The “Chosen People” Factor in the Israeli–Palestinian Conflict: A Pentecostal Perspective on the Theology of Peace and Reconciliation in Ephesians 2:11–22

Readings of Israel as God’s chosen people, reinforced by Christian Zionism, shape how many Christians understand the Israeli–Palestinian conflict. Alternative readings define the chosen people inclusively within the new covenant, yet the contribution of Pentecostal theology to this debate remains under-researched. This qualitative, literature-based study addresses that gap through an exegesis of Ephesians 2:11–22, using the Pauline theology of peace and reconciliation as its theoretical framework. Because the texts concern Jewish and Gentile believers in the early church rather than modern political communities, the article moves from text to context by theological principles and analogy, not direct correspondence. The exegesis shows that Christ removes the barrier between Jews and Gentiles, that election is inclusive rather than a replacement of Israel, and that reconcilliation culminates in shared access to God in “one Spirit”. The article argues that this pneumatological emphasis gives Pentecostal theology distinctive resources for peacemaking, while acknowledging that many Pentecostals hold Christian Zionist views and that Pentecostal churches have often rebuilt the walls their theology declares broken. Pentecostalism can contribute to reconciliation only by recovering its own theology of the Spirit, by rejecting exclusive readings of chosenness, embracing Israeli and Palestinian believers alike, and holding forgiveness and justice together.