Middle East

“The ultimate solution is to embrace the hope of Christ and the New Covenant he offers to both Jew and Gentile, to the people of Israeli and of Palestinian descent as well as to Muslims.

“Many expressed relief at the prospect of an end to the two-year war but pointed out that ceasefires have been broken before.” - RNS

• Israel’s 9/11: The Need for Moral Clarity - TGC
• ‘People of Israel need our prayerful support,’ say US faith leaders from coast to coast as war continues - Fox

“Seventy-two years after the creation of the modern state of Israel, growing numbers of Arab and Muslim nations are reaching what should be an obvious conclusion: the Jewish state is here to stay, and it makes sense to establish diplomatic and trade relations.” - Fox

“Ancient Persia is modern-day Iran (the name was not changed until 1935). Iran has been hard at work building a Shiite Crescent through Syria (where it supports President Assad) and Lebanon (where it supports Hezbollah). To Arab Muslims, Iran’s expansionism and drive for nuclear capacity constitutes an existential threat.

Middle Eastern politics are more volatile than ever and longtime alliances are shifting. Here’s a guide to who’s on whose side in the escalating chaos

Christianity faces being wiped out of the “biblical heartlands” in the Middle East because of mounting persecution of worshippers