Jewish, Israeli in West Bank / Gaza

Introduction / History

The West Bank is the land west of the Jordan River. To the east is Jordan, and to the north is Israel. Israel annexed this land during the Six-Day War in 1967. Arab nations have repeated their efforts to have this land returned to the local Palestinians, but Israel wants to keep it. Political leaders keep seeking a two-state solution that would make this area set apart for Arab Palestinians, but neither side is getting what they want, and compromise is difficult.

What Are Their Lives Like?

Nearly half a million Jewish Israelis have settled in the West Bank, and in 2021, Israel prepared to establish an additional 1300 settlements in that disputed area. Jewish Israelis have built pleasant homes and continued their lives, but the nearby Palestinian population deeply resents them. There is a strong Israeli military presence. Palestinians consider the Israeli settlements a violation of international law. Hamas and Hezbollah terrorist groups are making things worse through indiscriminate killings and kidnappings. There are some Israelis and Palestinians trying to build friendships, but those who do are often suspected of being spies. Peace is tenuous in the West Bank.

What Are Their Beliefs?

Though they are diverse in their adherence to Jewish doctrine, the Israeli Jewish people are committed to the rebuilding of the Temple. Many attend local synagogues for prayer, worship and to study the word of God. But nothing can replace the Temple in their hearts and minds. They go so far as to believe that any generation that is not committed to rebuilding the Temple is guilty of its destruction. Even secularized Jewish people yearn for the Temple to be rebuilt, though their motivation is for secular reasons rather than religious ones.

Judaism is roughly divided into three streams.

Almost half are Hilonim, secularized Jews. Their identity is in the nation-state of Israel, not in the Jewish religious system. They participate in Jewish rituals such as the Passover Seder and lighting Hanukkah candles because these reinforce their identity as being Israeli and culturally Jewish. They usually oppose shutting down businesses and public transportation on the Sabbath.

The Datiim are religiously devout Jewish people who believe in the God of the Bible and usually attend Jewish religious services. Unlike the most fundamental Jewish people, they want to travel the world, produce productive businesses, and get involved with politics and the military. They will not ride public transportation on the Sabbath or open their businesses for religious reasons.

The Haredim are the most religiously devout of any Israeli Jewish group. Their close friends are all within the Haredim community, and they will not marry outside their group. They are noted for being secluded from the rest of society. They dress far more conservatively than other Jewish groups. Haredim men usually attend religious institutions. There is an ongoing controversy about their exemption from military service. They have their doubts about the legitimacy of Israel as a nation-state because they believe the Messiah has not yet come to establish Israel.

These people are committed to the rebuilding of the Temple. Many attend local synagogues for prayer, worship and to study the word of God. But nothing can replace the Temple in their hearts and minds. They go so far as to believe that any generation that is not committed to rebuilding the Temple is guilty of its destruction.

What Are Their Needs?

For hundreds of years, Jewish people dealt with severe persecution in Russia, Germany, Spain, and, to a lesser extent, other parts of Europe and Latin America. Their persecutors often used Christianity as an excuse to mistreat them. For this reason, most Jewish people want nothing to do with Christianity or Christ s followers. This is a major impediment to spreading the gospel.

Prayer Points

Pray the 21st century will be a harvest time for Israeli Jewish people in the West Bank.
Pray for Israelis to rise above traditions and seek Yeshua as the Messiah for all Jewish people.
Pray that good fruit will come from efforts by Christ s followers to reach out to them.

Text Source:   Joshua Project