Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli Prime Minister, and his government are defying the United States’ pressure to stop controversial building projects in disputed parts of Jerusalem. The U.N. Secretary-General has been very critical of Israel’s decision, as has the European Union.

Israel should take a deep breath and think. All its “traditional friends” think that it is a bad thing. Can we imagine what would happen if all the countries in the world claimed the land they had 1000s of years ago? Borders would be changed and people would end up in different countries.

The Bible alone cannot be a reference to support Israel’s argument. In order to make peace, both Israelis and Palestinians must give up something. Israel is surrounded by enemies. Alone it cannot win a war. It needs its allies. Netanyahu is certainly playing with fire. Can we imagine the state of Israel without U.S. support? As the kikuyu of kenya say, “Ears that do not listen to advice accompany the head when it is chopped off.”