Historical Wisdom and Modern Faith-Based Solutions for Peace in the Middle East- with Jonathan Feldstein

What if America's role in the Middle East is more pivotal than we ever imagined? Join us as Jonathan Feldstein dissects the ongoing conflict between Israel and Gaza, delving into the stark differences in policy under the Trump and Biden administrations. We'll explore the biblical and historical arguments for supporting Israel, touching on the Abrahamic covenant, and discuss how American leadership shapes the region's stability. This episode provides crucial updates and presents a roadmap for future strategic policies.

But that's not all—we're unveiling a visionary peace proposal for Gaza that steps beyond the failed two-state solution. Imagine a gathering of Christian volunteers rebuilding Gaza’s infrastructure, schools, hospitals, and community centers, inspired by love and compassion. Could Gaza transform into a flourishing city like Singapore? Hear about this ambitious plan and the essential role of faith-based initiatives in achieving long-term peace in the Middle East. Reflecting on wisdom from historical figures like George Washington and John Adams, we emphasize the need for a moral and religious foundation in societal transformation and call for active Christian engagement in these efforts.

Chapters

• 0:07 Faith, Culture, and Political Prioritization
• 11:13 Christian Peace Proposal for Gaza
• 22:40 Faith-Based Solutions for Middle East

Transcript

Rick Green

Welcome to Intersection of Faith and Culture. It's the WallBuilder Show. We're taking on those hot topics of the day from a biblical, historical and constitutional perspective, and the first two of those three definitely applies to what's going on in the Middle East that historical and biblical perspective and then our constitution applies in terms of how we respond to it and what we do as a nation. So we're going to talk a little bit more. Last week we had Omer Eshel on for an update of what's been going on in Israel since October 7th and mostly in the last few weeks and months. What's the American stance been? Have we been helping or hurting? And what's been happening over there. Today we're going to have Jonathan Feldstein on with us again. We're going to be talking about long-term solutions to the region and specifically to Gaza and what's been happening there. So, David, Tim, this is going to be one of those. We get caught up on what's been going on, but we're really looking forward to what's going to happen in the future and what would be some long-term solutions.

Tim Barton

Well, I think, too, it matters a lot as we're looking at elections and we're seeing some of the failed policies from the Biden administration which also happens to be the Harris philosophy from her administration of what happens in Israel when you don't have strong leadership, when you don't have strong support from America as supporting Israel. And as we're looking at elections, you and I are prepping for doing some TV shows leading up to the election and we're going to get into some of the guidelines the Bible lays out of how do you navigate prioritization of issues in elections and making sure, as Christians, that if the Bible addresses virtually any issue we can imagine, it gives us guidance or sometimes very specific direct commands on those issues. But in the midst of all of the guidance the Bible gives us that there is a prioritization in the Bible, and one of the things we can certainly look at is in Genesis, as God lays out the world and a lot of things worth noting when it comes to, again, political prioritization is the Bible starts off with in the beginning, god, and so you have to start with a worldview that there is a God, and then God created man, and so God is the author and the giver of life, and life is sacred and life is valuable. And he made them male and female, and so now we've established gender, and God put male and female together and made a marriage and made a family. So now you have marriage and family, but also, in the midst of that family, it would include things like parental rights, which could include a lot of things in the educational arena.

Well, as you go on through Genesis, when you eventually get to Genesis, chapter 12, which I say eventually, it's still very early in the Bible, but Genesis 12 is where you learn about the Abrahamic covenant, where God tells Abraham he's going to make him a great nation, his descendants are going to be as numerous as the stars in the sky and that when God makes him a nation, he says I will bless those that bless you and I will curse those that curse you. And as Christians, this is still supposed to be a thought that should influence us when it comes to our position with Israel. Not that we look at Israel and think Israel is always right or their leaders always make the best decisions, but as a general policy we should want to support Israel and there's so many verses we can point to. But I can already hear some Christians right now saying but wait, a second right. As Christians, we are now God's chosen people and it's a new covenant because there's a new Testament. And this is where we often remind people, go back and reread Romans, where the apostle Paul reminds that the Jewish people, they're the tree and as Christians we've been grafted into the root of that tree but we are now kind of co-heirs in what God has.

