How God Called This Actress to Stand Up for Israel
By Movieguide® Contributor
Patricia Heaton recalled the prompting from God to stand up for Israel after the U.S. saw a rise of antisemitism following Hamas’ attack on Oct. 7, 2023.
“Campuses exploded in pro-terrorist rallies with printed signs, and flags, and keffiyehs, all at the ready — immediately afterwards,” Heaton told FaithWire. “And I thought, ‘Why is this any different from the Holocaust? Why is this different from Paris when the editors of the Charlie Hebdo newspaper were slaughtered?’”
“I believe that we have an opportunity, because now we know,” Heaton said last summer. “Maybe back in 1939 people didn’t know what was going on. We know what’s going, and it is up to us as Christians to do something about it. The Jewish people are feeling very, very alone, and they need to know that we will stand by them.”
Rather than staying silent and allowing Hamas to receive unchallenged support, Heaton and her friend Elizabeth Dorros created the Oct. 7 Coalition to connect Christians across the world who support Israel.
“I felt God calling me to do something. [Dorros and I] were answering a call that came to our hearts,” she said, adding “there’s been a lot of propaganda being seeded through universities, through institutions, by people whose salary is paid by Iran, by Hamas, by Hezbollah, by Qatar, to brainwash and propagandize people into thinking Israel is an occupier of Gaza, even though they left there in 2005.”
Thankfully the war in the region has started to wind down after a ceasefire was called and multiple hostages were released. However, Heaton doesn’t want to move on from Israel and is hosting a women’s conference there in May to continue to raise support for the nation.
“We feel like we want to bring women together — Jewish and Christian — to exchange our own experiences about our faith, and how our faiths combine and cross over, and what we can receive from each other,” Heaton said.
“Sometimes, it’s scary to think you’re standing up against this overwhelming wave of hostility and aggression, but actually we are in the majority,” she continued. “Most people want to live in peace. Most people do not want to kill Jews or kill Christians, and we just have to stand up and say it.”
As she has worked to bring justice and support for Israel, Heaton’s appreciation for the country has only grown. During a trip to Israel, she felt the Old Testament come to life as she visited the places described in the Bible.
READ MORE: PATRICIA HEATON’S TRIP TO ISRAEL TAUGHT HER THIS ABOUT THE OLD TESTAMENT
- Content: +3Share:
- Content: +4