Editor’s Note: Fareth Abraham was a church speaker at the Crossroads Conference near Chicago on September 11-13, 2025. This post contains some of his meeting messages and more questions from author Bruce Baron. He was born in Bethlehem. His wife, Soha, grew up attending Gaza Baptist Church and has many families living in Gaza.
Today we are at the real intersection of historical, moral and spirituality as church witnesses are at risk. The world sees how Christians respond to graves, artificial, evil in the beloved homeland of the Palestinian people.
To believe, say, and do in this moment is either empowering our gospel witnesses or silence them. It will heal or harm. It draws people towards Jesus, especially in the Middle East where I serve, or pushes them away.
As Palestinian Christians, we want to win the gospel.
As Palestinian Christians, we want to win the gospel. It is the gospel of peace, reconciliation, and love. The life-giving gospel of Jesus Christ, not caught up in politics. The gospel that heals, restores, and brings life. That is what we support as Palestinian Christians, and we have been preaching in the Holy Lands for two thousand years.
The church was noisy and clear on October 7, 2023, excelling in solidarity with Israel, mobilizing tens of millions of dollars, donating ambulances, and providing shelter to Jewish families who were refugee. The church (of course) stood for many innocent Israeli civilians whose lives had shattered.
But now, the silence from the same church seems deafening. Some remain paralyzed by confusion. Others still doubt the extent of human suffering in Gaza. Even watching videos of children taking their final breaths, children being amputated without anesthesia, or fathers killed for help.
The church remains missing in action.
Meanwhile, world leaders spoke. They were embarrassed by the murder of Israeli indiscriminate civilians, journalists, doctors, aid workers, and even Christians within the church. However, the church remains missing in action while an innocent life escapes right in front of our eyes. 20,000 children have been killed, 150,000 people have been injured, and neighbors and hospitals have been flattened, and hunger is spreading.
We know that Palestinians are not perfect. I accept this. Even Palestinian leaders acknowledge it. Our society needs great reforms. President Abbas denounced Hamas and called for them to be disarmed. However, Israeli leaders will use Hamas to advance their agenda, deepen their divisions and close the door to peace. Both failures crush the hopes and leave ordinary families to pay the costs.
The weight of suffering is not equal.
However, there is no so-called “double-sided” symmetry here. The weight of suffering is not equal. At this time, the overwhelming burden of destruction lies in Gaza. Naming this truth does not reduce the sorrow of Israel, but points to the heaviest place for the cross to endure, and where Christ’s compassion must be most urgently tilted.
Too often, when Palestinian Christians speak out, when we condemn Hamas’ atrocities, pray for hostages, scream out Gaza children, say no with hunger, we are rejected or, even worse, accused of anti-Semitism.
Anti-Semitism is a sin. That’s evil. But the same goes for the dehumanization of Palestinians. The Palestinians are also created in the image of God. The Gospel calls us to reject both.
Pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian are no contradictions.
I have not asked the church to abandon my love for Israel. I ask you to expand that love to include everyone God loves, including the Palestinians. And remind us: being pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian is no contradiction. Supporting both dignity will strengthen your witness.
What am I asking the church to do?
1. Different prayers. Let us pray for peace in Gaza and the entire region, just as we pray for peace in Jerusalem.
2. Find out your theology. We must erase the Palestinians, reject a framework that distorts the Bible or sanctifies violence, and return to the cross as the centre of our witnesses.
3. Standing with churches in Palestine, Israel and the Middle East.
Our theology and witnesses must lean towards justice and compassion for all.
Based on the Biblical call for peace, justice and reconciliation, we need a comprehensive solution that addresses the root causes of this 77-year-old conflict. The war did not begin on October 7th, 2023. A cycle of despair and violence continues, unless Israel faces occupation, blockade and statelessness. That is why we believe that our theology and our witnesses must lean towards justice and compassion for all.
What else can Israel do when Hamas is embedded in Gaza?
Bruce Baron asked me this question, I answered:
I think the question is framed as fake binary. The assumption is that the only option is to tolerate Hamas (which was Israeli policy since 2006) or unleash a massive, indiscriminate power over civilians. However, there are other pathways, such as prisoner exchanges, intelligence report-oriented operations, and targeted actions to avoid massive civilian deaths.
Justifying indiscriminate destruction is effectively justifying collective punishment, as Hamas is hidden among civilians.
The prisoner exchange has already proven effective during this war. Justifying indiscriminate destruction is effectively justifying collective punishment, as Hamas is hidden among civilians. Both international law and biblical justice are rejected.
What has become more and more clear since the early days of this war is that Hamas is not the only military operation. The scale of devastation and displacement refers to a broader purpose. They empty their people’s Gaza and recreate their territory for expansionist purposes.
Unsettlingly, some members of the Israeli governing coalition have spoken this openly, in that “voluntary migration” or “new Gaza” have cleared up the current population. Their candidness makes it clear that the destruction itself already suggests.
Hamas is supported not only by weapons, but also by despair and despair.
Deeper even further, Hamas is supported not only by weapons but also by despair and despair. A new cycle of violence is always emerging, unless we deal with the realities underlying occupation, statelessness and lockdowns. In that sense, killing thousands of innocent people is not only immoral, but counterproductive.
As followers of Christ, we cannot accept the logic that was said in terms of “no other options.” Jesus rejected that logic with Gethsemane and bued the sword even when violence seemed inevitable. Our calling is to testify in a better way than resisting evil without exploiting evil.
It was originally featured in Bruce Baron’s “Kindly and Provocative Thoughts.” It was reissued with permission.
Born in Bethlehem, Dr. Fareth Abraham is the founder of the Levant ministry and leads other ministries in the Middle East to strengthen gospel witnesses and promote peace. The fare serves as a secondary faculty member at Liberty University. Before beginning his ministry work, he served as a consultant and senior trainer for Fortune 500 companies and US government agencies in Washington, and DC followed him on Instagram @Faresabraham or visited the Faresabraham.com website.
