Poll

Where’s Palestine?

In the middle east🥰

Moon☽༊ ‧˚ {Free Palestine} wrote: "let's stop attacking ava guys, I dont think you realized she's understood now😭"

Thank you!!🫶

🫐ava 🫐 wrote: "Moon☽༊ ‧˚ {Free Palestine} wrote: "let's stop attacking ava guys, I dont think you realized she's understood now😭"

Thank you!!🫶"

they're prolly seeing ur first comment and not the rest

🐺🐴Missy🦄💕 wrote: "Where’s Palestine?"

i invited my friends:))

for those saying we shouldnt discuss politics here, isnt goodreads a platform for expressing opinions, communicating and exchanging views? be it through polls, reviews or comments. i see no wrong in starting a conversation on current events such as this one. its about being humane, not over political. even if it was political, we have freedom of speech and a right to have political views and express them. its a different thing to not want to get involved in politics (which is understandable), and another one to not want to learn and try to empathise with a literal genocide. you should be able to voice your thoughts anywhere, as long as they are not harmful.

Dea wrote: "i invited my friends:))

for those saying we shouldnt discuss politics here, isnt goodreads a platform for expressing opinions, communicating and exchanging views? be it through polls, reviews or ..."

tyy and I totally agree <3

Nour (semi-hiatus ~ FREE PALESTINE) wrote: "What's been going on (ty niyya)

Okay, so people call this a war but this isn't a war AT ALL. In 1917, when the British occupied Palestine, they made the Balfour Declaration, which says that they w..."

I am sorry but I would need to say that Israel was their in the beginning. God did give the Israelite the promise land. Also even history can show that the Israel were their first. And didn't also since you said what if someone went to where you live and told you to get out scenario. Tbh the Brittish and French sorta did that to the Native Americans. But instead they put on torture on them and made them slaves.

Guys, you can respond but remember, no matter how angry or upset you are, don't attack them

For those who say that Goodreads isn't a place to talk about 'politics' but rather books, I wish to inform them that books only started to exist to spread opinions and viewpoints and criticisms, sometimes directly while at other times through stories.

Thank you possum

ᥫ᭡Ava {Lando's & Oscar's version}ᥫ᭡ wrote: "Nour (semi-hiatus ~ FREE PALESTINE) wrote: "What's been going on (ty niyya)

Okay, so people call this a war but this isn't a war AT ALL. In 1917, when the British occupied Palestine, they made the..."

that may be true (idrk), but even in the jewish religion, God punishes the Jews by not allowing them to have their own land

Also guys I am Pro-Israel. Or tbh i am like middle ground like 51% Pro Israel and 49% Palestine. Anyways from the comments I see that people are mad cause of like the land and all. But tbh God gave the Israelites the land. It is written in history or you just haven't read the right book. Anyways I don't get it all. tbh but i know for a fact that Israelites have the right to have that land. Also I saw a comment about people who are Pro-Israel acc are private maybe you should think that they put it on private cause they were getting mean comments or maybe even PMs?

Nour (semi-hiatus ~ FREE PALESTINE) wrote: "ᥫ᭡Ava {Lando's & Oscar's version}ᥫ᭡ wrote: "Nour (semi-hiatus ~ FREE PALESTINE) wrote: "What's been going on (ty niyya)

Okay, so people call this a war but this isn't a war AT ALL. In 1917, when t..."

No God made the Jews wonder in the wilderness for 40 years. Then they got the land if you look in the Old testament in the Bible you can see in Joshua they go to the Promise land. Which is the land they are fighting on today.

The only thing that matters is not just the Bible. Look at history too. Would God want 40,000 people to be dead in order for them to get their "promised land"? The main thing about Palestine is Jerusalem and Jerusalem is sacred to all three monotheistic religions. One religion cant just take it all?

Also you are twisting what I said which is not my fave. Also the link to the web didn't work so i copy and paste it.

What does the Bible say about Israel and Palestine at war?
What does the Bible say about Israel and Palestine at war? First of all, let’s look at at the specific, biblical question: “Whose Side Are You On?” This is the question everyone wants to know the answer to as soon as someone mentions war in Israel. What does God say about war?

In any war, there is suffering, and mistakes are made on both sides. So then, how do we know whom to listen to, what is right, and whose side to be on?

I want to draw your attention to when this very question appears in the Bible. What is more, it was God’s great warrior, Joshua, who asked it.

Israel had just entered the Promised Land, after God told them to go take the land and wipe out its inhabitants. As Joshua was near Jericho, he encountered a man with a drawn sword. “Whose side are you on?” He asked.

