U.S. students rally not for violence, terror or murder, but Israeli hostages!

 January 8, 2024

This story was originally published by the WND News Center.

College-age students in recent months have protested for the destruction of Israel and the elimination of Jews. They've protested those violent guns. They've opposed racial fairness in education. They've objected to limits on pornography for children. They've defended Hamas terrorists who murdered innocent civilians.

But there are those students whose goal in life isn't the perpetuation of hate and violence.

For example, a group of some 300 students representing Passage is Israel recently marched on the U.S. Capitol wearing shirts that read: "Christians Stand With Israel," advocating for the Israelis held hostage by the terrorists in Hamas.

The organization works to teach the biblical story in Israel, organizing trips to the Middle East, "because we believe that exploring where it happened enables us to discover our role in that story."

Its mission includes offering Christian students a life-changing experience that strengthens their identity in Christ and exposes them to the complex realities of modern Israel and the Middle East.

The organization reported its 300 Christian students made a public statement.

"We are here in our nation’s capitol to demonstrate that there are young Christians in America who stand with Israel and the Jewish community," CEO of Passages Scott Phillips said. "We will always equip our thousands of alumni to stand against the evils of antisemitism and to build lasting bridges of friendship with Israel."

The march was assembled, in part, after students and others were unable to complete planned trips to Israel because of the Hamas war on Israel, launched on October 7 when hundreds of Hamas terrorists attacked Israeli civilians, murdering at least 1,200.

The organization reported, "Because many young people couldn’t travel to Israel this winter, Passages brought Israel to them through an educational experience in Washington, D.C. in which young Christians were equipped as advocates for their faith and Israel and the Jewish community."

Mattanah DeWeitt, a spokesman for the organization, said, "The definition of what’s right came from God through the Jewish people. God promised Abraham in Genesis 12 to bless all the nations of the world through his family. And God promises us today, that those who bless the descendants of Abraham will also be blessed. In recognition of this, we invite you to stand with our friends in Israel and the Jewish community in the United States.

"Especially when they face the bitter, abiding reality of antisemitism. If we are to stand for what’s right, we must start here."

Topics addressed during the Washington events included a focus on the Bible and its Jewish heritage, a study of the Holocaust Museum, and more.

The events reminded young Christians "of how their faith compels them to stand firm for what’s right and against evil—especially the evil of antisemitism."

Rivk Kidron, Passages co-founder and former adviser to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pointed out how sometimes her work feels like a "drop in the bucket."

But, she said, the father of one of the hostages, noted, "Yes, it’s a drop in the bucket. But someone else will put in another drop, and soon enough, it will turn into a tsunami that will bring our people home again."

Robert Nicholson, co-founder of Passages, explained, "The Israel-Hamas war has given us as Christians tremendous moral clarity. I’ve never been more convinced of the righteous necessity of standing with Israel and the Jewish people than I am right now."

Latest News

© 2024 - Patriot News Alerts