Diane Landberg is a psychologist and counsellor who has worked with survivors from some of the world’s most brutal conflicts. She has, I think, profound insight into the nature of power and I have found her helpful in ‘thinking Christianly’ about the events unfolding in Gaza today.

At least three big ideas run through Landberg’s book Redeeming Power. When applied to Israel’s actions in Gaza the picture which emerges is a dark one. In saying that please hear that I am distinguishing between the actions of a secular nation-state and Judaism – the two are not the same. To be critical of Israel’s government is not to be anti-Jewish.

The first is about the nature of power. Landberg’s key point is that it is how the powerful use power over those weaker than themselves, which reveals their true nature. So, for example, the real issue in a case where a man assaults an inebriated woman is not whether she was responsible in some way, it is that his actions reveal his character – what was in his heart.

“The exploitation of the vulnerable person tells us about the exploiter, not the victim of the exploitation.”

The Israeli Defence Force (IDF) is an immensely powerful military machine, armed by the Western powers of America, the UK and Germany among others. It has responded to the horrific Hamas attack of 7 October 2023 with utter ruthlessness against the entire civilian population of Gaza. Its actions constitute an immeasurable abuse of power and reveal something profoundly disturbing about the character of Israel’s political leadership. A great evil is being done in front of our eyes.

A second big idea of her book is how abusive power manipulates, obfuscates and deceives. Murderous regimes never tell the truth, they use language like Putin’s ‘special military operation’ in Ukraine, or the Nazi’s ‘final solution’ to eliminating millions of unwanted ‘pieces’ (human beings). Another way of saying this is that abusive power dehumanises “the other”.

Despite its name, the IDF has not acted defensively. The offensive in Gaza is part of a long-established strategy of illegally annexing further Palestinian land, including the West Bank, through violence, daily intimidation and misuse of power. The IDF is not, as Benjamin Netanyahu claims, ‘the most moral army in the world’. Their behaviour not only flouts international law and multiple UN resolutions, but also is sustained by a narrative of dehumanization. Palestinian people, made in the image of God, are described as ‘human animals’ (Yoav Gallant), ‘monsters’ and ‘barbarians’ (Netanyahu) and the war itself in genocidal terms as against the Amalekites – the enemy being a whole people who must be destroyed (Netanyahu, see 1 Sam 15:2-3). The terrible irony is that such dehumanising language echoes that of the Holocaust.

A third big idea of Landberg’s is God’s compassion for the vulnerable. Through no fault of their own, there are something like over 122 million forcibly displaced people globally as the result of persecution, conflict, violence, and human rights violations. They are among some of the most vulnerable people in our world and include the Palestinians of Gaza. A consistent theme in Scripture is of God’s heart for justice for the oppressed, the vulnerable, the alien and stranger, the widow and orphan (e.g., Deuteronomy 10:17-18; Luke 4:17-19; 7:36-50).

Gaza is now the most dangerous place on earth. Israeli forces have killed and injured many tens of thousands of people, the vast majority being children, women, and male non-combatants. Over two million have been forcibly displaced, constituting over 90% of the population. Civilians have been deliberately trapped in a warzone of indiscriminate bombing, destruction of hospitals and the virtual eradication of civic, religious, educational and cultural life. In the present fragile ceasefire, people are now returning to scenes of utter devastation of residential infrastructure, designed to make life in Gaza virtually unsustainable.

This is not of God! The prophets of Israel condemned such injustice in their day. Despite the complexity of the Israel-Palestine conflict, the ongoing tragedies cannot be justified. As Christians committed to peace making, we are called to oppose evil in all its forms, whether it manifests in individual actions or systemic structures. We cannot support or justify political evil, as it stands in opposition to the values we hold as followers of Christ.

As Christians, our ethical stance must reflect the principles of love, the sanctity of life, dignity, equity, and mercy. We are called to love and pursue the well-being of both Palestinians and Israelis. In the short term, this means a permanent ceasefire in Gaza and the safe return of hostages from both sides. Moreover, in the long term, the rejection of any theology that fails to extend equal love, justice and dignity to both Palestinians and Israelis, including the right to live in one’s own land in peace and freedom.

Please note that the statements and views expressed in this article of those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of Contemporary Christianity.

Editor’s note: SUNDAY 9^th FEBRUARY is Racial Justice Sunday. Next week we plan to issue two PS blogs on Racism.