ISHMAEL AND ISAAC: THE BIRTH OF THE ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN CONFLICT?
By Michael Ireland
ISRAEL
(ANS) -- As Salim Munayer of Muslaha Reconciliation Ministries was
driving in his car with his family listening to the Bible on tape, he
was taken aback.“It all goes back to Isaac and Ishmael.”“….
Internationally and in this region, people and publications link the
stories of Abraham, Isaac, and Ishmael to the current political
situation in the Middle East. Often in our experiences on a Musalaha
desert trip or conference, we have heard people repeating, 'There is no
hope for an end to this conflict; it goes all the way back to Abraham,
Isaac and Ishmael,' " Munayer writes....
"Certain myths
concerning Ishmael prevail that perpetuate division, and hinder
reconciliation and evangelism. A careful reading of the Hebrew texts on
the character and experience of Ishmael, as recently written about by a
number of scholars, challenges these suppositions....
MYTHS ABOUT ISHMAEL
Rejected by God?
Munayer
says that one prevailing myth is that Ishmael, because he was not the
son of the promise, was cursed and rejected by God. "Glen Skirvin
disputes this notion, 'What is so often overlooked by Bible
commentators is the tender care and concern – and yes, love – that God
demonstrated toward Ishmael and his mother Hagar throughout their
lives… The Lord made specific promises to him, the likes of which he
has made to few other men – namely that He would bless him and build a
great and prosperous nation from him….' "...Ishmael was not removed
from the blessing of the covenant."Maalouf writes: "Ishmael was put
under the Abrahamic blessing through obedience to the rite of
circumcision…
Enmity with others?
Munayer says it is also
important to note that Ishmael and his descendents did not live in a
state of constant enmity with their brothers and neighbors. Ishmael was
circumcised as part of the Abrahamic covenant, and it is clear that he
came together with Isaac to bury their father (Gen. 25).
Wild Man?
Another
myth that concerns Ishmael’s character is based on the verse that calls
him a “wild donkey of a man,” Munayer says."This verse conjures a
negative image in the mind of the reader, an image that is projected on
to the Arab people, implying as one commentator suggested, that Ishmael
is 'the father of a great tribe of wild, hostile, people.''
"A
closer look at the context indicates differently, Munayer states. "This
title, pere-adam in Hebrew, refers more to his freedom found in a
nomadic lifestyle. The book of Job uses the same term, in a classic
description of the pere-adam as an independent, wilderness survivor,
who avoids the sedentary life....
..."These are brief examples
of misperceptions that many have about Ishmael that can have
implications in peoples’ attitudes towards Arabs and Muslims, also
extending to the modern day conflicts between Arabs and Jews. Such
misperceptions can cause a deterministic or fatalistic view of the
relationships between Jews and Arabs. They can also lead to
dehumanization of Muslims, to such a degree that they are even
considered beyond or outside the redemptive act of Jesus on the
cross."...
...The same God who predicted a shining Messiah’s
glory over a faithful remnant of the Jews (Isa. 60: 1-3) foreordained
the drawing of the Arab faithful remnant to the glory of salvation
light (60: 5-7)....
Building Bridges ACROSS the Barriers
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