During the holidays in December—especially Christmas and Hanukkah—”peace on earth” has been a popular phrase for nearly 160 years. Henry Wordsworth-Longfellow, one of the most prominent American writers of the 19th century, composed the poem of the same name on Christmas Day in 1863.
It’s a concept that three songwriters and performers—all of very diverse backgrounds—are trying to keep alive today in a time when bitterness, contempt, prejudice and outright hatred are becoming more prevalent each day as the return of our Lord Jesus Christ draws nearer in these treacherous but hopeful end times.
American Christian Sean Feucht, Lebanese Christian Carine Bassili and Israeli Jew Yair Levi’s collaborative song “God of Israel” is sweeping the globe to help bring about peace in a world gone completely mad. Released—and not without controversy—this past week, the song, performed in Hebrew, Arabic and English, has risen to No. 1 on the American Christian chart on iTunes in only a few short days.
It’s a song that Feucht, an evangelist and worship leader who travels the world to promote the peace of the gospel of Christ, says is an “absolute miracle.”
“Songs go to places where bias and cancel culture can never go,” Feucht says. “This is still the No. 1 song in Christian music today on Apple Music, and only God can write a story like this.
“The No. 1 Christian song in America today is a prayer of peace and unity for the nation of Israel. I never would even dream this was possible.”
The song’s released was delayed for three days, but finally made its debut Sunday evening on Apple. It was flagged by iTunes and Spotify “with no explanation” as to what content was in question.
Feucht, Levi and Bassili strongly believe it is because the fact that Levi is a Jew, and antisemitism and hatred toward the Jewish people, although a staple of this world for centuries, has exploded since the terrorist group Hamas unexpectedly and brutally attacked Israel on Oct. 7. As Israel tried to defend itself, global media bias and on-campus students relentlessly assaulted the nation of Israel verbally and blamed Israel for the conflict, which was clearly started by Hamas.
Some believe Apple and Spotify blatantly omitted Levi’s name from the download label because of Levi’s Jewish heritage.
“It’s just another reason why our new song ‘God of Israel’ is so timely right now,” Feucht says. “So many do not have the heart for Israel. Songs can go to places and touch hearts like nothing else can.
“It’s really powerful when you see people that are not supposed to be seen together that are seen together, and the song is an act of God itself. It’s highly controversial because it doesn’t go along with the media’s narrative and it shows people there is a better way. It shows that people that God can bring about a unity that the world says can never happen. The song in of itself is a prophetic sign of unity and breakthrough that God wants to bring right now to the world we live in.”
Levi cancelled a concert tour of Israel that was supposed to begin in mid-October. He now serves in the Israel Defense Forces to help defend his country, but through Bassili, Levi says that he is proud of what God of Israel is doing to help promote world peace.
“With this album, we have just proven that we are trying to make peace in our own way, with faith,” Levi says. “We don’t need to delete our identity. You [Bassili] love Lebanon. Sean loves America and I love Israel. We can come together and work together to do everything we can to bring peace.
“It’s a sign from God that we, Jews and Christians, need to work together. It’s so beautiful to see it in Arabic, English and Hebrew during this war. We need to make more and more collaborations on projects like this music. This album is a very good sign from God, especially in this time, when all of these things are happening in the world, like what is happening in Gaza.”
The song has brought strong reaction on social media, although some forms of social media like TikTok and Instagram, Levi says, have blocked his accounts.
“I cannot stop listening to ‘God of Israel.’ Thank you for coming to the Sunshine Coast last Friday and Saturday night. Let us worship. Very powerful movement of God,” Michele Whalan said on Feucht’s Facebook page recently.
“The song is AWESOME!! I heard it for the first time when you were in the CA church event. SOOO touched and teary eyed. Thank you for this beautiful song,” Deborah Collins wrote on Feucht’s Facebook page.
Feucht says despite Satan’s dastardly attempts, the efforts to keep others from hearing “God of Israel” are futile.
“The devil is a liar and a fraud,” Feucht says. “He can’t stop the song of the Lord coming out over Israel. Let’s share this, blast this and sing this as an anthem of intercession over the nation of Israel.” {eoa}
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Shawn A. Akers is the online editor at Charisma Media.
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