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Draft:Munther Isaac

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Munther Isaac is a Palestinian pastor and author based in the West Bank, Palestine.

Early life and education

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Isaac was born in 1979 in Beit Sahour, Palestine, into an Orthodox Christian family.[1] As a child, Isaac witnessed the First Intifada, including protests and curfews. In response to a tax strike organized by the residents of Beit Sahour, Israeli soldiers seized residents' possessions, including Isaac's family car.[2][1]

Isaac was studying civil engineering at Birzeit University when the Second Intifada began.[1][2] The Israeli military's response to the Second Intifada angered Isaac, and he resolved to find a way to help his fellow Palestinians. He decided to study theology,[2] completing an MA at Westminster Theological Seminary and a PhD at the Oxford Centre for Mission Studies.[1][3]

Career

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In 2012, Isaac became the director of Christ at the Checkpoint, a conference which seeks to encourage and organize opposition to the Israeli occupation of Palestine among Christians, including Christians from other countries.[1][2] According to Isaac, the conference has contributed to more awareness of Palestinian viewpoints among Evangelical Christians.[2][4] The conference is hosted by Bethlehem Bible College, where Isaac became the academic dean in 2015.[5][2]

Palestinian pastor Mitri Raheb mentored Isaac and encouraged him to become a pastor. In 2016, Isaac became an ordained minister in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land (ELCJHL).[1] Isaac pastors two ELCJHL churches—one in Bethlehem and the other in Beit Sahour.[6][1]

In Isaac's book, The Other Side of the Wall (2020), he wrote: "Even as I am committed today to the urgency of ending the Israeli occupation, I need to remind myself that the goal in itself is not ending the occupation, but rather reconciliation.”[1]

Israel-Hamas War

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In November 2023, Isaac brought a letter from several Bethlehem churches to US President Joseph Biden urging him to end the Israel-Hamas War.[7][8]

That year, the nativity scene in Isaac's Bethlehem church depicted Jesus wrapped in a Palestinian keffiyeh and lying in a pile of rubble.[7] Explaining the nativity scene in a December 7 sermon, Isaac stated: "If Christ were to be born today, he would be born under the rubble and Israeli shelling."[7][9]

On Christmas Eve, Isaac preached a sermon entitled "Christ in the Rubble: A Liturgy of Lament"[8] in which he stated: "We, the Palestinians, will recover, as we always have... But for those who are complicit, I feel sorry for you. Will you ever recover from this?... we will not accept your apology after the genocide."[10][11]

In an April 2024 interview with conservative commentator Tucker Carlson, Isaac accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza and harming Palestinian Christians.[12][13] Additionally, he criticized Christians from other countries for supporting Israel in spite of its mistreatment of Palestinian Christians.[14][13] The interview, which garnered mixed reactions from American conservatives,[14][15][13] has been viewed over 19 million times on Twitter.[1][16]

Isaac has urged Christian leaders to advocate for Palestinians during the Israel-Hamas War. He has gone on speaking tours of churches throughout the US.[17]

Views??

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Isaac believes that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza.[1]

Isaac has criticized Christians in the US as being unsupportive of their fellow Christians in Palestine.[18]

Personal life

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Isaac met his wife, Rudaina, when he spoke at a Christian conference she organized.[18] They live in Beit Sahur with their two children. He is a Liverpool fan.[1]

Works

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Woodman, Sonja (2024-05-15). "Munther Isaac, a watchman in the Palestinian night". La Vie. Retrieved 2024-12-23 – via Oxford Centre for Mission Studies.
  2. ^ a b c d e f Zeveloff, Naomi (2022-03-21). "Munther Isaac: What Would Jesus Do at an Israeli Military Checkpoint?". University of Southern California Center for Religion and Civic Culture. Retrieved 2024-12-23.
  3. ^ "Christmas Lutheran Church - Bethlehem". ELCJHL. Retrieved 2024-12-23.
  4. ^ Bethlehem, Jayson Casper in (2018-05-25). "Christ at the Checkpoint in the Age of Trump". Christianity Today. Archived from the original on 2024-09-10. Retrieved 2024-12-23.
  5. ^ Farhoud, Amira (2015-10-27). "Munther Isaac our New Academic Dean". Bethlehem Bible College. Retrieved 2024-12-23.
  6. ^ Knell, Yolande (2023-01-22). "First woman pastor in Holy Land ordained". BBC News. Retrieved 2024-12-23.
  7. ^ a b c Jadou, Monjed (2023-12-07). "'If Christ were born today, he would be born under rubble, Israeli bombing'". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 2024-12-23.
  8. ^ a b "Christmas in Palestine: Bethlehem Pastor Slams Western Hypocrisy on Gaza & Religion". Democracy Now!. 2023-12-26. Retrieved 2024-12-23.
  9. ^ ""Ma fi Nifs": Palestinians Have No Heart for Christmas Celebrations While Gaza Is Being Destroyed". Jerusalem Story. 2023-12-22.
  10. ^ "'We Have No Joy': As Devastation in Gaza Continues, No Christmas Cheer in Bethlehem This Year". The Wire. 2023-12-25. Retrieved 2024-12-23.
  11. ^ "Munther Isaac sends a Palestinian Christmas message: 'We, Palestinians, will recover. We will rise.'". Middle East Monitor. 2023-12-24. Retrieved 2024-12-23.
  12. ^ Samuels, Ben (2024-04-17). "'The peace movement has failed': Why this U.S. evangelical wants to stop arming Israel". Haaretz.com. Archived from the original on 2024-04-21. Retrieved 2024-12-23.
  13. ^ a b c "Tucker Carlson exposes Israeli treatment of Gaza Christians". The New Arab. Archived from the original on 2024-05-29. Retrieved 2024-12-23.
  14. ^ a b Klett, Leah MarieAnn (2024-04-25). "Christian leaders criticize Tucker Carlson's interview with Munther Isaac: 'No mention of Hamas'". Christian Post. Retrieved 2024-12-23.
  15. ^ Smith, Ryan (2024-04-10). "Conservatives turn on Tucker Carlson". Newsweek. Retrieved 2024-12-23.
  16. ^ Carlson, Tucker (2024-04-09). "Ep. 91 How does the government of Israel treat Christians?". X (formerly Twitter). Archived from the original on 2024-12-14. Retrieved 2024-12-23.
  17. ^ Rhodes, Mick (2024-08-13). "A Christian voice for Palestine comes to Claremont". Claremont Courier. Retrieved 2024-12-23.
  18. ^ a b Bruton, F. Brinley; Jabari, Lawahez; Goldman, Paul (2018-05-05). "Christians in the Holy Land feel abandoned by American evangelicals". NBC News. Retrieved 2024-12-23.