Walk into any church this Christmas and you may hear something that has echoed for centuries. Not just the melodies. Not just the familiar cadences of belief. But a name.Israel.

It appears in some of the oldest carols in the Christian tradition. Not with hesitation or caveat. Not as a political statement or act of defiance. Simply as geography. As the setting. As the place where it all happened.

“Ransom captive Israel.”

“Born is the King of Israel.”

“Christ is born in Bethlehem.”

“Sing through all Jerusalem.”

These are not modern lyrics. They were written long before Twitter mobs, protest slogans and armchair revolutionaries. They predate the creation of........

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)