All that to say is we don't fully embrace this replacement theolog. Obviously, as Christians we understand it's by faith grace. So many thoughts that we can throw in there with doctrine, but also that the Lord is not slowly keeping his promise but that he wants all to come to repentance. There's a lot of thoughts theologically you can throw in there. Not to distract, because I want to come back to this is one of the reasons. That is, as we look to the political prioritization, very early on in the Bible there is a clear position of supporting Israel.

And if you look with the Trump administration and what they did with the Abraham Accords and there had never been peace like that in the Middle East and in our lifetimes until you had President Trump.

And then you had President Biden and Vice President Harris come in and they derailed so much of that. And of course, we've heard President Trump say that if he was president, what happened on October 7th it would not have happened under his leadership. I think there's probably a reason to believe that, because the other leaders in other nations knew this guy was just crazy enough that he might come after them. He might take them out if they did that, as he had done for some of these terrorists that had been leading things. But it is worth noting, as we prioritize issues, what happens in Israel does matter, especially for us as Christians and looking at America as a nation, with Israel being one of the most significant allies we have in the Middle East. This is why these policies do matter and why we really should spend a little time knowing what's going on, but also what should we do and what should we think going forward with our relationship with Israel 

David Barton

And looking at Israel, We've got two ways to look at it. One is it's in the news, what's going on right now which we've got to look at and we're going to look at that with Rabbi Feldstein here in a few minutes. But the other thing is that it's not just what's in the news, it's what's important for voting, and there's a lot of things that are not going to be mentioned much in voting. Israel is going to be one of those that doesn't get that much mention. If you look at the platforms and Tim you mentioned we're getting ready for 10 TV programs on this. Just going through the platforms, I think the Democrat platform is 95 pages. The Republican platform is 17 pages, and those 17 pages in the Republican platform, trump says here's 57 things that I'm going to do.

When you look at the Democrats, with 95 pages, oh my goodness, how many dozens of things do you want? And so Israel is actually higher on God's list than it is on Republican or Democrat's list. It's a big deal. And so, as voters, when we go in, we shouldn't say, well, here's what the Democrats are talking about, here's what the Republicans talk about. We should say, here's what God says is important.

And so when you look at, even when the Hebrew Republic was created, god gave Israel 613 laws and that's a lot of stuff to know what's right and wrong on. But he also gave them his top 10, the 10 commandments, and it's like, yeah, this is part of the 613 I just gave you, but I want to reemphasize these. I want you to understand how important these are, and that's where Israel falls. It's one of those things that's in the priority. It's right up front in the Bible. It's chapter 12. You've got a thousand chapters.

Chapter 12, we're dealing with how important Israel is as a perpetual covenant. So from a voting standpoint, we've got to think about this and what's going on Now from a news standpoint, we're going to look at this from the news. But in the same way, we are in election season now. We're just a couple months away from actually starting to vote on these things, and actually closer than that for some states. So this has got to be a priority issue as well for elections. But Jonathan Feldstein we've had him on several times and he keeps coming back with not only great updates but with great ideas on long-term solutions for part of the problem, and he's got one of those long-term solutions today.

Rick Green

We're going to talk to Jonathan Feldstein again when we come back. Stay with us. You're listening to the WallBuilder Show.

Break

Rick Green

Welcome back to the Wall Builder Show. Thanks for staying with us. Great to have Jonathan Feldstein back with us. We're getting a little update on what's been going on in Israel. But Genesis123 Foundation you can check it out genesis123.co. Great place for you to stay up on what's been going on and also be a help. Great to have you on back again, sir. It's great to be back with you, rick. Thank you, 

Jonathan Feldstein

it's great to be back with you, rick. Thank you.

Rick Green 

Well, it just seems like there's an effort to push this out of the minds of Americans right now. It's gotten really quiet with all that's been going on in Israel and of course, we have the I don't have a nice way to say it forked tongue administration that gives verbal support but then undermines Israel behind the scenes, and then, of course, so much to talk about and catch up on with the hostages and everything else, and it's hard to imagine that we're approaching a year here very soon. So we just had to get you back for an update and thank you. Thank you for coming on. Of course, pleasure. Well, where do you think we should start, because there is so much to talk about and so little time? So what do you think is most important for Americans to hear right now.

