The Middle East Crisis

How should we respond?

First of all, we must recognise that the current Middle East crisis is a very dangerous situation. 

Former UK Foreign Secretary and Iran expert, Jack Straw, has recently written, “I have been frequently asked in the last few days whether I could recall a time as dangerous as this feels today. Yes, the Cuban missile crisis of October 1962. That was terrifying for the whole world, as the two major superpowers, the US and the Soviet Union, faced off. I was scared stiff.”   He went on, however, to refer to the present Middle East crisis “and the threat of this sparking a nuclear Armageddon.” So, our first reaction should be to pray seriously against such a “nuclear Armageddon” happening, and particularly, for Iran not to gain nuclear weapons. 

Secondly, we are very aware of the horrific suffering of innocent people, including Israelis, Palestinians, Iranians, in all the aspects of the Middle East crisis: the continuing attacks in Gaza, as well as the Israel-Iran crisis. We need to pray for all these suffering people.

Thirdly, we need to pray for Israel. This requires a careful response to the news we hear, which is not always accurate. The Gaza conflict has done huge damage to Israel’s reputation. Satan encourages antisemitism which has increased greatly across the world because of this conflict. We must be very careful not to be influenced by the pernicious spiritual disease (although we must not be uncritical of Israel either – more of that later). Our attitudes to Israel should not be human opinions but agreement with God’s Word.

Our attitudes to Israel should not be human opinions but agreement with God’s Word.

What should be our basic attitude to Israel? 

We need to remind ourselves of God’s important purposes for Israel in the End Times (and it’s not at all unreasonable to talk about the End Times when the world faces the threat of “a nuclear Armageddon.” We are to watch for the signs).  God made it quite clear in Romans 11 that, in rejecting the Messiah, Israel did not “fall beyond recovery” (v 11). There will be a “full inclusion” and “acceptance” of the Jewish people (vv 12, 15). 

Paul prophesies that, “Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in, and in this way all Israel will be saved” (vv 25-26), “for God’s gifts and his call are irrevocable” (v 29). So, there will be a great turning of the Jewish people to salvation through Jesus in the End Times. Imagine the impact of that on the world.

Because of this prophecy, God has preserved the Jewish people, even in a 2,000-year exile, when the majority rejected Jesus as the Messiah. But Jesus promised they would return to the Holy Land. He said they will “fall by the sword and will be taken as prisoners to all the nations. Jerusalem will be trampled on by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled” (Lk 21:24). This prophecy was, of course, fulfilled in 1948 with the re-establishment of the nation of Israel¹.

Why does Satan stir up antisemitism, which is such a strong, widespread hatred, akin to the persecution of Christians? It is because, like Christians, Jewish people will play an important role in God’s End Time purposes.

Why does Satan stir up antisemitism, which is such a strong, widespread hatred, akin to the persecution of Christians? It is because, like Christians, Jewish people will play an important role in God’s End Time purposes. God’s amazing mercy on Israel over the 2,000 years most have rejected Messiah is another indication of this. Ultimately, God’s purposes for Israel will triumph. The re-establishment of Israel is evidence of that. He has brought them back in unbelief.

The background of the Middle East Crisis

In responding to the current Middle East crisis, we must bear in mind the following points:

• The UN created Israel in the Palestinian area. That was clearly an act of God fulfilling prophecy.
• Palestine was never a state, including at the time of the re-establishment of the State of Israel. (After the First World War, the UN suggested the area where Palestinians and Jews lived should be divided into two areas, but the Arabs rejected this).
• After the re-establishment of the State of Israel, the surrounding Arab nations (Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria) launched a war against Israel but lost. Many of the Palestinians fled and many were evicted. A minority stayed and became Israeli citizens.
• In 1967, Egypt, Jordan and Syria attacked Israel but were defeated. In the war, Israel took over the Sinai peninsula, Gaza Strip, West Bank, East Jerusalem and the Golan Heights.²
• In 1973, Egypt and Syria attacked Israel to seek to regain Sinai and the Golan Heights. They failed.
• In 2005 Israel pulled out of the Gaza Strip.

