Israel Had Their 9/11; Lessons from Ours?
On October 7, 2023, Hamas terrorists infiltrated Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking hundreds hostage. Israelis immediately called it their 9/11, and they were right. Like Americans after September 11, 2001, Israelis woke up to a new reality: the illusion of security shattered, the vulnerability of home exposed, the recognition that evil can strike anywhere.
Twenty-five years after our 9/11, what have we learned? More importantly, what lessons from our tragedy might help Israel navigate theirs?
In terms of my faith, three things stand out.
1) Theological Differences Matter, and It’s Ok
After 9/11, some well-meaning voices tried to meld Christianity, Judaism, and Islam together as “Abrahamic faiths,” claiming these religions have more in common than not. This is intellectually dishonest and pastorally dangerous.
Christianity and Islam differ fundamentally on:
The nature of God (Trinity vs. strict monotheism)
The person of Jesus (divine Son vs. prophet)
Salvation (grace through faith vs. submission and works)
Scripture (inspired witness vs. dictated text)
The problem and solution (sin/redemption vs. shirk/submission)
These are not minor theological quibbles. They shape entire worldviews, moral frameworks, and visions for human flourishing.
Pretending we all believe the same thing doesn’t create peace. It creates confusion and resentment. Real peace begins with honest recognition: we believe different things, and those differences matter deeply.
After 9/11, I realized the importance of being able to say clearly: “I am a Christian. I believe Jesus is Lord. I believe the gospel. And I respect your right to believe differently.” This clarity doesn’t divide us. It gives us solid ground on which to stand together as neighbors and citizens.
Israel’s situation is more complex because the conflict is not merely theological but also political and territorial. But the principle holds: peace begins with honest recognition of difference, not pretended unity
2) Dialogue Matters
After 9/11, I led a class at our church reviewing the basic theology of Islam, its history, and Christian-Muslim relations. The best part was a site visit to the Masjid Al-Haq mosque in Orlando. The Imam and his wife welcomed us for a meal and an evening of discussion. A few weeks later, we hosted them at our church for a similar evening.
What I learned that night: theological difference doesn’t require personal animosity. The Imam and I disagreed on nearly every major doctrine. We were honest about that. But we shared a meal. We laughed. We discovered shared concerns about raising faithful children in a secular culture. We found common ground in our commitment to prayer, to hospitality, to serving our neighbors.
This is citizenship, not syncretism.
As a Christian, I want to model a pattern of engagement that I hope leads to greater understanding. I am confident in the gospel. Sitting at table with a peaceful Muslim leader (note: peaceful matters greatly in Israel’s situation) does not compromise my faith but rather demonstrates it. Jesus ate with tax collectors and sinners. Surely I can share hummus with an Imam.
Israel faces a different situation. Hamas is not interested in dialogue. They have stated openly their goal to destroy Israel. You cannot dialogue with an organization committed to your annihilation. Yet, the vast majority of Palestinians are not Hamas. The vast majority want what we all want: safety, dignity, opportunity for their children. Dialogue with them is both possible and necessary.
3) Differences and Dialogue: It’s Just Smart Citizenship
A Muslim friend, newly arrived from Turkey, once told me she was afraid of being attacked by “Americans who lived outside large cities.” I knew her fear was exaggerated. But I also knew her fear was real to her. Post-9/11 rhetoric had done its work.
I tried to reassure her. While many Americans may disagree with Islam, there is a bedrock conviction of religious freedom in this country. Even in small-town America, where suspicion runs high, most people want to live peacefully with their neighbors. I engaged my friend as a loving neighbor, trying to show her the best our culture has to offer.
If we want religious minorities in America to integrate rather than isolate, if we want them to embrace American values rather than retreat into enclaves, then we must model those values ourselves. We must be the neighbors we hope they become.
Sally Abed, an Israeli Arab living in Haifa, understands this. She co-founded Standing Together with Alon-Lee Green, an Israeli Jew, building a grassroots movement of Palestinians and Jews working together for peace, equality, and social justice. Abed says, “We need a new political story, a new majority of Palestinians and Jews who share the interests of peace.”
She’s right. And the new political story begins with the hard work of differences and dialogue. Not pretending we agree. Not avoiding conflict. But engaging honestly, respectfully, persistently.
This is what good citizenship looks like in a pluralistic society. This is what faithful Christian witness looks like in a divided world.