We are in Charlotte, NC now on our way to Alabama for our final screening on the Fall US tour of “With God On Our Side“. We have had a great two weeks traveling around the country and have had many good discussions.

Last night we were at Renovatus Church in front of a full house. During our Q & A session, we were interrupted by someone claiming to be a Messianic Jew saying that our film was biased, propaganda, and he said the audience should not listen to Stephen Sizer whom he dubbed “a PhD Liberal”. Instead everyone should get the whole story and research for themselves the facts. Now while I disagree that Stephen Sizer is a “liberal” (besides, who says Liberals are always wrong?) I agreeded publicly with him that people should begin to research more and to see what is going on over in the Occupied Territories and Israel. That is one of the goals of “With God On Our Side” – to bring a different perceptive and facts that are not generally talked about in the U.S. – especially in churches. It never ceases to amaze me that “balance” is never brought into the discussion unless it’s the Palestinian stories that are being shared. I doubt our friend would be so adamant about “the other side of the story” at an event that was sharing his opinion on Israel and Palestine.

But one of the things he said stood out to me as an example of rhetoric without reason (nothing lacking in Zionist propaganda) was when he said the settlements on the hilltops were there for security for the State of Israel. They need to be there for “military reasons”. First of all, maybe in 1950 that would be true or a palatable excuse. But we live in a world of satellites, missiles and remote control everything. Soldiers often sit in control rooms in another parts of the country or in some cases around the world to control weapons and drones. But he brought up a much more serious point. If he is right that Israel uses the settlements as a security buffer and moves it’s civilian population into such settlements – are they not using their population as a security barrier? Is this also why there are so many incentives to move low income families there? This is called human shields and what they accuse their enemies of doing?

I was amazed that an adamant supporter of Israel would make such an accusation against the State of Israel. Then again, it’s what happens when blind zeal overrides the facts on the ground.