It is important to remember that the original re-established Israel was very small. These are my rough measurements:

• A strip North of the Sea of Galilee: roughly 10 x 20 miles
• A strip West from the Sea of Galilee to the Mediterranean: roughly 20 x 40 miles
• A coastal strip South from Haifa to Beersheba: 20 x 90 miles

The UN facilitated the re-establishment of Israel in 1947. But the land was far too small for Israel to feel secure as a nation. It seems to me that the Lord rectified this through the wars, started by the Arabs, in 1967 and 1973. They now have enough land, though not the whole promised land. Arguably they have sufficient territory for their population. 

What possibility is there of peace with the Palestinians?

I have come to the conclusion that it is highly unlikely that there is going to be peace with the Palestinians (as a potential or actual state). After many years of advocating it, I no longer think a two-state solution would work. Hamas and the like, together with Iran, will always be aiming to destroy Israel; and Satan will be seeking to frustrate God’s End Time purposes. 

After many years of advocating it, I no longer think a two-state solution would work.

We must remember that the 1964 Palestine Liberation Organisation Charter calls for the destruction of Israel. Hamas in Gaza also calls for the destruction of Israel. A Palestinian Authority judge in the West Bank preached a sermon, which has been repeated on PA TV, in which he said, “O Allah, strike the thieving Jews, Allah count them one by one, kill them one by one, and do not leave even one.” The Israel-Palestinian conflict is not just a political conflict. Israel is a small country fighting to survive.

However, Israel ought to treat the Palestinians with justice and compassion.

What should be our attitude towards Israel’s treatment of Palestinians?

Obviously, Israel has the right to defend itself from attacks from Palestinians and, in these circumstances, international law accepts the co-lateral killing of some innocent civilians. There is good reason to believe that Israel endeavours to keep civilian deaths to a minimum whilst carrying out its attacks on Hamas – although there have been numerous reports of excess, with many needless casualties. At the same time it's true that, tragically, with fighting occurring in such a densely populated area, an excessive number of civilians are going to be killed. 

But, in normal circumstances, Old Testament law is quite clear that Israel must love their Palestinian ‘neighbour’ as well as their Jewish neighbour. It says, “Cursed is anyone who withholds justice from the foreigner” (Dt 27:19). “Do not ill-treat or oppress a foreigner, for you were foreigners in Egypt” (Ex 22:21). Israel is to give the foreigner residing among them food and clothing (Dt 10:18-19).

The Lord says to Israel, “When a foreigner resides among you in your land, do not ill-treat them. The foreigner residing among you must be treated as your native-born. Love them as yourself, for you were foreigners in Egypt. I am the Lord your God” (Lev 19:33-34, cf Deut 10:19). The Lord says “If you do not oppress the foreigner …. and do not shed innocent blood in this place, …. then I will let you live in this place, in the land I gave to your ancestors for ever and ever” (Jer 7:6-7). They are to leave wheat, olives and grapes for foreigners (Dt 24:19-22).

It has long been clear that Israel has sought to act in this way for the Arab Israeli citizens in the non-contested areas, where Arabs enjoy full legal rights. But has Israel been obeying these biblical laws in Gaza? 

On appearances, it seems like they have not. There have been many deaths, including scores of people shot in the past two weeks whilst waiting for aid. There is still not enough aid reaching the people, as the group delivering the aid has made clear. Hospitals and other healthcare facilities have been bombed. This is all very disturbing.

At the same time, we have to be careful in what reports we accept. Neither side may always be telling us the truth. Hamas and the Iranian regime will use lies and false propaganda to encourage strong criticism against the Israelis. This is nothing new – there is a long tradition of false propaganda. Recently, an Arab refugee, Muhammad Khana, reported in an interview on official Palestinian Authority TV that, back in 1948, the Arab media “lied and deceived the people”, falsely saying the Israelis were committing atrocities amongst Palestinian people. The motive for these lies was to pressurise Palestinians to leave the Palestinian areas, and to assure them the Arab armies were coming. 

It is difficult to judge some of Israel’s military actions. We don’t have enough information and most reports of casualties etc in Gaza are from Hamas sources.

