From Hatred to Healing: An Arab Pastor’s Journey of Reconciliation in Israel

In this deeply moving episode of Good News on GoodVue, hosts Dr. Lee Kanter and Duke White Jr. welcome a remarkable guest: Dr. Reverend Saleem Shalash, Arab-Israeli pastor of Home of Jesus the King Church in Nazareth, Israel.

Pastor Saleem’s story is one of powerful transformation—from deep-seated hatred to Holy Spirit-fueled healing. He candidly shares how years of bitterness and theological misunderstanding were broken in a single night by the living God. Now, he serves at the front lines of reconciliation—bringing Arabs and Jews together in the name of Yeshua the Messiah.

A Damascus Moment in the Book of Luke

Born into a traditional Catholic Arab family, Pastor Saleem was taught to hate Israel and the Jewish people. His theology, rooted in replacement thinking, saw Christians as having taken the place of the Jews in God’s covenant.

But one night in his prayer room, while reading Luke 15 (the story of the Prodigal Son), everything changed.

“Who is the prodigal son? The Jews. Who is the father? God. But who is the older brother? That was me.”

As God revealed that Saleem had become the bitter older brother—religious, prideful, and joyless—he broke down. He asked the Lord to do heart surgery and was flooded with peace, laughter, and a burden for his Jewish brothers.

From Theology to Action: Rejecting Replacement, Embracing Restoration

Saleem’s transformation didn’t stop with personal healing. He went on to earn a Master’s in Biblical Studies and a PhD in theology. His doctoral thesis powerfully refutes replacement theology and examines the Arab-Israeli conflict’s influence on how the Church views Israel.

He challenges the Church with a simple but profound question:

“If God replaced the Jews, what makes you think He won’t replace you too?”

His conviction is clear: God is faithful to His promises, and Israel still plays a central role in the biblical narrative—from Genesis to Revelation.

Jesus in Every Book: The Old Testament Comes Alive

Once blinded by bitterness, Saleem now teaches how Jesus (Yeshua) is revealed throughout the Hebrew Scriptures. From Genesis to Malachi, he finds the Messiah in types, shadows, and prophetic declarations.

He even identifies the rapture in Exodus 19—as God commands the priests to wait at the base of Mount Sinai until the long blast of the shofar. “That’s the trumpet of Messiah,” he says. “That’s the shadow of what is to come.”

Building Bridges in the Shadow of War

Through Home of Jesus the King Church, Saleem leads a powerful humanitarian aid and reconciliation ministry that reaches across enemy lines. Each month, they serve:

• 156 families with food and basic necessities
• Hundreds more during Christian, Muslim, and Jewish holidays
• Muslims, Jews, and Christians—side by side—at their aid center in Nazareth

Saleem shares a remarkable testimony of a Holocaust survivor who had never heard the Gospel. After reading Isaiah 53 and other Old Testament passages, she asked, “I’ve been deceived for 80 years?” Two years after accepting Jesus as Messiah, she passed away—redeemed, restored, and at peace.

The Peace of God at the Center of Conflict

In a region torn by politics and religious strife, Home of Jesus the King Church is a refuge. Visitors consistently report that there is something different about the atmosphere—a tangible peace that cannot be explained.

“They say we need the food, yes. But more than that, we feel peace. We feel something we don’t feel outside.”

This is the peace of Yeshua—the Prince of Peace—shining through a remnant of believers committed to love, service, and spiritual boldness.

Prophetic Times: “Game Over” and the Extra Minutes

In a powerful close to the episode, Saleem offers a bold, sobering declaration:

“Game is over. We’re playing in the extra five minutes—and these will determine everything.”

Whether we’re in the beginning, middle, or end of the tribulation is not the point, he says. The point is to be ready. The Gospel has gone from Jerusalem to Europe, to America, and now to Asia. It’s returning full circle—back to Jerusalem.

Saleem believes that God is using Arab believers—Muslims turning to Christ—to provoke Israel to jealousy, just as Romans 11 foretells.

Final Word: Are You Ready to Stand in the Middle?

As an Arab believer who supports Israel, Saleem lives under tension from all sides. Arabs accuse him of betrayal. Orthodox Jews view him with suspicion. And yet—he remains the “slice of cheese” in the middle of the sandwich, giving flavor to both sides.

He reminds us:

• Redemption is free because no one could afford to pay it
• God doesn’t choose the perfect, but the surrendered
• Peace isn’t a concept—it’s a person, and His name is Yeshua