Letter: Who Really Caused the “Rubble?”

Dear editor:

While many people, including Bruce Ticker, may interpret “Jesus in the Rubble” as support for the “Jesus was a Palestinian” lie, or even support for Hamas, I would like to offer a different view. (“Column: Jews Who Get Slapped – By Tasteless Creche Displays. A Cue to Revisit Tax Breaks?” Boulder Jewish News December 19, 2024.)

The Christian Bible recognizes that Jesus was a Jew. The Gospel of Luke notes that Jesus was circumcised on the eighth day following his birth and that he attended synagogue regularly on Shabbat and even preached to the congregation. 

https://christianity.stackexchange.com/questions/63838/had-jesus-formally-been-given-authority-to-preach-in-the-synagogue

So, “Jesus in the Rubble” may be an attempt to show that Jesus cares about the suffering of the Palestinians, just as we Jews say that God mourned with us in  our exile. 

https://www.pbrenewalcenter.org/blog/shekhinah-the-indwelling-presence-of-god/#:~:text=Throughout%20history%20whenever%20the%20Israelites%20were%20in,over%20the%20people%20wherever%20they%20find%20themselves.

The problem is that the displays make no attempt to identify who is causing the suffering. It isn’t Israel, the nation whose people were attacked by Hamas; the nation which is fighting (a just war, fully obeying the rules of armed combat) to prevent Hamas from fulfilling its vow to continue inflicting Israel’s people with horrendous atrocities. Rather, Hamas is the source of the suffering of the Palestinians in Gaza who have been living under Hamas’ (mis)administration for nearly two decades. Instead of developing Gaza’s  economy, Hamas spent $1,000,000,000 building an extensive network of terror tunnels, embedding the fortifications so deeply amid the populace that there is no way that Israel could respond to Hamas’ attacks without causing some civilian casualties. (West Point’s Major John Spencer has stated that Hamas is using the people in Gaza as human sacrifices, not human shields.) 

https://www.recorder.com/MyTurnBean-55154843

If I am correct that churches displaying “Jesus in the Rubble” aren’t deliberately supplying moral support to Hamas, attempts to change their tax-free status would probably not win court approval. However, no matter what is displayed in church yards, we should be working to ensure that our tax dollars are not going to support terrorism. America should not be sending money to the Palestinian Authority as long as the PA continues to pay lifelong stipends to Palestinians who answer the call for violent resistance to the “Occupation” (Pay for Slay). Instead of telling Israel to supply more humanitarian aid to Gazans, the US should be telling Hamas to stop stealing supplies intended for the people’s use. And, instead of slowing arms delivery to Israel, we should be telling Hamas to free the hostages and order its fighters to surrender.

Toby F. Block
Atlanta, GA 30341