Jonathan Feldstein

Well, let's start with a 59-year-old father who just brought his 18-year-old son to enlist in the IDF today and that's a pretty powerful moment, very emotional seeing, not just of course, for us, but all the parents there, and you know what? It's an unbelievable point in pride. I had a meeting afterward and talking with a friend and how amazing that we have the privilege of being here, the Jewish people in the restored sovereignty in the land of Israel and the state of Israel massacre that took place ten and a half months ago. But we can defend ourselves. And it's such an amazing point of pride to be able to take your child to join the IDF and know that the two people who he's named for my great grandfather or my father's cousin were both killed by the Nazis and they had no one to defend them. And here we are, so that's a good place to start, rick.

Rick Green

You know it is. It's a great place to start because you know, sometimes it's in our toughest times, darkest hours whatever you want to describe it as that become our finest hours and a moment when you do get to step up and show courage and you do get to fight for what you believe in. It's actually a beautiful thing. So even in the midst of all the evil and what the enemy means for evil, God can turn to good. I love the fact that you started with that. That's a beautiful scene.

I can see it in my mind's eye right now. 

Jonathan Feldstein

I'll send you pictures. It's a beautiful, special experience and privilege. And as we were walking away, he's our sixth child, our youngest. He was the only one born here in Israel and as we walked away I said next is our grandson, who's five. Wow, and that'll be beautiful also, and sadly, he will have to serve and he will have to serve barring and we can talk about the big peace print proposal that we are pushing very hard. barring that happening in the next 13 to 15 years or actually taking ground. Yeah, my grandchildren will also have to be serving and they'll be in combat units, like my son-in-law was.

Rick Green

Your family epitomizes the price of freedom is eternal vigilance. I mean it literally is In fact, let's talk about that proposal. What would that entail and what do you think it takes to get something that big done?

Jonathan Feldstein

So it is something that big and that's why you know, honestly, initially, anyone who wants information. First, let me just not forget the website that we've set up solutionforpeaceingaza.com. Solutionforpeaceingaz.acom, , solutionforpeaceandgaza.com. And initially, I have to be very candid with you I wrote the idea in order to be edgy and in order to undermine the Biden administration's heavy push for a two-state solution, which has never worked, even though Israel's embraced it. It's never worked and it certainly can't work now. It'll come across as a gift, a reward for terrorists.

So what I wrote in this plan is that we need an army of Christians to go to Gaza to volunteer, to rebuild and rehabilitate everything, everything from under the ground all the way on up schools and hospitals, community centers, every element of education, health, playgrounds, residential buildings, everything. And it needs to be an army of Christians. And the reason why is that Christians have what's unique in the world true love for all human beings and express that and love Gazans have no ill will against Gazans and will want them to succeed. So by going in and being there and rebuilding and sharing their love and sharing their heart, their heart for God and their relationship with God, we have an opportunity and ability to change hearts, which is really the only solution.

We can't repackage Gaza as is in a different administration under different Arab or Muslim leaders and expect any different outcome.

So this is a big plan and I'm flying to the States on Monday in order to be able to roll it out, to get the significant funding that's necessary.

We've already gotten many people who've registered it the website solutionforpeaceandgaza.com for interest, who want to volunteer, who want to be part of it, who are donating, and we're really trying. Last thing I'll say on it we're really trying to create a groundswell, both top down among leaders in the US and in Israel and the United Nations, and even in the Arab world and I think I have a solid case as to why it might work and be accepted in the Arab world but also from the bottom up, because people reflexively talk about two-state solution, two-state solution, two-state solution, as if that's the panacea, as if it's the brass ring that everyone's trying to grab a hold of, and the truth of the matter is it won't work. So we need to create and propose this plan to get it out there, so this becomes the actual plan. Because, to be honest, 45 miles to my left here is the Mediterranean coast, and I'd one day like to drive to a Gaza that looks like a Singapore and get a kosher hamburger on the beach.

Rick Green

I love it. Solutionforpeaceingaza.com. I'm looking at the website right now, and a few months ago, when we had you I think it was May almost teased this a little bit, and now meat on the bones. I mean, now this looks really good, man. And so it's not enough for us to just say two-state solution doesn't work. It's not enough to just object to a plan. You have to have a plan when we object to those plans and that's what I love about what you've done here and it sounds like you're getting good responses from people. It's no longer just a oh, that's a dream that won't ever happen. They're starting to sink in that, wait a minute, we could do this. We can do it.