It’s a fair question, given what they were about to do. But the response wasn’t what he expected. “No,” the armed man replied.

“No. But as Commander of the army of the Lord I have now come.”
That’s not how you answer an either-or question. What a strange thing to say, since it was the Lord who told Joshua to take the land. Why wouldn’t the commander of the Lord’s army be on Joshua’s side? Regardless, this was Joshua’s response:

And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped, and said to Him, “What does my Lord say to His servant?” (Joshua 5:14)

Joshua’s quick response to the Lord is equally humble and admirable. It showed that first and foremost Joshua was a servant and not a general. (Can we say the same about ourselves?)

The Lord then proceeded to tell Joshua what the battle plan was for Jericho. While it wasn’t what anyone expected, Joshua recognized who was in charge. It wasn’t him. The Lord had bigger plans for Israel and for the land He was giving them that was far above human plans.

Remains of Jericho
God’s Side
Ultimately, God is on His own side and is sovereign over all. God is just, and He is the One who has established what justice is, according to His terms.

He is God of heaven and the earth. As we learn from Noah’s day, He is grieved over what men do and His patience with mankind does not last forever.

The nations within Canaan in Joshua’s time were known to be brutal, wicked, and grotesquely immoral. Leviticus 18 describes it, and that it had been brewing for centuries. The land would be punished and would “vomit out its inhabitants” (Leviticus 18:24-27). God’s instructions were to completely wipe them out.

Similarly, the Amalekites were just as violently evil. They were the first to wage war on Israel upon leaving Egypt. They attacked the weak and tired stragglers from the rear (Deut 25:17-19).

Because of this, the Lord said He would have “war against Amalek from generation to generation” and He would “blot out their memory from under heaven”.

But doesn’t that seem a little harsh…?

What Did God Say About War?
No one likes war and suffering. We often don’t have the answers to the hard questions of why things escalate to such an extreme measure. What does God say about the war in Israel and Palestine? We do know that God is just and does not allow the wicked to prevail. “How” and “why” are His decisions.

God knows everyone’s heart and is able to deliver the righteous from among the wicked before their destruction. Although they were not blameless, He did that for Lot’s family in Sodom and for Rahab’s family in Jericho. In the same way, God knows every heart of those in Gaza right now; We do not.

Today, many in the west, even in Israel, have trouble understanding why, according to the Bible, God would wipe out entire cities or peoples. Then a few years ago, the world helplessly watched the shocking ISIS atrocities.

As if not to be outdone, the Hamas massacre of Oct 7 happened in Israel, graphically streamed live for the world on social media. The war broke out in Israel. Now many are beginning to understand why God would give those instructions.

Destruction from Hamas' October 7th massacre
Choosing Between Life and Death
What else can you do with an unrepentant and committed enemy, like Amalek or Hamas, whose goal is to massacre the innocent and weak. And no matter the cost, they are openly preparing the younger generation for the next opportunity to do it again!

While this love of death may be hard for western Christians to fathom, the Bible tells us exactly how God feels about that and how He will handle it.

Zechariah 12 says that by the arrival of our Messiah, all nations will gather for war against Jerusalem and God’s people. It may have been difficult to fathom before, but today we see that the world may be heading in that direction.

Jesus’ imminent arrival on the Mount of Olives will not be to love on those who hate Him this time. He is not coming to oversee mutual compromises or to discuss His enemies’ grievances.

According to the prophets, He is coming to defend His people, to execute His judgments on His enemies, and to establish His kingdom. He will be seated on David’s throne just as was promised. The Prince of Peace will establish peace on His terms and according to God’s justice.

I have no idea how He will sort all peoples in all nations, but He knows, and He will do it.

A Time for Peace and a Time for War
The real challenge for us during these chaotic times is to do what Joshua did. Ask God, “What does my Lord say to His servant?”

The answer to this question will be different for everyone – for those in the IDF defending their homes, for international leaders, for western Christians, and more.

Whatever the answer may be, we ought to remember that we are not the generals we sometimes think we are. We are servants attempting to follow His Word and avoid the distractions.

Imagine now for a moment if there were ancient social media reports from those in Jericho and Canaanite “influencers” in the time of Joshua. Can you imagine watching the daily reels and commentaries about these “violent desert tribes of freed slaves” (Israelites)?

“They are spreading unbelievable propaganda!”

The people of Israel keep talking about their God who wiped out the Egyptians and walked them through the Red Sea! And now, these warmongers are creating fear in the local family villages and are coming to invade peaceful Canaanite lands!

Whom would you believe? What does God say about war?

