The Palestinian Authority predictably reacted to US President Donald Trump’s “Deal of the Century” by calling for mass demonstrations and even violence.

But a Palestinian Christian pastor from Bethlehem took to YouTube to urge all fellow Christians to not relate to the plan in such worldly ways, but rather to declare peace according to the spiritual authority granted them in Jesus.

Steven Khoury of Holy Land Missions stood on the main road into Bethlehem, where all mass demonstrations are held, and addressed the issue of Trump’s deal and the pre-determined Palestinian anger over it.

“Right now, people are planning and plotting to have major demonstrations throughout the Palestinian communities in the West Bank, and this [Bethlehem] is one of them. …Even though they don’t know all the details, they are angry.”

Khoury noted that even the leader of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, has made a public call for Palestinians to take to the streets in a “day of rage” against the American peace plan.

He went on to lament that Palestinian reactions are too often characterized by anger, violence and death. But, Khoury continued, “the power [to declare life] that God gave to His apostles, we [Christians] also have in the grace of Christ, and we have the ability to declare peace in this land.“

“There is hope for the Palestinian people. There is hope for the Jewish people. There is hope for peace in this land,” Khoury added before publicly praying that the expected demonstrations would be peaceful.

Steven and his father, Naim Khoury, are known to our readers as Palestinian pastors who nurture a genuine love not only for their own people, but for the Jewish people as well.