Why Christians for Israel supports projects in Judea and Samaria
Christians for Israel has been supporting humanitarian projects in Judea and Samaria for over twenty years. What do we do there, and why does Christians for Israel support these projects?
Christians for Israel has been supporting projects in Judea and Samaria, also known as the West Bank, for over twenty years. The projects we support there are all located in the so-called C areas, under Israeli administration. According to the Oslo Accords (a binding agreement signed in the 1990s between Israel and the Palestinian Authority), it is established law that Area C is both inhabited and administered by Israel.
The majority of our donations are directed to the organization CFOIC (Christian Friends of Israeli Communities). Through CFOIC, we support a range of projects, including playgrounds, a home for at-risk girls, hospital equipment, a daycare center for children with disabilities, and food assistance for poor families. The aid we provide to the Jewish residents of Judea and Samaria represents three percent of all donations from Christians for Israel. Christians for Israel also supports individuals in Area A (which is under the control of the Palestinian Authority), providing food parcels for Palestinian families and organizing summer camps for Palestinian children. The aid we provide to Palestinians also constitutes three percent of the donations.
Following the Hamas massacre on October 7, 2023, Christians for Israel established an emergency fund. From this fund, Christians for Israel provided emergency support to three Jewish organizations in Judea and Samaria. The residents were concerned that terrorism against Jews might escalate in the region. In response, Christians for Israel allocated 43,000 euros from the emergency fund for emergency packages, fire extinguishers, safety vests, and a camera system. All of our donations are earmarked, and our partners provide reports on how the funds are spent.
Why are there Jewish residents in Judea and Samaria?
Much has happened in the region since the founding of the State of Israel. In 1948, the Arabs rejected the proposed partition plan because they did not want a Jewish state. Following the war that ensued, the area was occupied by Jordan. This occupation was only recognized by Great Britain and Pakistan and lasted until 1967. During this time, all Jews were expelled from the area, despite the fact that Jews had lived in Hebron and Jerusalem for centuries.
In 1967, when numerous Arab states attacked Israel again with the aim of destroying the Jewish state, Israel conquered the region. Since then, Jews have returned to the area. The Jewish state has been willing to give up most of Judea and Samaria in exchange for peace on several occasions, but these offers were consistently rejected.
Judea and Samaria in the Bible
If you read the Bible, you will see that the entire Promised Land is referred to as ‘God’s inheritance’. In fact, the land does not even belong to the people of Israel (Leviticus 25:23). According to the Bible, Israel cannot do whatever it wants with the land. It is given to God’s people to live there, in proximity to Him, and to honor Him. The Bible describes it as God’s dwelling place on earth, the center of the world, where His Kingdom will one day come, and the temple will be a house of prayer for all nations. Jewish tradition holds that it is the site of paradise, and we find several references to this in the Bible. In Isaiah 51:3 for example, we read: ‘He will make her deserts like Eden, her wastelands like the garden of the LORD.’ God calls it the ‘navel of the earth’ (Ezekiel 38:12).
Jerusalem in the Bible
Many Christians do not realize that the Palestinian territories also include the Old City of Jerusalem. The Bible states that Isaiah and Jeremiah prophesied there, that God’s house on earth was there, on the Temple Mount. The Mount of Olives is where the Messiah was and will be. Jesus was crucified and rose from the dead in Jerusalem, and the Holy Spirit was poured out there. The Bible predicts that God’s Kingdom will come there, and the heavenly Jerusalem will descend there on earth. There is no place in the Bible more holy and important.
Support for the inhabitants of Judea and Samaria
We believe that Jews have the right to live there, based on both biblical and historical reasons. However, we also believe that Israel has the right to be there based on other arguments.
We find it special that Jews live in Judea and Samaria once again, both from a biblical and historical perspective, and based on the wishes of the Jews themselves. Many of them do so because they are convinced that this is the very land where Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob lived. We also want to support Jews there, so they can live in safety and build the country. This should not come at the expense of the Palestinian residents. The Palestinians we support in Bethlehem also want to live in peace. That is what we stand for and what many long for. The area is disputed, but the Bible states that there will be peace for the Jewish people and the inhabitants, who will inherit with the tribes of Israel (Ezekiel 47:21).
