Israel-Palestine is one of the oldest, most beautiful countries the world has ever seen. It is the meeting place of three of the world's largest religions, Islam, Judaism, and Christianity. It's hard to go there and not fall in love with it instantly.
But there's a problem. In 1948, Israel was recognized as the international safe haven for the Jewish population of the world. Now, this doesn't sound bad, and being a Christian Zionist myself, I see the point. But this was carried out in a terrible way. The British went into then Palestine and forcibly removed the Palestinian people from there homes to be either relocated to the now West Bank or to leave the country completely. Not cool.
In the years since, there has been an escalation in the conflict. From the Nakba or War of Independence, to the Naksa (Six Days War), to the first suicide bombing in 1993, this conflict has continuously gotten messier.
Even though I am a Christian Zionist, I am not solely pro-Israel, nor am I completely anti-occupation. I am both. If you know me, you're not surprised. I don't believe anything is truly black and white and this issue especially isn't clean cut.
Before you criticize, here's why I am both. You might start to see it.
Being pro-Israel means I want Israel to exist and for there to be a safe haven for the Jewish community across the world after years of persecution. Most of all, this safe haven shouldn't just be a chunk cut out of the world that is unimportant to the Jewish faith. That is why the area of Israel is now situated in makes sense. Jerusalem is home to the Western Wall, the last remnants of the Second Temple, a very sacred site for the Jewish community due to its proximity to the Temple Mount (Dome of the Rock).
Jerusalem is a holy city for both the Jewish and Muslim community and itself presents a whole slew of problems that I will not be discussing here.
Now, the anti-occupation. Israel has a political agreement with Palestine that puts Palestine under control of Israel. While Palestine retains some sovereignty, it is not its own country. The state of Palestine is ethnically and religiously very different from the rest of Israel. The borders are extremely difficult to get through, travel itself is restricted, and their overall rights are being suppressed.
On top of the rights suppression, Israel continues to allow more Israeli settlements in the West Bank, despite the fact that it is not theirs to give. The Israeli settlements in the West Bank take away more land from the Palestinians and continuously weave themselves around Palestinians towns and settlements as well, making the borders harder and harder to define.
Neither side's negative actions, violent or non-violent, toward each other are justifiable. There shouldn't be bombings. There shouldn't be land encroachment or suppression of a people's rights.
This is why I am pro-Israel, anti-occupation; a two-state solutionist. I believe two separate states should be established for the betterment of each community. No, it won't be easy and yes, it will take a lot of work, patience, and compromise on both ends. But this is necessary if the two countries are ever going to survive long-term in this world.
The Palestinians deserve to have a chance to thrive on the land that has been as home for so long.
The Jewish state deserves to exist as a home of a continually persecuted people and a safe place of worship.