As Christians, we mustn't assume it our duty to always be defending Israel’s military actions. At the same time, we often don’t have enough information to make accurate judgements, not least because Israel has consistently forbidden media to enter the Strip. 

We know that a few of the shootings attributed to Israelis were actually carried out by Hamas operatives or their supporters. The Palestinian Authority newspaper says, “There are many reports that have begun to arrive from the Gaza Strip about killings by Hamas of many of the residents walking the roads in search of a sack of flour, under the pretext that they are collaborating with the American aid centers for food distribution! Not only do the reports reveal this, but there are also letters and statements from families whose sons have been reached by the treacherous hand of Hamas.”³

We also know that Hamas use hospitals as command-and-control centres. In addition, Israel generally tries to warn civilians (in both Gaza and Iran) to leave before they attack (the latest hospital to be hit was evacuated shortly before the attack, for example). But these warnings don't always take place. When they do, some choose not to leave, and risk the consequences. However, these warnings by Israel in Gaza seem to be so regular and repeated that it is difficult for the people in danger to escape.

Nevertheless, Israel must remember that for war to be justified, it must be the lesser of two evils. Yes, unavoidable civilian injuries and deaths are permitted under international law. Yes, Hamas steals aid. Yes, Hamas uses civilians as shields. But I wonder if Israel isn’t making things worse in their attempt to defeat Hamas and free the remaining hostages. 

Hamas is an evil regime which is not to be trusted. But there seems little doubt that sometimes Israel is allowing innocent Palestinians to suffer more than is necessary through insufficient aid.  I also cannot help but question if there is not a better way to attack Hamas’ hospital-based command centres than by targeting them with bombs and rockets.  Furthermore, at one point, Israel told the Gazans to move south, then north, then back again etc., making life almost impossible for them.

We must remember that a good father rebukes his children in love when they act in error. God does that with us, and He has ever done the same with Israel. Just look at the biblical record (Old Testament). He does the same today. Where needed, we must express disapproval of any wrong action by Israel – whilst recognising where they do well. But we must do this in a constructive way, which seeks to not exacerbate the anti-Semitism already rampant across the world. 

How should we regard the Israel-Iran situation?

Iran is not to be trusted 

Iran might enter into agreements, but it cannot be trusted to keep its word. It claims it is not working towards producing a nuclear weapon. But, recently, the International Atomic Energy Agency discovered that over 20 years ago Iran conducted and covered up several implosion tests, which are a key step in the process of developing a nuclear weapon. It has been enriching uranium to levels (60%) that have no peaceful application (only 3-4% is needed for civilian energy use) and has prevented international inspectors from checking its nuclear facilities. The IAEA says that approximately 42 kilograms of 60% enriched uranium is enough to produce one atomic bomb, if enriched further to 90%.  

Iran is a very oppressive country

Nikoo Pajoom was born and raised in Iran. She lived there for 20 years but is now doing legal studies at McGill University in Canada. She wrote an article a few days ago in which she said, “I’m fully supportive of Israel’s actions in Iran … I lived in Iran for the first two decades of my life. I have only known an Iran under the rule of the Mullahs. I have only known an Iran that kills, rapes, and humiliates its women and brutally quashes any dissent …. The murderous regime of Iran has killed generations upon generations of our people during its reign … the regime loots the wealth of Iran for its own pockets and its terrorist agenda.” There are many similar testimonies; e.g. watch here.

I have only known an Iran that kills, rapes, and humiliates its women and brutally quashes any dissent.

Iran is a very dangerous country

The 1989-revised Constitution of the Islamic Republic says that its global vision is “the development of man in accordance with the noble and universal values of Islam.” Iran believes it has the divine mandate to impose Islamic law on every human being: “The Constitution will strive with other Islamic and popular movements to prepare the way for the formation of a single world community.” “The Army of the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps... will be … extending the sovereignty of God's law throughout the world.” 

In order to achieve that, it needs weapons of mass destruction.  The constitution predicted that the 20th century would “witness the establishment of a universal holy [Islamic] government and the downfall of all others.”

