By Fawaz Adebisi
Reno Omokri, a Nigerian author and social media influencer, has launched a scathing attack on Pastor Enoch Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), over his prayer for Israel in the ongoing war with Hamas, a Palestinian militant group.
Omokri, who was a former aide to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, accused Pastor Adeboye of being partial and ignoring the plight of the Palestinian Christians, who are also suffering in the conflict.
He said that Pastor Adeboye was not following the teachings of Jesus Christ, who commanded his followers to love their enemies and pray for those who persecute them.
Omokri also questioned Pastor Adeboye’s biblical basis for supporting Israel, citing verses that suggest God does not show favoritism to any nation or people.
He said that God loves both Israel and Palestine, and that Christians should not take sides in a political dispute that has nothing to do with their faith.
Omokri said he had visited Palestine and witnessed their condition, which he would not wish on his own enemy.
He urged Pastor Adeboye to show love and prayers to both sides of the war, and to provide non-military support to alleviate the human suffering.
Omokri made these comments in a series of tweets on his official Twitter handle [@renoomokri], where he has over 1.2 million followers.
He said, “But, sir @PastorEAAdeboye, what about our brothers and sisters in Palestine? A greater percentage of Palestinians are Christians than the Israeli population. Half a million of them, to be precise. Doesn’t the Bible, in Galatians 6:10, ask us to first show love to members of the household of faith before others? Perhaps they may feel abandoned that your message did not even mention them.
“If I were a Palestinian and saw your message, I would sink into further despair.
“Acts 10:34 says God does not show partiality. But sir, are we not being partial when we pray for Israel and ignore Palestine? Perhaps it is an oversight.
“Sir, I have been to Palestine. I will not wish their condition on my own enemy. They are God’s children, too. Don’t they deserve our love and prayers and every possible non-military support we can rouse to alleviate their tremendous human suffering?”
He also posted a video on his YouTube channel [Reno Omokri], where he elaborated on his views and challenged Pastor Adeboye to a debate on the issue.
Pastor Adeboye had earlier posted a tweet on his official Twitter handle [@PastorEAAdeboye], where he has over 3.4 million followers, saying that he was praying for the peace of Jerusalem.
He also shared a video on his YouTube channel [Pastor E.A. Adeboye], where he prayed for God’s protection and blessing over Israel.
The war between Israel and Hamas has escalated in recent days, with both sides launching rockets and airstrikes at each other. The conflict has claimed hundreds of lives and injured thousands more, mostly civilians.
The United Nations has called for an immediate ceasefire and a diplomatic solution to end the violence.
