Farewell to Israel

 

Yesterday one of Ruth's sisters and her husband left Israel for the United States after living there for about 35 years. Anne is a step-sister, a decade younger, but they once shared a bedroom and they have a warm, fun-loving, meaningful relationship. When we visited them last year they were wonderful hosts, taking us to many of the places we wanted to visit even though we'd been to Israel before and to locations we weren't aware of which proved to be gems. 

They were aware of their impending retirement from the Southern Baptist church and had high hopes for other family visits before returning to the US. This didn't happen, in large part because of the terrorist attacks by Hamas militants on October 7, 2023 and the subsequent invasion of Gaza by Israeli forces. They lived with the strain of uncertainty for months, with warning sirens for missile attacks and fighter jet overflights as regular occurrences. They lived close to the West Bank and spent time in Eilat as part of their ministry, a southern city that came under fire from Houthi missiles. 

We knew before we visited them that we didn't share their theological outlook in many areas although we could see their Christan devotion and knew that it was genuine. Since October 7 we became even more aware of differences due to their devotion to Israel seemingly regardless of the destruction in Gaza. This is the reality of evangelical Christians from the United States who have an unwavering commitment to Israel. 

Just the same, we have stayed in regular contact and have been concerned for their safety and psychological well-being. We were aware that places we enjoyed together, including in Galilee are now off limits and under threat. You may have seen that there are significant forest fires in Northern Israel sparked by Hezbollah rockets in areas we spent time.

We are saddened that they are leaving the country they love, this now even more "unholy land",  the place of decades of ministry, under these circumstances. Israel is no longer the place they've known for years and the country is becoming an international pariah because of the disastrous decisions of the Netanyahu government. Citizens are deeply divided, the economy is faltering, protests grow.  As I've noted before, they were not allowed to become Israeli citizens so it's hard to know how or when they might return although we figure they'll find ways. 

We will pray for them as they return to the United States and decide on what the future holds. We're relieved that they departed unharmed and will be in proximity to their adult children again.