduced a multi-point peace plan aimed at ending the conflict over the Gaza territory, the debate rages on even as the administration seeks to find a way to bring an end to the bloodshed in the Middle East.
Defining Israel and the American link to it
America’s support for Israel is rooted in the nation’s Judeo-Christian heritage. Many Christians believe that there is a Biblical mandate to bless the nation of Israel, and they often refer to this mandate in verses like Genesis 12:3, in which God tells Abraham, the father of Israel, that he will “bless those who bless you.” This passage is sometimes referred to as the Abrahamic Covenant.
There is also the famous Psalm 122:6-9, which notes, “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem.”
There are many passages of Scripture where God clearly states the specialness and the set-apartness of Israel, the children of God (Deut. 14:1). This is a wonderful story that provides a beautiful illustration of God’s mercy.
More often than not, the ancient Israeli people were disobedient children. They engaged, often, in all manner of wickedness, from murder to idolatry and child sacrifice (Judges 2, 1 Kings 11, Ezra 9, etc.).
This constant rebellion of the Israeli people – and God’s constant mercy and redemption toward them throughout the Bible – is the most beautiful picture of Christ’s love for his church – the constant outpouring of undeserved forgiveness that was dispensed freely, and not earned (Ephesians 2:8-9).
It is a fair observation, however, that some modern Americans have taken on what might be described as a superstitious belief that, if the Israeli government is not supported in all of its efforts, in all things, God will curse the United States.
This is not a Biblical idea at all. If the Israeli government were committing some heinous act of sin, the United States would not be obligated to support it. Why? Because Christians are commanded not to engage in that which they know to violate God’s laws (James 4:17, Proverbs 1:10-19, etc.).
It seems that the controversy over supporting or criticizing Israel has devolved into a bombastically black-and-white debate that labels all critics of Israeli government policy as anti-Semitic (which is not fair in many cases), or it immediately invalidates Israel’s claim to self-defense against the Palestinians, despite Hamas’s horrific slaughter of the Israeli people, and Gaza’s propensity for harboring terrorism.
‘Zionism’ and the need for free debate
In recent weeks, following the death of free speech giant Charlie Kirk, it has become all too apparent how important it is to have peaceful and civic debate on even the most heated topics.
Questioning, for example, Israeli government policy, is no different than questioning American federal policy. Some polices are good, and some policies are quite bad. Americans have a right – and a need – to test the waters in both arenas, because both the Israeli government and the American federal government have flourished thanks to the hard work of taxpaying citizens.
This immediate rejection of any criticism toward Israeli government policy is what might be described as “Zionist” behavior by some critics like Candace Owens, although that term has become altogether overused these days.
Some critics of Israel’s position in the conflict with Gaza argue that Prime Minister Netanyahu’s military is inflicting genocide on the Palestinians in the strip. A recent report from the United Nations alleged that Israel has gone too far in its defensive attacks against Hamas, causing widespread bloodshed and death.
Genocide is an extremely weighty accusation, and it’s something everyone should take very seriously – as seriously as Hamas’s bloodthirsty incursion into Israel, where they slaughtered men, women, children, and infants without abandon.
Warfare brings out the worst in humanity. It is, perhaps, the most apparent example of the savagery inflicted on the world by sin, and there are rarely any “real” winners in a conflict when both sides have lost innocent people.
But amid all the controversy and, at times, wild claims about the Israeli government and the Palestinians’ attempts to be recognized for statehood, God’s Word is exceptionally clear about one thing: peace is always the way forward.
Blessed are the peacemakers
Whatever side of the controversy one lands on in the Israel-Gaza conflict, peace is always the best solution. This is why President Trump has worked so hard to present a plan to eradicate terrorism from Gaza and to restore security to the area.
Israel would see the return of their hostages, and the Palestinians would see the return of Gaza prisoners. According to the White House, this peace plan would also strip Hamas of its military power and political authority.
The best solution is always to stop shooting, to lay down weapons, and to come to an agreement.
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God,” Jesus says in Matthew 5:9.
At the end of the day, it’s not about politics – it’s about the effect of sin. The debate on Israel, while contentious for some, doesn’t need to be. All men and women were created in the image of God, and they all have value (Genesis 1:26-27).
Further, “There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” (Galatians 3:28)
President Trump is a wise leader because he works to save all innocent human lives, whenever possible. This is good and just, even amid brutal warfare.
It’s wonderful that the United States has such a strong ally in Israel. It’s a good friendship, and watching out for their best interests, for the Christian, is a good thing. It does not mean Israel is perfect, or that they will never make a mistake – but the same goes for America.
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