Gaza: Christians for Palestine

Horsham: 24th July 2025

Standing up for the people of Gaza

I was recently challenged by a Christian friend to explain why, over the last couple of years, I have attended a number of rallies in central London in support of the people of Palestine.

This post is my response.

A Disclaimer!

First, let’s be clear about something. Any large demonstration attracts people of diverse views. Some views expressed at these events are inconsistent with my own. I do not, for example support Hamas, and I do not advocate their political views or in any way support their strategic objective to destroy Israel. However, I am appalled by the deliberate actions of the Israeli government, directed towards the civilian population of Palestine, and in particular Gaza.

I do, on the other hand, support an organisation called ‘Christians for Palestine’, a small but strong group which is rooted in the Anglican Church in the UK, with supporters in most other denominations. The stated aim is to bring Christians together to join peace marches and protests for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza. That, in a nutshell, explains why I have been on these marches. We normally meet before the event in a local Church or a park for prayer before joining the demonstration.

Check out Christians for Palestine Facebook page for events info

The Evangelical Narrative..

I’m frustrated by the views of some evangelicals. As Christian’s, their narrative seems to go, we should unquestioningly stand firmly with Israel. Israel is God’s chosen people. Palestine is currently their enemy. Israel, they will say, is engaged in spiritual warfare against Islam. From there, they jump to the assertion that the only viable position for a Christian is to offer absolute support to Israel.

This argument feels extraordinarily naive and simplistic. It is profoundly and dangerously flawed. It takes no account of God’s love for mankind which permeates Scripture.

7th October 2023

First things first. The events of 7^th October 2023 were unspeakably evil. 1200 innocent people were murdered, and more than 250 kidnapped and taken back into Gaza. 75 of those hostages have died, some of them as a result of Israeli action. 148 have been released. The remainder are still in Gaza, either living or dead. The actions of Hamas on that day were wrong. They were disgusting. They were evil. They constitute a war crime.

Israel has the right to defend itself. They have the right to exercise military force to recover the remaining hostages in Gaza.

However… The Israeli Response

There is, of course, a big fat ‘however’.

Since 7^th October 2023, more than 56,000 people have died in Gaza as a result of military action by Israel. Nearly 17,000 of those deaths were children (under the age of 16). We know that many more bodies lie unrecovered under the rubble cause by mass bombing and the deliberate or reckless targeting of civilian residential areas and infrastructure, including hospitals.

Behind these appalling statistics of deaths, lies an unspoken and largely uncounted number of men, women and children who have been injured and emotionally scarred by this ongoing horror.

Reuters reported that by January 2025, 60% of buildings across Gaza had been destroyed, with very few completely undamaged. The bombings continues.

A small and unconfirmed proportion of those killed were active Hamas combatants. The overwhelming majority of them were not.

Nothing in the events of 7th October 2023 justifies the extent of death and destruction, or the ongoing abuse and harassment of the civilian population of Gaza at the direction of the Israeli government under Benjamin Netanyahu.

Where’s the aid?

We now have the most extreme restrictions over civilian aid, with reliable reports that the majority of Palestinians now lack the basics of food, clean water and medicine. This is not the time to argue about whose fault that is. It is the time to do something about it.

People are dying of starvation and dehydration. People are being gunned down by Israeli forces whilst they are trying to collect food and water from aid collection points.

According to Save the Children:

“Since 27 May [2025], more than 500 Palestinians have been killed and at least 3,000 injured by Israeli forces while trying to access aid, either at or on route to GHF distribution points, or while attempting to approach the very few other aid convoys delivered by the UN or NGOs, according to OHCHR.”

“And to add to the dystopian horror show, children are also being killed and injured trying to reach aid – aid they have a right to.”

All this is avoidable, and it is obscene.

Enough!

For me, the only Christian response has to be to cry ‘enough!’ Of course, achieving a lasting peace is far more complex than it sounds. But it must surely start with a ceasefire. It must start with allowing food, water and medicine to people who are malnourished and dying.

Every nation should condemn the avoidable humanitarian disaster unfolding before our eyes in Gaza. In November 2024, they did.

A resolution was brought to the UN Security Council for a full and unconditional ceasefire. It was universally supported. Almost. Every member was in favour. Except one. The resolution was vetoed by the United States.

Conclusion..

I am an evangelical. I try to base my views and conclusions on the Bible.

Scripture tells us that the kingdom of Israel had good kings, with whom God was pleased. But they also had bad kings, with whom he was not. Benjamin Netanyahu is not a king, but he is the worst of leaders. His conduct is ruthless, immoral and disgusting. It is offensive to any right reading of Scripture. He is responsible for the death of civilians on a vast scale. He is directing and presiding over preventable starvation and genocide. He is a war criminal.

In the face of all this we feel helpless. Apart from raising our voices and writing blog posts, there seems so little that we can do. Of course we can pray, and we must, but there are moments when we can also stand up and be counted.

So, I end with a question to my evangelical Christian friends who continue to stand unquestioningly alongside the government of Israel: ‘Yes, I was there. Where were you?’