Israeli soldier praying at the Western Wall
Whom Should We Listen To?
What does God say about Israel and Palestine and war? Without God’s perspective, all the news reports and social commentaries on the war in Israel get messy and confusing. We must be grounded in His Word and His promises to understand.

Several years ago, I was leading a tour group to Jordan. We stopped for lunch at a place that had some English books about the region’s local history. As I flipped through one of them, I stumbled upon the ancient history section. I had to reread a few words a couple times, just to make sure I understood what I saw on the page.

It spoke of events 3500 years ago, when a group of Jewish tribes, led by their brutal warlord, “Joshua the Butcher”, conquered the region. According to this historical account, “Joshua the Butcher” brought war to a “peaceful Palestine”, and the Jews pillaged cities, stole livestock, and killed everyone they found.

While it was a curious take on biblical history, I decided not to buy a copy.

There are always multiple perspectives on every war. As humans, we want to know who is right and who is wrong. Ultimately, it was God who established that distinction, as He taught us how to tell right from wrong. Thus, we need His perspective.

What does the Bible say about Palestine?
With the ongoing conflict in the Middle East and biased western media reports, there are multitudes of opinions about right and wrong. In many circles, it is assumed that if you are “pro-Israel,” you must be “anti-Arab”. Or if you sympathize with the “Palestinian suffering,” Israel is the oppressor and thus your enemy.

I can see how Christians struggle with these contrasting views. Especially since both sides use the Scriptures to support their position. The Bible clearly lays out the past and the future of the people of Israel, God’s chosen nation. At the same time, it also teaches us compassion, charity, and caring for the needy.

Because of this difficulty of interpretation, some churches and pastors avoid this topic altogether. But this is a major mistake. Because the Word of God is very clear about some important events.

In the coming days, God will continue to move Israel to the center stage of the world’s attention. To ignore Israel is to become more irrelevant in our current world. And to ignore prophecies about Israel’s return to the land is to ignore God’s plan for the end of the age.

So, as Christians, whose side are we supposed to be on? Our answer is often the same as the one given to Joshua: “No.”

the history of Palestinians and the land of Israel
God’s Perspective on the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict
Take a moment to look at the letter to Ephesians. God “seated Him [Jesus] at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion…” (Eph. 1:20-21). And then, believers are “seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.” (2:6)

In short, this is actually our answer to the troubling question of picking sides. Believers are seated with Jesus above the spiritual powers behind these conflicts – including the war in Israel! And don’t get distracted, we are not seated there for the great views.

God’s plan for us is not to solely choose man’s side in a conflict, even if, like Joshua, we are acting on God’s instructions. But God wants us to see reality from His perspective. We need to be alert and watchful to see what He is doing and follow His lead.

Heart for Israel? Heart for the Palestinians?
Do you have a heart for Israel? Then walk it out knowing that God passionately loves the Arab people and nations, even the ones enslaved in hateful ideologies. He wants them to come to His House for All Nations while still allowing them to willingly choose.

Do you have a heart for the Palestinians? Then walk it out while honoring the imperfect Israeli sovereignty. In our day, and without a historical equal, God is bringing His scattered people back from the nations to their Promised Land. It is the fulfillment of almost every biblical prophet. And it just so happens that it has provided the most prosperous place for Arabs to live in the Middle East.

Like with Joshua, the Lord is not looking to back our position. It is not about us (especially in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict). He is looking for us to seek Him. We are to follow His plan and respond to His leadership.

Hope and Healing in the Middle East
Over the last few months, many people have been hurting during this war, both in Israel and in Gaza.

As believers, following the Lord means seeing things from His perspective and following His lead. We get to choose if we will get caught up in the polarizing sides… Or if we will bring hope and healing to those who are suffering and in the greatest need during this time.

What does God say about the war in Israel? Continue to pray for the peace of Jerusalem and look to Him, the commander of the Lord’s army, for instructions.

ᥫ᭡Ava {Lando's & Oscar's version}ᥫ᭡ wrote: "Also guys I am Pro-Israel. Or tbh i am like middle ground like 51% Pro Israel and 49% Palestine. Anyways from the comments I see that people are mad cause of like the land and all. But tbh God gave..."
If god gave them the land they wouldn’t have had to kick and kill millions of people to get it. Don’t get me wrong, I respect every religion being a religious person myself but NO religion has the right to EXCUSE to crimes !!!

Ik but how it is sorta like how can we stop a serial killer from stopping killing people. Sin corrupted both sides not just America and Israel but also the Palestinians. the Devil seeks to destroy first off God's people and the world God created. Cause SIN corrupted the WORLD.

