As the Hamas-Israeli war turns the Gaza Strip into rubble, Leelanau County residents inspired by faith to help its victims wonder where to direct their support.
“We want to make sure the money gets in the right hands,” said Timothy Woycik, pastor of Leland Community United Methodist Church. “If there is a hurricane in our country, we can send money in there along with fuel, water, health supplies. What we can’t do in Gaza is send people in there because it’s not safe.”
Nonetheless, half of the $4,000 dropped in a collection offering at a Christmas service was dedicated to victims of the war in Gaza through the Global Ministries arm of the United Methodist Church. Church member Bill White supported the contribution.
“They talked about it at the Missionary Committee. There is a lot of support for the people of Palestine. We’re not trying to make a political statement; we just want to help the people that are in need of help. That’s what a church is for,” White said.
The war in Gaza has become a politically charged topic across America. Support the Israeli response to the worst terrorist attack in its nation’s history, and you’re Islamophobic. Support Palestinian organizations even less radical than Hamas, and you are an antisemitic.
Finding middle ground is rare, although Curtis Kuttnauer, a member of the Jewish faith who resides in Bingham Township, does not offer complete support for the way Israel has conducted the war.
“I personally am not a big fan of Benjamin Netanyahu’s government. I believe they are a little too radical for my tastes, and I think they are executing a war not in the best way. But we have to defend ourselves,” Kuttnauer said.
He pushes for moderation even though he has a personal connection to one of the targets of the Hamas terror strikes on Oct. 7 that resulted in the deaths of 1,269 people, kidnapping, rapes and torture. Kuttnauer visited a kibbutz in 1979 that became the focal point of one attack.
“I saw a lot of familiar scenes. My heart collapsed when I heard about that and realized that was the Kibbutz I was on. I don’t personally know any of the people who died,” Kuttnauer said.
While his favorite poster depicts an Israeli solider and a Palestinian boy walking together —“I pray that one day we have peace,” he said — for now the death and destruction of war continue to overwhelm the Gaza Strip.
“Right now it’s hard to help. Is the cart before the horse? This is a very challenging time in terms of aid. I believe the one way to get aid into Gaza is through Israel, which controls the border,” Kuttnauer said.
He agrees with Israel’s mission to destroy Hamas.
“It’s a terror organization. They use citizens as human shields and they build tunnels under hospitals. That’s not human to put those people in jeopardy. They are terrorists,” Kuttnauer said.
Parishioners at the Immanuel Lutheran Church of Leland are looking at making a donation to Lutheran World Relief to help the people of Gaza, pastor Joshua LaFeve said. He led study sessions following worship for consecutive Sundays in early December in response to Biblical questions about the history of warring religious factions in the Middle East. Church prayers offered during services consistently ask for God’s help for victims of the war.
“Part of what prompted me to pull an audible on the Bible study topic was because I had people asking us to take a firm stand in the war, in a public way. I wanted them to have more information before that happened,” LaFeve said.
As war wages, concern has moved toward addressing the great humanitarian need it creates. While money is needed to feed and house hundreds of thousands of refuges, news accounts of what’s left of Gaza describe a logistical nightmare in getting supplies to people. And there is always concern that help ends up in the hands of the very forces that started the war.
“The topic has come up, but there isn’t a real clear picture of how best to help,” LaFeve said.
An internet search turns up many organizations with the mission of supporting the people of Gaza including the International Red Cross and UNICEF, which is now known as the United Nations Children’s Fund.