Jonathan Feldstein

It's huge.

It's essentially creating a vast multinational corporation with a staff of 100,000 to 200,000 people from all over the world.

With all due respect to my white Christian friends in Texas, it can't be a bunch of white Christians from Texas going into Gaza standing on street corners giving out Arabic Bibles and saying Jesus loves you. It needs to be much bigger than that. Where people roll up their sleeves and work with the Gazans, work with the Palestinians to rebuild their society and simply sharing the love for God, the love for Jesus that you have, will positively impact people, because a great line I used in one of the articles that's in the media page is that once the Gazans realize that Allah has failed them, that the radical Islam that they have been hijacked by and embraced and run with in such an obscene way doesn't work and I think that they're at the bottom or close to it this is that opportunity. This is that opportunity. And if you look at the quotes we have from world leaders, including Matthew Miller, from the State Department, including John Kirby right, they're all saying what are they saying? They're saying we can't defeat an ideology without a better ideology. What's that ideology. 

Rick Green

It is so good and this is the kind of thing that changes the world. I mean, these are the kind of and you alluded to this I mean a fraction of what has been given and misappropriated to build the tunnels and wage war, just a fraction would do this. And so for people to now marshal their resources towards an actual solution, that's something that I think really does motivate people and energizes them and gives them hope that this is not a hopeless solution a hopeless situation.

There is hope for how to do this the right way.

Jonathan Feldstein

I tell people in almost every conversation I'm an unwilling front man for this at the moment.

I'm an Orthodox dual citizen American, israeli, jew. I live over the Green Line in the Judean Mountains, which is pejoratively called the West Bank, which means I'm pejoratively considered a settler, and there's a stigma that settlers were supposed to hate the Arabs who live half a mile behind my back and were supposed to hate them and want to defeat them. I don't. I want them to succeed. I truly want to see a Gazan Singapore, and it should have been built 20 years ago when Israel unilaterally withdrew. They had their opportunity, they blew it and all of the death and destruction, frankly, is on them. I'm not saying that they get off scot-free with no responsibility, but I'm saying, if we really want what's good for the Palestinian Arabs, if we really want to see peace and prosperity, if we really want what the alleged pro-Palestinian but really they're anti-Israel, pro-hamas protesters outside the DNC this week are yelling about, if we really want what's good for them, I challenge anyone to come up with an actual, better solution. We have to change hearts.

Rick Green

It's reminiscent of Marshall Plan, or even I'm thinking in terms of when we sent Deming and others over to Japan to teach free enterprise and to teach basic life skills and societal organization that produces prosperity and all the good things that everybody says they want. It's very I mean, that's what it feels like to me, which is why I say this is huge. It's like only a few times in history has anything like this been done, but the world is watching and the world realizes the situation here, so it's a great time to rally the world to do something like this.

Jonathan Feldstein

The difference Rick with the Marshall Plan is like. The difference rick with the marshall plan is that the nazi party was in power for less than a generation. They didn't have a chance to indoctrinate generation. And it wasn't religious, it was national.

They believe that they're sanctifying their God and they've been indoctrinated with this for generations at least since Israel was founded, certainly before, since the beginning of the Muslim Brotherhood, generously 100 years ago, and so we're talking about multiple generations who have been brainwashed, and that's why this is a plan.

I wish we could wave a wand and it could happen overnight. It's not going to happen overnight and I pray that we're going to get 100,000 to 200,000 Christians to sign up and to join us and to come over and I say it jokingly, you know not just to stand on the street corner and say Jesus loves you, but really to roll up their sleeves and understand culturally what's going on, to really care about them, to love on them and show them that we love you, we care about you, we're here to build your future and we don't want you to go back in that evil way of the extremist Islam. That's not only damaging to you and you've seen it, you see now what happens as a result of it but it's also damaging to Israel, and Israel and the Jewish people they will learn eventually are not only not a part of the problem, but the fulcrum of the solution.

