My own understanding of what is happening right now in Gaza, outside of the media is almost zero. It is clear that whatever led to the deaths and injuries of many people yesterday as they protested about the opening of a new American Embassy, that the people who fired their weapons and their superiors are accountable for their actions. Of course superiors go a long way when it comes to certain military actions. Rather like the impact of our own Government during the Miners Strikes of 1984-85 when they demanded that the Police use violence to bring the mining communities to their knees. Social Media is full of at least two different types of postings that are hard to find any links between outside of a few media channels. Those claiming how vital Trumps decision was and applauding him, almost ignoring the deaths a few miles away and those decrying the impact on the Palestinian community. The twitter post here is from someone I know and whose views as a Rabbi based in Hove I have a great deal of respect for. My own grasp of the needs of those living in Israel and in the Palestinian territories is very limited. However I know some of the rationale behind the decision of Trump and his predecessors is partly impacted by Christians who believe that the land is an important element of their faith and values. As a Christian this seems to be a misunderstanding of the Bible teaching based on my own grasp of them. In the books which Christians call the Old Testament the land and locations were vital to the beliefs of the followers of God. These books predate the Christian and the Muslim religion and are intrinsic to the Jewish and Christian religion. Only the Christian Faith as well as some others outside of the two other Abrahamic religions sees the books referred to by Christians as the New Testament as being even more important albeit building on the Old Testament. The New Testament makes it clear that land and geography are no longer vital and speaks of a new Jerusalem which of course has no physical presence, unlike the historic one. Tragically some Christians appear to have used their influence to add pressure to previous Presidents to do what Trump did yesterday and restate the historic Jerusalem. This city is a historic place which contains vital places of history for the three Abrahamic Faiths and of course modern Palestinians and Israelis of all three religions and none. Due to all that has gone on in the land, is a place with great meaning, but the placing of a modern embassy in this historic city carries absolutely no more meaning as far as my grasp of Christianity goes than if Trump chose to locate his Embassy in the UK in Winchester where historically our nations Capital existed before London became our Capital.

So back to Rabbi Elli Sarah’s post. What is needed now is not a new Embassy or the murder of children and protestors, but the commitment by all those impacted to sit down and begin to resolve the two state solution that is probably the only credible solution to this area. Once that is done, the consideration of two new Embassies will become a more important issue.