 DECEMBER 3 • 2020 | 11

of prayer, especially when that 
prayer is to the Creator. As 
much as it’s the case that Israel 
cannot have too many friends, 
another thing to which most 
would agree is that you can’t 
have too much prayer. 
Israel’s independence was 
a theological tsunami. Until 
then, most of “the Church” was 
rooted in centuries of thinking 
that God was done with the 
Jews. That we had not yet been 
restored to Israel fed this notion, 
paradoxically undermining the 
faith of its adherents. If nothing 
else, Israel’s independence was 
affirmation that not only was 
God not done with us, but that 
He has affirmed His promises 
vis a vis the Jewish people as in 
the Torah. 
The return of the Jewish peo-
ple to Israel after thousands of 
years in exile is not only not a 
coincidence, but a fundamental 
prooftext of the Text, a founda-
tion which Jews and Christians 
have in common. The impera-
tive before us is to build upon 
that, for these and many other 
good reasons. 
Years ago, a Christian friend 
gave me a copy of an article 
from a 1947 magazine, demon-
strating how Christian support 
for Israel is not new. I knew that 
but read the article anyway. 
The writer narrated his 
sympathy watching Jews who 
had survived the Holocaust 
descending from ships in Haifa. 
Everything was great, until the 
end. The final paragraph reflect-
ed on the roots of replacement 
theology in “the church” by 
noting that God had essentially 
abandoned the Jews. 
It was ironic that my friend 
didn’t see the contradiction of 
this. Christian support for Israel 
does pre-date 1948, is increas-
ing, evolving and should be 
embraced. 

 

Jonathan Feldstein is president of the 
Genesis 123 Foundation.

Magen David Adom is Israel’s official ambulance, blood-services, and 

disaster-relief organization. MDA has been on the front lines in the 

fight against coronavirus while also contending with terrorist attacks, 

car accidents, and other threats to Israeli lives.

But Magen David Adom is not government-funded. Its 25,000 EMTs 

and paramedics, most of them volunteers, rely on support from 

people like you for the supplies and equipment they need to perform 

their lifesaving work. 

There are many ways to support Israel, but none that has a greater 

impact on its people than a gift to Magen David Adom. 

Your support isn’t just changing lives 

— it’s literally saving them. 

Support Magen David Adom 

at afmda.org/chanukah

afmda.org

FOR EMERGENCY MEDICAL CARE, 
WHO DO ISRAELIS DEPEND ON? 

THEY DEPEND ON YOU.