Rick Green

It is like you said. It's taken generations to get here. This is a generational plan here. This is not an overnight, you know next month going to happen. We have to think that long term. Absolutely love it, man. Solutionforpeaceingaza.com. Solutionforpeaceingaza.com what a great. I love this. This is. You know, so too often, when, when, when you, when you take on this issue or you talk about this issue or you interview anybody on this issue, you come away going what a mess, what a mess, what a mess. What you're saying is, and what you're giving us an image of and an actual plan for, is this is how you clean up the mess. This is, this is how you have a Singaporean right there next door to you that people want to come to.

Yes, there's light at the end of the terrorist tunnel.

Oh, that's good. That's good, that'll preach right there, brother. All right, hey, man, thank you so much. Let's do it again and not wait so long this time. Appreciate you coming on. God bless you, rick. Good to see you. You too, stay with us folks. We'll be right back with David and Tim Barton.

Break

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Rick Green

Welcome back to the WallBuilder Show, back with David and Tim now, and we're again talking about these long-term solutions for the Middle East. And I think part of what we hear in Jonathan's voice that often when you talk to people about this, there isn't a sense of this could actually happen. It's more of a this is just the way it's always been, it's always going to be that way. There's nothing we can do about it. And what he's saying is listen, there's some real positive work that could be done here and everybody can play a part in that, whether they actually go over, like he's saying, and volunteer and be a part of it or donate to it, but somehow be a part of it, but somehow be a part of it.

David Barton

You know, it's really important to or it was to me that his solution is based around Christians. Now here's an Orthodox Jewish rabbi saying here's the solution Christians, we need you. You got to come help fix this thing. And we need to get that perspective back in that there is a faith element. That is the solution for most of the problems we face. And so, as both parties try to go secular and keep God somewhat reduced, and so as both parties try to go secular and keep God somewhat reduced, at least they don't talk about him aggressively, actively, we got to remember that's where the solution is in so much of this, and I thought that was really cool the way Jonathan pointed out that that is part of the key to the solution for the long term in Israel.

Tim Barton

And I would point out too that that's one of the big issues that we are lacking in America as well. I was talking to a pastor just last week and acknowledging the decay of morality in our nation, the craziness that people don't seem to know some basic rights and wrongs. That shouldn't be that confusing. And this is where I reminded you know, I think if you go back to the 1960s, prior to the 1960s, I don't think this would have been confusing. But now that we have gone 60 years since the US supreme Court said no more prayer in schools, no more Bible in schools you have removed the moral foundations of rights and wrongs and we are not teaching kids from a moral foundation, we are not teaching kids that there is a God and God given standards that the ten commandments. That the ten commandments are part of the structure that God gave us of how to live and operate, ‘to love God and love people etcetera, etcetera, it is not surprising that we have fallen to that place.  

And I say this with, obviously the understanding that George Washington, when he talked about at his farewell address, religion and morality are the indispensable supports of our political prosperity.

When John Adams then becomes president the following year and he writes a letter to the militia of Massachusetts and he says our constitution was made only for a moral and religious people.

It's wholly inadequate to the government of any other, they were acknowledging that this thing only works with a faith component.

But the reason that matters is because that faith component it's not just what helps us be successful in America. It's fascinating that that, as you mentioned, you have an Orthodox Jewish rabbi who acknowledges that if we had some of that same faith component from Christians coming over into Israel, coming over into the Middle East, it could solve so many of the problems that we are trying to navigate, on different sides of the aisle that are both running and certainly you have on the Republican side, much more of the acknowledgement of God and God given rights. But even among Republicans we've seen the minimization of faith in some areas and levels and we have to remember, as people of faith, that it is our faith that makes a difference. It is the foundation of the Bible, the Word of God. It's what made America the nation we are. It's what made Israel the nation they were, and it's great that we have a good friend Orthodox Jewish rabbi acknowledging what they need in Israel. Same thing we need in America. We need more Christians who will come and do what the Word of God says and help reach the lost and turn things around.

Rick Green

Well, and a couple of those websites that we talked about in the program. I'm actually going to give you an extra one as well, but for the solution details go to solutionforpeaceingaza.com. Solutionforpeaceingaza.com. And then for the rabbi's main website. In fact, we had him on, I guess, a year and a half ago or so, about his book IsraelTheMiracle..com IsraelTheMirace.com, and then his main website, genesis123.co Genesis123.co. So a lot of websites for you there. Thanks so much for listening. Today You've been listening to the WallBuilder Show.