Also side note people who are pro Israel and that they made their acc private is cause people send hate PMs or mean comments. Cause of what they believe.

ℋ𝒶𝓇𝓅ℯ𝓇 [ᴅᴏʀɪᴀɴ’s ᴠᴇʀsɪᴏɴ] (semi-hiatus til mid june) wrote: "You guys need to calm down. Goodreads shouldn't be a place where we talk about politics. It should be a happy community to talk about books."

This isn't political. Also what about all the political books on here. If this wasn't a political place then those books wouldn't be on here

And this is is Politics. This is literally the definition!
the activities associated with the governance of a country or other area, especially the debate or conflict among individuals or parties having or hoping to achieve power

So yes your spreading awareness but you are also sorta shoving your political views on someone else.

Storm The Gremlin Child ~Semi-Hiatus~ wrote: "ℋ𝒶𝓇𝓅ℯ𝓇 [ᴅᴏʀɪᴀɴ’s ᴠᴇʀsɪᴏɴ] (semi-hiatus til mid june) wrote: "You guys need to calm down. Goodreads shouldn't be a place where we talk about politics. It should be a happy community to talk about bo..."

You are twisting what she said seriously. yes there are political books but you guys are not using them in contexts here are you.

Yes but these are human lives. That's what you are not understanding.

Oh trust me I know what your saying. I know a lot about this kind of stuff. Yes these are human lives. But still I saw even a update saying that if you don't like politics and that is what GR is for and all then just leave. i am not going to leave cause ya'll can't handle your political views. You may be spreading awareness. But you still might hurt someone. Like I put out this is Political

Storm The Gremlin Child ~Semi-Hiatus~ wrote: "Yes but these are human lives. That's what you are not understanding."

And yet how come this war trumps over any other war?

woah how did this go to religion omg. “tbh God gave them the land”. land isnt “given”. it isnt “borrowed”. people make the land. they live and reside in it, and no one has the right to kick them out of it forcefully and inhumanely. it doesnt matter who “was there first”. nobody should tell you which country you get to call home. nobody gets to tear families and lives apart. it isnt about taking “sides”, being “wrong” or “right” in this matter. its just about being openminded and empathetic.

ᥫ᭡Ava {Lando's & Oscar's version}ᥫ᭡ wrote: "Storm The Gremlin Child ~Semi-Hiatus~ wrote: "Yes but these are human lives. That's what you are not understanding."

And yet how come this war trumps over any other war?"

It doesn't. Plus little fact don't compare war with war like how you won't compare history with history

Dea wrote: "woah how did this go to religion omg. “tbh God gave them the land”. land isnt “given”. it isnt “borrowed”. people make the land. they live and reside in it, and no one has the right to kick them ou..."

Thank you for saying that. I agree

Whatever I am done with this political topic. Honestly ya'll. And twisting others beliefs is so sad hope yo find something better to do.

ᥫ᭡Ava {Lando's & Oscar's version}ᥫ᭡ wrote: "Whatever I am done with this political topic. Honestly ya'll. And twisting others beliefs is so sad hope yo find something better to do."

You didn't need to comment here if you didn't wanna understand other peoples views and beliefs

ᥫ᭡Ava {Lando's & Oscar's version}ᥫ᭡ wrote: "Whatever I am done with this political topic. Honestly ya'll. And twisting others beliefs is so sad hope yo find something better to do."

ok ill try

ᥫ᭡Ava {Lando's & Oscar's version}ᥫ᭡ wrote: "Also you are twisting what I said which is not my fave. Also the link to the web didn't work so i copy and paste it.

What does the Bible say about Israel and Palestine at war?
What does the Bible ..."

not everyone is christian and reads the bible/ believes in god and she didnt twist it

I am listening but all I said every comment I made you guys twisted it to what you guys want to believe. This is to due with politics and religion. Bye bye hope you have a nice life!!!

Btw I have read the full Bible and from when I read it. That stuff was never said

ᥫ᭡Ava {Lando's & Oscar's version}ᥫ᭡ wrote: "And this is is Politics. This is literally the definition!
the activities associated with the governance of a country or other area, especially the debate or conflict among individuals or parties h..."

I agree with this but they did it to me and its better to just accept it and go with the belief that everyone can have different opinions and get along

ᥫ᭡Ava {Lando's & Oscar's version}ᥫ᭡ wrote: "I am listening but all I said every comment I made you guys twisted it to what you guys want to believe. This is to due with politics and religion. Bye bye hope you have a nice life!!!"

no one is twisting anything here. if youre gonna try and back up ur opinion, choose a good source for it. like a history book or a historical website, not a religious book.

