Israel Blasts Global Evangelical Event in Bethlehem as 'Shameful'

Israel has described a gathering of global evangelical leaders that opens today at Bethlehem Bible College as "unacceptable and shameful" for its intent to manipulate religious sentiment for political purposes.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs statement, issued to Israel Today—an Israel-based news agency with a mostly Christian readership and pro-Israel stance—was critical of the Christ at the Checkpoint conference, which runs from March 10-14 (live streamed here) and is now in its third year.

The Sunday [March 9] statement reads:

 The attempt to use religious motifs in order to mobilize political propaganda and agitate the feelings of the faithful through the manipulation of religion and politics is an unacceptable and shameful act. Using religion for the purpose of incitement in the service of political interests stains the person who does it with a stain of indelible infamy.

According to comments made by the unnamed MFA official, the Israeli government considers some of those involved in Christ at the Checkpoint to be hostile to the state of Israel's existence.

"We have already actively targeted specific participants in the conference, as well as leaders of the groups who will attend the event, in a coordinated effort to expose them to our side of the story," the MFA told Israel Today. Concerns include possible connections to the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement.

However, the posted schedule for Christ at the Checkpoint includes several leaders who come from a cross-section of the Christian community and don't represent a sole point of view on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the two-state solution proposal, or the peace process.

"The people I know who are attending represent diverse points of view," Dale Hanson Bourke, author of The Israeli-Palestine Conflict, told CT. "Many are very supportive of Israel and my understanding is that the conference is a place for discussion and debate, not propaganda or manipulation."

The pre-event news statement shares this information:

More than 25 speakers from Israel/Palestine and abroad will share at the conference, including Geoff Tunnicliffe, secretary general of the World Evangelical Alliance, and Joseph Cumming, who previously served as the director of the Yale University Divinity School's Reconciliation Program.Messianic Jewish leaders Evan Thomas and Daniel Juster will be present, along with Holy Land Trust director Sami Awad, Palestinian Bible Societydirector Nashat Filmon, and Bethlehem Bible College president Jack Sara.

As conflict and bloodshed spread hatred and animosity in the Holy Land, Christ's call for Christians to be peacemakers who stand lovingly against injustice is needed more than ever. In Sami Awad's words: "Peace is not just negotiated agreements between politicians. Peace is the process of building trust and respect between the peoples of the land. To be able to see each other with new eyes. To be able to really understand who the 'other' is... Trust and respect are the foundations."

Other speakers include: Ruth Padilla DeBorst, director of Christian Formation and Leadership Development with World Vision International; Bob Roberts, founder and senior pastor of NorthWood Church in Keller, Texas; and William M. Wilson, president of Oral Roberts University.

Previous Christ at the Checkpoint events have been accompanied by controversy. The involvement of Lynne Hybels, author of Nice Girls Don't Change the World and whose husband Bill Hybels founded Willow Creek Community Church, has drawn significant criticism after she spoke at previous events. Hybels will not be attending the event this year.

Lynne Hybels, in 2011, addressed her critics, saying:

I believe followers of Jesus ought be outspoken in their support of peace and safety for all Jews, and the right of Israeli civilians to live without being subjected to rocket fire and suicide attacks. At the same time, Iwholeheartedly support justice for the Palestinians. In 2008, at a conference in Amman, Jordan, Arab Christians challenged me to broaden my understanding of the Arab-Israeli conflict, to listen to the stories of Palestinian Arabs forced from their homes and villages during the founding of the State of Israel, and to see for myself the current plight of Palestinian Christians and Muslims living under Israeli military occupation in the West Bank. Since then, I have made repeated trips to Israel and the Palestinian Territories.

Messianic Israeli leader, Dan Juster, a scheduled speaker (click here for the full list of the 2014 scheduled speakers), has written a statement to Palestinian Christians calling them to speak out against Muslim repression of religious freedom.

...they emphasize suffering under Israel and not under the rule of the Arab Muslims. Maybe this is so they can address one injustice realm without being killed.

Juster is calling on Messianic believers to write a statement that addresses injustice in Israel and Palestinian-controlled areas, but also notes that inside Israel, "There are more human rights here than in any other [Mideast] country (west of the green line)."

The Telos Group, which recently advocated in a Washington Post op-ed that evangelicals take up a "pro-Israeli, pro-Palestinian, pro-American, and pro-peace" position, highlighted The Jewish Week's assessment of the Christ at the Checkpoint conference and whether Jews should be worried at the younger generation of evangelicals.

The event will be livestreamed from Bethlehem. A group of Messianic believers has started an online petition critical of Christ at the Checkpoint.