Twenty Points for Peace

Thann BennettNewsPoliticsFaith
Written By Thann Bennett

Israel has agreed to yet another proposal to end the war between Israel and Hamas. The 20-point plan was produced by the White House and agreed to by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Hamas is reviewing the proposal.

If Hamas agrees to the proposal and both sides move to execute its terms, the overall aim of the plan is to accomplish a “deradicalized terror-free zone” in Gaza, and the first step is an immediate end to the war, beginning with an Israeli withdraw and the release by Hamas of all remaining hostages. Humanitarian aid would then flow into Gaza and a “Board of Peace” chaired by U.S. President Donald Trump would oversee a temporary transitional government.

Analysis and eternal perspective: “Seek peace and pursue it.” That is your charge and mine out of Psalm 34:14. It encompasses so much, beginning with the internal personal peace offered through Jesus as a result of surrendering our lives and wills to Him. But taken in context with the rest of scripture, including the call in Matthew 5:9 to be peacemakers, we are absolutely meant to be agents of physical peace in our world, as well.

That, of course, does not automatically mean that every proposal to end conflict is just and worthy of embrace. True and lasting peace requires the protection of the innocent and the afflicted (Is. 1:17), and governing authorities have a duty to secure terms that make that protection possible (Rom. 13:3).

The Israeli government has determined the terms of this deal to be a satisfactory path forward, and the world waits to see if Hamas will arrive at the same conclusion. As we wait, we should continue to pray fervently for those still held hostage. May those who are weeping return with songs of joy (Ps. 126:6)!

The following article originally appeared in Thann’s “The Equipped” Weekly Newsletter. For more information on Thann’s weekly email, click here.



Thann Bennett

Thann Bennett is the Founder and President of Every Good Work, which exists to equip Jesus followers for a life of impact. His weekly newsletter, The Equipped, helps Jesus followers engage current events through a lens of the True and the beautiful. Thann and his wife, Brooke, are co-Founders of A Fearless Life, which works to find and fund a family for every adoption-eligible foster child in America. Thann has more than two decades of high-level public policy experience, with a particular focus on the U.S. Congress and the United Nations. He is the author of In Search of the King and My Fame His Fame. Thann and Brooke live in southern Maryland with their three children: Jude, Gambrell, and Hope, as well as a host of farm animals. The Bennetts are longtime members of the National Community Church family in Washington, D.C.

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