by Rev. Noor Sahawneh– Mafraq, Jordan

Do you cheer for Barcelona or Real Madrid? It’s a silly question for a life-and-death situation, but that’s how the Arab world often feels — watching two sides fight, neither of which truly represents our hopes, while we remain powerless in the stands.

It has been more than two months since the end of the war between Iran on one side and the U.S. and Israel on the other. Yet Gaza continues to die. Its children are still being killed daily. The West Bank is suffocating under occupation, and the Arab world watches in anguish.

If I were Jewish, I would be disgusted — not only with my leaders but with myself for being associated with their actions. Israel’s daily massacres in Gaza, its repeated strikes on Syria and Lebanon, and its ongoing dispossession of Palestinians have made it a pariah in much of the world. Israeli citizens are shunned internationally, and their leaders are wanted for war crimes. Any person of conscience would recoil from being part of such a system — one that kills children through sniper fire, bombing, and even the deliberate blocking of food and medicine.

In Gaza alone, over 10% of the population has been killed or wounded. For perspective, applying that percentage to the United States would mean 34 million Americans dead or injured. Since 1948 — and even before — Israel’s policy has rested on ethnic cleansing, massacres, and land theft by settlers backed by its military. This is not simply a matter of politics; it is a violation of every principle of justice, mercy, and international law.

And yet, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu openly proclaims his vision of a “Greater Israel” — encompassing not only the West Bank and Gaza, but Lebanon, Syria, and beyond. This is nothing less than a declaration of war against the Arab world.

If I were American, I would feel deep shame over the role of my political and religious leaders in enabling this. Washington’s unconditional support for Israel has made the U.S. not merely an ally but an active partner in war crimes and genocide. On multiple occasions, the United Nations moved to stop the slaughter in Gaza, but the U.S. vetoed those resolutions. Former President Donald Trump even mused about “buying Gaza” — as though its land, and its people, were commodities to be traded. Who would he buy it from? What would happen to the people who live there? The answer points to one thing: ethnic cleansing.

As Christians in the Middle East, we are particularly pained by the unwavering support of many American evangelicals for Israel, based on their interpretation of biblical prophecy. This theology, as applied in politics, ignores the core teachings of Jesus about loving one’s neighbor and showing mercy. It distorts the gospel into a political weapon and alienates Middle Eastern Christians from their brothers and sisters in the West.

The reality is stark: Israel is not a theocracy guided by God’s justice. It is a secular state engaged in military occupation, land theft, and the killing of civilians — including Christians. Churches have been damaged, Christian homes in the West Bank attacked by armed settlers, and the Christian presence in the region is steadily shrinking. If evangelicals truly care about the “cradle of Christianity,” they should be investing in humanitarian and spiritual support, not in the machinery of oppression.

This political theology was on full display in early 2025 when Israeli leader Netanyahu visited the U.S. Before meeting with President Trump, he met with fourteen prominent American evangelical leaders, not Jewish religious figures, underscoring where his most fervent religious support lies. Among them were Franklin Graham, Tony Perkins, Robert Jeffress, John Hagee, and Paula White. Their embrace of a state engaged in war crimes is indefensible biblically and morally.

Not all evangelicals agree with this path, and many in the U.S. oppose the occupation and killing of innocents. But their voices are often drowned out by those who equate prophecy with political allegiance to Israel.

If I were European, I would feel powerless — watching my leaders bend to Washington’s will despite public outrage over Gaza. Street protests and court rulings in Europe have made little impact on a policy shaped more by American pressure than by moral principle.

But I am Arab. And that leaves me with a bitter truth: in this global game, we are spectators, our fates decided by others. Yesterday’s “terrorists” are today’s “liberators,” presidents are overthrown, and our role is reduced to waiting for instructions, cheering for one side or the other, knowing we will lose regardless.

During his early 2025 visit to the United States, Prime Minister Netanyahu convened a private meeting with fourteen prominent American evangelical leaders — a symbolic nod to the political and theological alliance that underpins much of U.S. support for Israel.

According to public reports, those present included:

• Franklin Graham – President of Samaritan’s Purse
• Tony Perkins – President of the Family Research Council
• Robert Jeffress – Senior Pastor, First Baptist Church Dallas
• Jim Garlow – Former Senior Pastor, Skyline Church, San Diego
• Ralph Reed – Founder and Chairman, Faith & Freedom Coalition
• Mario Bramnick – President, Latino Coalition for Israel
• John Hagee – Founder and Chairman, Christians United for Israel
• Jentezen Franklin – Senior Pastor, Free Chapel, Georgia
• Michael Youssef – Founder, Leading The Way
• Matt Staver – Founder and Chairman, Liberty Counsel
• Mike Evans – Founder, Jerusalem Prayer Team
• Paula White – Director, White House Faith Initiative Office

This gathering was not a theological seminar; it was a political alignment. These leaders, influential among millions of U.S. evangelicals, have consistently framed support for modern Israel as a biblical imperative — often without addressing the daily realities of occupation, civilian deaths, and the shrinking Christian presence in the Holy Land.

And so, despite all the suffering, Gaza still bleeds. Palestine remains under occupation. Christian Zionists continue to preach their theology of domination. Arab Zionists continue their music festivals as if nothing is happening.

It is time for American evangelicals who still support Israel to wake up — not only to the political reality, but to the spiritual reality that their witness is being compromised. The Kingdom of God is not built on bombs, blockades, and bulldozers. It is built on justice, mercy, and truth

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• Reverand Noor Sahawneh is the pastor of the Christian and Missionary Alliance Church in the city of Mafraq, north of the Jordanian capital