Sorry but the Bible is true if you look at the same times as the Bible you can see there are comparisons.

you cant have the bible as a good source some people don't believe in God so you dug yourself a hole🤷

Ya I am an ex christian I don't believe in it

not everyone believes in God. you dont want politics shoved down your throat love? good. leave. i dont want religion shoved down mine either then.

this is a free space and no one is objecting you into reading every update on this poll au revoir

I would think the Bible could be a source for their belief, not with a genocide. I used to be a Christian too, the English version of the Bible has been twisted since it was written to fit standards and to go against people. I have watched multiple videos on how the English translation of the Bible has changed words and have twisted verses that were entirely different compared to its native language.

Dea wrote: "not everyone believes in God. you dont want politics shoved down your throat love? good. leave. i dont want religion shoved down mine either then."

SO REAL GO OFFF!

Niko ⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚ wrote: "I would think the Bible could be a source for their belief, not with a genocide. I used to be a Christian too, the Bible has been twisted since it was written to fit standards and to go against peo..."

exactly

ᥫ᭡Ava {Lando's & Oscar's version}ᥫ᭡ wrote: "Also guys I am Pro-Israel. Or tbh i am like middle ground like 51% Pro Israel and 49% Palestine. Anyways from the comments I see that people are mad cause of like the land and all. But tbh God gave..."

I didnt post this so I could hate on anyone, I just want to know where my friends stand bc I personally am not comfortable being friends with a israel supporter. it is nothing against you, I’m sure you are such a sweet person, but I dont think I’m able to be your friend if you truly stand with them. I’m sorry
and btw, most of the ppls accs were already on private. they are the ones sending us hate messages. there is proof if you want

♡ R a y ♡ sOO LoNG aNd gOOd NiGhT {Free Palestine} wrote: "ᥫ᭡Ava {Lando's & Oscar's version}ᥫ᭡ wrote: "Also guys I am Pro-Israel. Or tbh i am like middle ground like 51% Pro Israel and 49% Palestine. Anyways from the comments I see that people are mad caus..."

Yes but then we must confront the thing that is most people who are pro-Palestine want Israel to be taken over by Palestine because it’s originally their land but then shouldn’t North Macedonians take over Greece since its originally their land too? And Ukraine being taken over by Russia? Since it’s Russia’s land? I know you are not one of those but I’ve seen many say that so it really depends on what the person believes. Besides, we are not the ones who will decide the outcome of this conflict, it’s the governments who won’t listen to us or are silenced by the other governments.

Honestly every war should stop, no matter whose fault it was. It’s brutal and stupid, and does nothing for humanity.

Johanna -º^º——º-º- wrote: "Honestly every war should stop, no matter whose fault it was. It’s brutal and stupid, and does nothing for humanity."

So then are you pro-Palestine? Because that would be meaning you want the war to stop.

I'm not going to respond to every single person who said a very tacky or thoughtless comment, but I will say that you have no right to come into the discussion area, drop some random information from the Bible, get mad when people don't take it seriously (because spoiler: NOT everyone is Christian), and then back off when you feel like people "aren't listening" to you.

As for the history side of things, literally NO ONE mentioned taking other lands from other countries "because they were there first." No one brought up Greece or Russia and literally nobody brought up religion, so I don't get why these things are thrown in here now.

And yes, us having a decision and speaking out DOES make an impact on our government and the response that our nation's leaders make and etc. For example, I live in America and if there had been NO protests or awareness spread amongst the citizens, then I highly doubt that President Biden would have ever thought to start talking about a ceasefire in the first place. Imagine what starting a revolution on Goodreads would bring?! 😜

Politics is a normal thing that gets brought up on this platform ALL the time, people put their country flags on their profile bios, people will even state their freaking political PARTY, so if you're going to keep on calling this a "political thing," which it's not, then you might as well call out everyone else out who ever put an American flag right next to their name tag. 🙄

Yousra (is a tired student) 🇵🇸 wrote: "asiya | アセヤ (free palestine) wrote: "*sucks in breath*

Okay, guys. I invited EVERY SINGLE buddy (all 81 of them) that I have (who hasn't taken this poll yet), so fingers crossed that the results c..."

O.M.G. Thank you sooooo much!! 🥹 That's actually really encouraging, plussss, so many of my buddies actually voted pro-Palestine!! It made me feel so proud for them, I'm really happy that I'm not buddies when many zionists (I think I have one buddy whom I might remove). Oh my God. 😭