Iran aims to destroy Israel

In 2015, Ali Khamenei, the supreme leader in Iran, said Israel would be destroyed by 2040: “God willing, there will be nothing of the Zionist regime in 25 years”, he wrote. Iran created a “ring of fire” encircling Israel, aiming to attack militarily and through propaganda. The ‘Ring of Fire’ includes Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthis in Yemen, as well as Iraq and Syria. The ring has been seriously weakened in recent times, but it is clear evidence of Iran’s intention to destroy Israel. Doubtless, Khamenei would be relying on the production of their nuclear weapons.

Israel is a small country – only twice the size of Yorkshire – and the ‘Ring of Fire’ has long been calling for its destruction. 

Israel says that its IDF Intelligence Directorate “has collected and analysed vast quantities of intelligence materials that reveal the [Iranian] regime has a concrete plan to destroy the State of Israel, which they call ‘The Destruction of Israel Plan’.” It continues: “In parallel to the efforts of the Iranian regime to obtain nuclear weapons, the regime has focused on manufacturing tens of thousands of missiles and UAVs, and is advancing plans for a combined ground offensive against Israel on multiple fronts simultaneously.” This “involves undermining the regimes in Egypt and Jordan, to enable a coordinated attack across every frontier.” 

Israel needed to attack Iran

Netanyahu, the prime minister of Israel, has for some time been calling for an attack on Iran, in order to destroy its potential nuclear weapons. He no doubt ordered the attack on Iran’s nuclear bases when he did because he did not believe Iran would keep to any peace agreement brokered by the US, as previous rounds of negotiations had come to nothing. He saw it as a very necessary action. Israel is a small country – only twice the size of Yorkshire – and the ‘Ring of Fire’ has long been calling for its destruction. 

Some people question whether Iran was close to developing nuclear weapons. It does seem likely. Israel, of course, was convinced of it, and the Jewish state is normally renowned for its military intelligence. The International Atomic Energy Agency report, mentioned above, says they were. Iran has been excluding international inspectors from checking its nuclear facilities. Since the inspectors already knew Iran had reached 60% uranium enrichment, why would Iran prevent them entering if they weren’t much closer to creating a nuclear weapon? 

Some people also think that the attacks by Israel (and the US) on Iranian nuclear facilities were irresponsible and illegal. However, there are reports that Israel avoided some nuclear targets which would have caused catastrophic nuclear contamination. (For example, see the Center for Strategic and International Studies report “The Fallout Factor in Targeting Iran’s Nuclear Program”). 

As for the legality of the attacks, it seems to me that this is covered by Israel’s right to protect itself from total destruction, which is by far the lesser of two evils.

As for the legality of the attacks, it seems to me that this is covered by Israel’s right to protect itself from total destruction, which is by far the lesser of two evils. However, one key question remains: has Iran still got the capability to produce nuclear weapons? If so, next time, it will be more determined.

Conclusion

We need to pray for safe settlements of the Israel-Iran and Israel-Gaza conflicts: 

• that the Israel-Iran conflict will not recur and develop into a larger war, with other countries becoming involved on the side of Iran. 
• that any remaining nuclear bases in Iran will be destroyed.
• that Iran’s extremist regime will be removed.
• that Hamas will be finally defeated and the Israel-Gaza conflict ended, so that Israel is protected. 
• that all those innocent people who have been injured, bereaved, or deprived of food – including the many thousands of Palestinians who have lost multiple family members, along with their homes, livelihoods, education, and communities – will know the healing and provision of God.
• that Israel will ask God for forgiveness for where they have erred and will enter fully into God’s purposes for her.
• that Revival will come to Israel and “all Israel will be saved.”

Endnotes
1 Only West Jerusalem came under Israeli control in 1948. It was 1967 before they gained control of the whole city.
2 West Bank: Today, Area A, 18% of the West Bank is administered by the Palestinian National Authority; Area B, 22% of the West Bank is administered by the Palestinian National Authority and Israel; Area C, 60% of the West Bank is administered by Israel.
3 Official Palestinian Authority daily Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, June 23, 2025