From Rabbi Eckstein

June 21, 2007

Dear Friend of The Fellowship,

By now, you have all heard that the terrorist group Hamas has solidified its hold over the Gaza Strip. In the past two weeks, the fighting between Hamas and its rival Palestinian faction, Fatah, has reached levels that make the Palestinian-Israeli conflict pale in comparison. And it has shown beyond a shadow of a doubt that, despite their efforts to paint Israel as villain, the Palestinians are their own worst enemies.

In fact, fighting between Hamas and Fatah has been continuous since Hamas came to power in January 2006, despite numerous “treaties” and the forming of a Hamas-Fatah “unity government” last February. But last week’s events took the violence to a new level. On June 14, after days of fierce fighting during which over a hundred people were killed, Hamas claimed control of Gaza, declaring, “The era of justice and Islamic rule has arrived.” Violence and chaos erupted, as Hamas sought to wipe out every vestige of Fatah’s power in the area. The offices and homes of Fatah leaders were attacked and looted, and, in some cases, Fatah members were rounded up and shot in front of their wives and children.

Meanwhile, fearing a similar struggle in the West Bank, Fatah rushed to solidify its hold on the area. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, head of Fatah, announced the dissolution of the Palestinian “unity government” which most believe was little more than a sham to begin with and announced the formation of an emergency cabinet. He appointed a new prime minister of the emergency government, rounded up Hamas officials in the West Bank, and paraded heavily armed Fatah fighters throughout the area in a show of power meant to silence opposition.

Obviously, Israel is deeply concerned with these developments. Gaza, a haven for terrorists since Israel left the area in 2005, could turn into a true terrorist state. Rocket attacks from the area targeting Israeli cities like Sderot, which have been going on for years and have grown more frequent recently, could escalate even further. Israel’s im mediate tactic will likely be to support Fatah, seen as the lesser of two evils, against Hamas, which is more rabid in its hatred of Israel. But while this may be necessary in the short term, experience shows it is an extremely risky proposition. Previous efforts to negotiate peace with Fatah have failed, and given its corruption and sponsorship of terrorism, there is little reason to believe it will be a real partner for peace. The lesser of two evils, as one writer recently put it, is still evil.

Meanwhile, for those stuck in Gaza, there is truly no good solution at the moment. Palestinian Christians, in particular, are at great risk we know that, where radical Islam triumphs, Christians suffer. We see it in Saudi Arabia, where public worship by Christians is expressly forbidden by law, and severe persecution is common. We see it in Iraq, where radical Muslim terrorists have given Christians in some regions the option of either converting to Islam, marrying their daughters to terrorists, paying the jizya (an Islamic tax imposed on non-Muslims), or leaving im mediately with only the clothes on their backs. We see it in Iran, where the radical Muslim regime oppresses a tiny Christian population through a combination of harassment and close surveillance. Already we have heard from Gaza stories of churches being attacked, and of violence and intimidation being used against Christians. There is no reason to believe that they will be spared the fate experienced by Christians in other Muslim countries.

In the face of this desperate situation, I ask all of you to pray. Pray for wisdom for Israel’s leaders as they face the difficult task of securing peace and safety for their country, and for Israel’s people seeking to maintain normal lives in these difficult and uncertain times. Pray for Christians in Gaza and throughout the Middle East who live under terrible oppression. And pray that leaders throughout the world will take a stand for Israel against her enemies and those who seek her destruction.

With prayers for shalom, peace,
Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein
President, International Fellowship of Christians and Jews