Why the war in gaza matters

A class with Gary Burge from Sunday, November 17

This class explored the tragic events of October 7, 2023 and the remarkable aftermath of Israel’s sustained fight with Hamas, looking at the origins of this conflict and how it might be resolved.
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Gary M. Burge, PhD, is a recently-retired professor of Biblical Studies at Wheaton College and Calvin Seminary. He is the author of Whose Land? Whose Promise? What Christians are not being told about Israel and the Palestinians and Jesus and the Land. The New Testament Challenge to ‘Holy Land Theology.'

Other resources

Signed by most of the protestant organizations in the West Bank and Gaza.  

Churches for Middle East Peace

Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) works to encourage US policies that actively promote a comprehensive resolution to conflicts in the Middle East with a focus on the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict.
United Nations 
News Bulletins regarding Gaza

Blood Brothers by Elias Chacour 

As a child, Elias Chacour lived in a small Palestinian village in Galilee. When tens of thousands of Palestinians were killed and nearly one million forced into refugee camps in 1948, Elias began a long struggle with how to respond. In Blood Brothers, he blends his riveting life story with historical research to reveal a little-known side of the Arab-Israeli conflict, exploring whether bitter enemies can ever be reconciled. This book offers hope and insight to help each of us learn to live at peace in a world of tension and terror. 
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Whose Land? Whose Promise? by Gary Burge
This surveys the historical turning points over the centuries, describes the present situation on the ground, gives an overview of theological issues, and introduces us to some of the Palestinian Christian leadership.
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Jesus and the Land by Gary Burge
This accessible volume describes first-century Jewish and Christian beliefs about the land of Israel and offers a full survey of New Testament passages that directly address the question of land and faith. Respected New Testament scholar Gary M. Burge examines present-day tensions surrounding "territorial religion" in the modern Middle East, helping contemporary Christians develop a Christian theology of the land and assess Bible-based claims in discussions of the Israeli-Palestinian struggle. 
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The Other Side of the Wall. A Palestinian Christian Narrative of Lament and Hope by Isaac Munther
Munther is the Palestinian pastor of the Lutheran Christmas Church in Bethlehem and is presently one of most recognized Palestinian Christian voices during this conflict. Per Gary Burge: "The book is published by InterVarsity Press which shows how mainstream Munther’s voice is now. It is a good thing to listen to the voice of someone who is from the region."
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I Am a Palestinian Christian: God and Politics in the Holy Land: A Personal Testimony by Mitri Raheb
This is an older book (1995) written by perhaps the leading Christian Palestinian intellectual in the West Bank.  The former pastor of the Lutheran Christmas Church in Bethlehem, Raheb is now founder and president of Dar al-Kalima University College in Bethlehem. He’s a prolific writer today (50 books to date)  but this may be his first book where he explores his own identity as a young man in his 30s.  He appears on media regularly (BBC, CNN, “60 Minutes,” etc...) and has done countless podcast interviews.
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A Wall in Jerusalem. Hope, Healing, and the Struggle for Justice in Israel and Palestine by Mark Braverman
 Braverman is an American Jew who is trying to understand this conflict from within his own Jewish framework. Remarkably, he leans into Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount to build his case.
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American Evangelicals and Modern Israel: A Plea for Tough Love by Fred Martin
Martin has been a pastor and Christian church leader for almost 40 years. This is his story of rethinking the narrative about his own faith and Israel/Palestine. It is a great overview of the historical and biblical issues.
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The Hundred Years’ War on Palestine: A History of Settler Colonial Conquest and Resistance by Rashid Khalidi  
He’s a professor at Columbia University and perhaps the most highly acclaimed Palestinian scholar specializing on this issue.  This is a complex book and should likely be your second or third “read” on the subject.