Rite and Reason: It is disconcerting that God's plan for the Jewish people - their return to the land from which they were dispersed - is ignored by those who support the Palestinian cause, writes Susan Philips.
If any sense is to be made of the Palestinian/Israeli conflict it is imperative for writers to understand that politics and religion are inextricably intertwined. To even remotely suggest that the hatred and antagonism between the two is merely a matter of land, completely ignores the dictates of Muslim extremism where jihad (holy war) is not an option but a duty.
The very roots of this argument lie in a spiritual conflict between two opposing faiths and therefore can never be resolved solely through political initiatives or liberal ideological reflection.
The Church of Ireland is a broad-based church and therefore allows for diverse opinions in relation to biblical understanding. However, when John Couchman, writing in this column from his position as a delegate at the recent General Synod, discusses the Palestinian/Israel impasse and openly champions the Palestinian cause, it is disconcerting to find that in doing so he ignores the spiritual and Biblical exhortation to bless Israel.
He prefers to adopt an anti-Semitic stance in his open support of Hamas, a recognized terrorist group whose demands include "a single Palestinian state from the sea to the sea". Their recent elections may indeed have been under democratic rules, but does that confer legitimacy to an internationally-labelled illegitimate organization?
As Europe sped towards the Holocaust in the 1930s, similar misplaced liberal support helped keep the train for Hitler's final solution firmly on the tracks.
Central to the Israel/Palestinian dispute is that land which was for centuries the home of Jewish people, was conquered by Muslim armies in the 7th century and generally remained under their control until the Ottoman Empire was disbanded after the first World War.
It is important to understand that within fundamental Islam it is considered an abomination for land that was once Dar al-Islam (land controlled by Muslims) to become Dar al-Harb (land where the struggle for ownership continues).
This explains why Muslims are waging war along the edges of the Islamic world in countries such as Chechnya, Indonesia, Somalia, Kashmir, the Philippines, Sudan and Ethiopia and why those behind the Madrid bombings spoke of the return of the Spanish city of Seville to the "lost paradise" of Al Andalus. The Moors left Spain in 1492!
Meanwhile Israel has had to fight five wars in order to survive the barely 50 years of official statehood. It is of little wonder that although they do react to international pressure and recently, for example, withdrew from the Gaza, they also resort to fences, checkpoints and some pretty brutal retaliation in order to preserve their existence.
Actually, many know that the concept of some "land for peace" will never lead to a settlement because Muslims see it as their religious duty to cleanse all land previously under Muslim rule.
And even if the international community managed to herd Israel into a patch the size of a tennis court, the Palestinians will demand more.
But at least on this point Hamas are totally upfront with both their manifesto and rhetoric demanding the total destruction of Israel. Such aspirations are summed up by Imam Sheikh Ibrahim Madhi who was reported as stating in a Gaza City mosque recently: "We are convinced of the future victory of Allah; we believe that one of these days, we will enter Jerusalem as conquerors, enter Jaffa as conquerors, enter Haifa as conquerors, and all of Palestine as conquerors, as Allah has decreed." How on earth can anyone do business with that sort of opinion?
Jewish and Christian belief places the roots of their faith in the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and understand from the Old Testament that God's plan for the Jewish people was always to include a physical return to the land from which most were dispersed by the Romans.
Christian replacement theologists like to see such God-given promises as spurious and confused, but the fact remains that against all odds the Jewish State was established by the United Nations in 1948, fulfilling biblical prophecy.
Many argue that as Christians we should support the existence of Israel as it faces the vast opposition of the Islamic world. As the Quartet (US, Russian Federation, EU and United Nations) discuss the holding back of funding to the Palestinian people, perhaps we should wonder why it is that we never hear about any serious alternative funding by their oil-rich Arab neighbours.
When John Couchman refers to the "superb" record accorded to Hamas in areas of social provision, some might wonder what he makes of their official policy of honouring/financing those who offer their sons and daughters to the fire of suicide.
The inference that Arab Christians are suffering due to Israeli aggression is to totally ignore the Muslim practice of dhimmini where Christians in Muslim jurisdictions are relegated to second class citizenship with rights to property and participation totally limited.
In recent times, Islam has been particularly harsh to the Christian population of the Middle East and Christianity leads a precarious existence in the region, with the Copts of Egypt fearful for their future or in Saudi Arabia where churches and the Bible are totally banned. Interestingly, the only country in the Middle East which has genuine freedom of religious practice is Israel.
Come on guys, let us here in the West wake up to the threats on our doorstep and not even consider lending credence to Hamas, a regime fully intent upon a 21st century Holocaust. Ireland has not always had a very good record in relation to its treatment of the Jews, and it behoves us as a nation to demand the right of "God's chosen people" to survive and thrive.
Susan Philips has been a delegate to the Church of Ireland Dublin and Glendalough synod and was for several years an independent member for Wicklow County Council.