John Hagee supports Tree Planting Campaign in Israel
Those of you who know me or have been reading my blog for a little while know that I have a heart for “Simple Living” – an alternative Way of life that juts against the grain of popular, consumeristic culture. This affinity for alternative living has engendered in me a deep appreciation for the environment – a part of what my Bible calls “God’s good creation”.
You can imagine my surprise and dismay, then when I learned that the Israeli Government and pseudo-government agencies plant trees in Israel not so much in reverence for Creation, but as an environmental attack on Palestinian existence. One of the sinister purposes of these Tree Planting Campaigns is not only to expropriate land from Palestinians, but to conceal the remains of their villages which they were forced from. When I was in Israel driving along the Israeli-only highways, we were often surrounded by a canopy of trees. Little did I know, that hiding in the shade of said trees was evidence that Palestinians used to live there.
This was made utterly clear to our group when we visited Saffuriyya. Most of what remains of this Palestinian village is an old Palestinian cemetery and hidden under the canopy of trees are dilapidated structures that provide proof that somebody – or in this case somebodies lived there. The Isareli Military bombed the town in 1948 during Operation Dekel and forced inhabitants from their village. After the village was attacked and the Palestinians were ran out, the town of Saffuriyya was claimed by the modern state of Israel and is now called Tzippori. Palestinians who fled the bombings of Saffuriyya in 1948 were forbidden by Israel from returning to their village and then fell victim to Israel’s Absentee Property Law. (Source – scroll to the bottom half of page)
Below you will see a picture of our guide, Ziad, showing us a pre-1948 Palestinian calendar which features a landscape photograph of Saffuriyya compared to the same landscape view now. The Jewish National Fund which solicits support from synagogues, churches, and people from all over the world has used the collected monies in part to blot out the view of the remains of Saffuriyya with an awning of trees. They don’t even want you to know that people used to live here because then you might begin asking questions like: “What happened to the people who lived here?” “Where did they go?” “Where are they now?” and “Are they allowed to come back to their ancestral village?”
Ziad shows us how Tree Planting campaigns help erase Palestinian Villages in Israel
Ziad, who’s father and grandfather lived in Saffuriyya, is one of the few Palestinians who are allowed to come back just to maintain the ancient Palestinian cemetery.
As you can see in the picture at the top of this article, Pastor John Hagee is supporting this malicious effort by encouraging visitors to his website to “plant your roots in Israel”. Don’t be mistaken, Hagee has not been baptized in the pool of Creation Care or Environmental concern. He is not looking to fight global warming or do his Christian duty to help in the absorption of carbon dioxide. He is using the influence of his name and worldwide ministry to help blot out Palestinian existence. It becomes clearer when you click through on the link. Couching his effort in an ignorant and random selection of scripture from the prophet, Isaiah, three times Hagee uses the word “barren” to get you to believe that no one lived on the land in which these trees will be planted. He describes Jews as the “faithful stewards of the land” leaving the door open for you to conclude that even if there was someone else on the land in which these trees are being planted, they are not the “faithful stewards”.
As we left Saffuriyya on our bus, one of my co-delegates from Canada told us about how she remembers seeing the blue “Plant a Tree for Israel” boxes in her synagogue while growing up and how it was strongly encouraged to do good for the environment and for Israel by planting a tree. She expressed dismay at how the acts of her goodwill were used to do ill toward Palestinians.
I have no doubt that Tree Planting Campaigns as a feature of oppressing Palestinians will one day have its own special chapter in the history books to come. I just pray that the chapter also includes names of the villages and the stories of the people who are currently prisoner in the shade of Occupation.
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Historically, the nation of Israel has been aligned with the following empires at one time or another: The Babylonian Empire, The Soviet Empire and the American Empire …, including of late, President Obama Hussein. Given the unwanton behavior of all of these empires, when pursuing their own venal interests, is it any wonder that the secular leaders of Israel and their venal foreign policy is such as it is, the scoundels?
Rev. Solomon raises an important point: Although supporters of the modern state of Israel and its oppressive policies toward the Palestinians are fond of quoting Biblical passages to support their stance, the Biblical record is clear that the people of God are NOT to rely on powerful military might–and ESPECIALLY not to rely on the powerful military intervention of foreign nations–for their security.
Here's Mennonite theologian John Howard Yoder: "2 Chronicles 16 recounts the formation of an alliance between Asa of Judah and Benhadad of Damascus against the Northern Kingdom [which would have been Israel, FYI]. Whether it is the alliance itself or the attack against the sister kingdom which brought forth the word of condemnation by the prophet Hannai, one cannot say for sure. In any case, what the prophet’s words condemn specifically is the reliance upon politico-military resources….” (Yoder, The Politics of Jesus, pg. 80).
The Israelites were warned in Isaiah 30 against “tak[ing] refuge in the protection of Pharaoh” and “seek[ing] shelter in the shadow of Egypt,” — in other words, not to rely on foreign empires for their strength.
Here’s Isaiah 31: “Alas for those who go down to Egypt for help and who rely on horses, who trust in chariots because they are many and in horsemen because they are very strong, but do not look to the Holy One of Israel or consult the Lord!”
And here's And here is Psalm 33: “The Lord brings the counsel of the nations to nothing; he frustrates the plans of the peoples….A king is not saved by his great army; a warrior is not delivered by his great strength. The war horse is a vain hope for victory, and by its great might it cannot save.”
Not exactly a formula for supporting $30 billion of purely military aid over 10 years, is it? It seems to me that if one has a literalist view of scripture, and one associates the ancient Israelites with modern Israel, then the last thing you’d want to do is lend military support. That would be a recipe for disaster, and for Israel’s downfall. No, you wouldn’t want to send weapons at all–you’d want to get out of the way, and let God do the work.
I don't find any of this to be the most compelling reason to support justice for Palestinians, but it certainly is a rebuke to those who rely on scriptural claims to justify the oppression of military might.
Keep up the good work Rev. Heber!
I don't know how or where to write so that my comment below is shortened into 2 parts.
The general Arab world including Palestinians are all basically anti semetic to begin with and taught to hate and destroy Jews almost from birth… so no matter what the Jewish Nation ( israelis etc) do it will never be good enough.The Arabs hate for Jews overpowers their rationality. The Jews have turned a dry desert into a Paradise. The Jews have risen to the greatest heights in music,art,culture,science, medicine…all the Arabs can do is blow their children up and take a few innocent people with them. Stp whining about the Jews all the time and maybe you can learn something from them.If somwone was constantly tru ying to snuff you out wouldn'y you do something about it?