Jordan (MNN) — As President Trump’s plans for US involvement in Gaza continue to take shape, ministries in Jordan prepare for an influx of relocated Palestinians. Samuel with Redemptive Stories hopes the forced resettlement will not happen.
“The position of our region has always been that Palestinians deserve the right to stay in their land, and that to simply move them out because of their security issue or any reason really – even by international law – has been determined to be an inappropriate action,” he says.
Trump’s recent rhetoric has changed the region’s geo-political game. Regarding Trump’s head-to-head with Jordan’s King Abdullah II, Samuel says we need to pray for divine intervention that would lead to a palatable solution for Jordan’s king. Trump has threatened to cease aid to Jordan and Egypt if the leaders of those countries do not agree to take in Palestinians. In deciding whether to comply with this request, King Abdullah II must weigh the interests of his countrymen against his relationship with the US.
“His tenure as king of this land would be in deep jeopardy if he were to say yes and accept them because his country is populated by 70 percent Palestinians,” Samuel says.
Most Palestinians in Jordan are not in favor of more refugees joining them there. This is not because they are upset to see more people from their homeland, Samuel says. Rather, they see the move to accept refugees as a cave to pressure.
“It is an acquiescence to a forcible denial of their right to their own land, which has already been denied to them for 75 plus years,” he says.
Image courtesy of hosny salah via Pixabay.
The UN Refugee Agency describes Jordan as “one of the world’s largest refugee-hosting countries per capita.” It hosts approximately 2 million Palestinian refugees, defined as people “whose normal place of residence was Palestine” between June 1, 1946 and May 15, 1948, and “who lost both home and means of livelihood as a result of the 1948 conflict.” Because this distinction is extended to descendants, the total population of nearly 6 million Palestinian refugees represents a broad demographic with varying histories and levels of current need. The unique background and challenges of Palestinian refugees can muddy the waters of dialogue and decision surrounding them. From a ministry standpoint, Samuel is clear:
“We are ready to care for more refugees always. It is part of the DNA of this country. That being said, this is a situation that feels very different than other ones that we’ve dealt with in the past.”
He says many organizations are praying about and preparing to help on the ground in Gaza.
“There are various conferences coming up that were planned in order to come together to discuss what organizations can do by going in and helping rebuild and restore everything that has been broken because of the war,” Samuel says.
Whether imminent decisions are an outgrowth of political power plays or sincere regional investment, Samuel sees God’s sovereignty as a firm standing ground for believers. Still, he hopes the Gazans will retain their current position.
“It to me would be a missed opportunity for the Gospel if ultimately [the Palestinians] are forcibly removed again. And it would create different opportunities for the Gospel because God is always working. But ideally for our region, and for the stability of our region, there would be some solution that would allow the Gazans to stay in Gaza.”
Featured image courtesy of hosnysalah via Pixabay.
