Key Issues Surrounding Israel

Learn about these key issues surrounding Israel and be better prepared for any conversation about the Middle East.

Key Issues Surrounding Israel

Jerusalem

  1. Jerusalem has been the beating heart of the Jewish world for three millennia. King David established the city as the capital of ancient Israel, and his son Solomon built the First Jewish Temple in the city. There are nearly 700 mentions of Jerusalem in the Hebrew Bible, and Jews pray three times a day facing the city.
  2. Jerusalem has thrived as a united, prosperous, and free city under Israeli control. In Jerusalem today, all faiths are guaranteed unimpeded access to their Holy Sites - and all residents are guaranteed fundamental political rights. When the city was under Jordanian control, holy sites were destroyed - and Christians, Muslims, and Jews alike were prevented from accessing their places of worship.
  3. Christian Zionists hold the Jewish people's connection to Jerusalem sacred. This understanding for Bible-believing Christians is rooted in the numerous references to Jerusalem in the Old and New Testaments.
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Iran

  1. Iran's quest for nuclear weapons is an existential threat to Israel - and to all nations. The world's most dangerous regime cannot be allowed to get its hands on the world's most dangerous weapon. An Iranian nuclear bomb could be transferred to terrorists - and would set off a dangerous arms race in the Middle East.
  2. Iran is the world's leading sponsor of terrorism. It finances, arms, trains, and supports terrorists - from Hamas in Gaza to Hezbollah in Lebanon, to insurgents fighting U.S. troops in Afghanistan. Iran has provided direct assistance in the Assad regime's campaign of terror against the Syrian people.
  3. Iran is an appalling violator of human rights and oppresses Christians. The Iranian regime continues to deny its own people basic freedoms, jails and kills journalists and political opponents, and  subjugates Christians, Jews, women, and other minorities.
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Peace Process

  1. The peace process has been unsuccessful because the Palestinian leadership has refused to truly accept Israel's right to exist. The Palestinian Authority walked away from two generous Israeli peace offers. In its mosques, schools, and media, the PA continues to glorify terrorists and teach its people to hate Israelis.
  2. Supporting peace means taking a clear stand against terror. Hamas and other terrorist groups continue to fire rockets into Israeli homes and stage suicide bombings in the heart of Israeli cities. Today Hamas controls the Gaza Strip; if a Palestinian state were created tomorrow, forty percent of the Palestinian population would live under the control of the terrorist organization.
  3. The Arab World has not played a constructive role in promoting peace. Instead of helping to integrate Palestinians into their own societies, Arab governments have perpetuated their status as refugees for generations, using them as pawns in their conflict with Israel.
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Palestinian Refugees

  1. Among the Palestinian refugees created by Israel's War of Independence, most left their homes because of the promises of Arab Leaders. Only a small minority of Palestinians left because of actions taken by Israeli troops, who were acting in the heat of battle. There was no Israeli policy of expulsion.
  2. The UN has perpetuated the Palestinian refugee problem. Palestinians are the only population in the world that the UN allows to pass on their refugee status to children and grandchildren. As a result, the original Palestinian refugee population of a few hundred thousand has grown to more than five million today.
  3. Arab governments have exploited the Palestinians for generations, using them as pawns in their conflict with Israel. Palestinians only have access to citizenship in one Arab country, and suffer under discriminatory laws and restrictions throughout the Arab World.
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Zionism

  1. The Zionist movement is rooted in the Jewish people's ancient connection to the Land of Israel. This land is where Judaism emerged - and the place that God promised the Jewish people in his covenant with Abraham.
  2. Zionism is a movement of national liberation - based on the idea that the Jewish people - just like any other people - are entitled to live in their homeland with independence, self-determination, and freedom from persecution.
  3. Zionism is the opposite of racism. It is an answer to the racism directed at the Jewish people throughout history.
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United Nations

  1. Founded in 1945 after the end of World War II, the United Nations consists of 193 Member States. While the UN Charter calls for maintaining international peace and security, friendly relations, human rights, and solving international problems regarding economic, social, cultural, and humanitarian values, Israel is consistently singled out for criticism.
  2. A large voting bloc of UN Member nations belong to the Non Aligned Movement. (NAM) The NAM has 120 members, many of them are Muslim nations. Horrific conflicts like Syria are minimized while Israel, the only democracy in the Middle East, is accused of multiple violations in international law and other fora.
  3. The United Nations Human Rights Council is composed of 47 nations. Their focus is highlighting and addressing human rights violations. Shockingly, in March 2016 they closed a month long meeting in Geneva where they wrongly slandered Israel five times more than any of the 193 UN member states. 
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Keep Reading:

Israel's Arab Minority

Jerusalem under Israeli Control