“No Lebanese citizen, and no country or people in our region, has an interest in excluding themselves from the path of peace,” declared the Christian president of Lebanon, Joseph Aoun, in Cairo last weekend. “We are facing the challenge of peace for our entire region, and we are ready for it,” he said.
“Yessss… Isaiah 19 let’s goooo!” posted Lebanese singer-songwriter, Carine Bassili in reply.
A RADICAL VOICE FOR PEACE
A call for peace, security, and freedom has gone out from Lebanese leadership in the ever-changing geopolitical situation, albeit contingent on the creation of a Palestinian state. Simultaneously Carine Bassili is announcing her new song, “Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem” just in time for Jerusalem Day on May 26.
Carine had a powerful encounter with Jesus as a child in her hometown of Beirut. “I felt the presence of God and started worshiping, it was a very close experience,” she recalls.
But it was only later, when she heard some Messianic Jewish teaching on Yom Kippur in California, that she underwent her second revolution of faith. God began to share His heart for Israel with her. “My heart was stirred and something was unlocked in me. A veil was lifted, and I had so much curiosity to learn more,” she shared.
Carine soaked up information about the land, the people, and the history of Israel like a sponge. “I started to study, to see the truth, to see the battle from the spiritual aspect.” On God’s promises about both Israel and Lebanon she says, “God never changed his mind.”
In 2019, Carine discovered Israeli Messianic Jewish artists such as Sarah Liberman, Shai Sol, and MiQedem, and longed to worship together with them. “There was no joint Hebrew and Arabic worship at that time,” she says, but she felt God encouraging her, “I want you to start doing songs with my people.”
“My heart was stirring so much for Israel. Before I said yes I was crying in my room, saying, ‘Lord it’s going to cause me so much trouble!’”
Since then Carine has released several songs such as ‘God of Israel” and an Arabic version of “October Rain” that went viral and have indeed caused a lot of trouble back home, just as she anticipated. No one who collaborates with Israel can imagine they’ll be welcomed back into Lebanon. Even though her obedience to God’s call cost her connection with her family, she knows she is doing the right thing. “I was ready. I said yes, and I went for it.”
Now, together with Israeli believers Shai Sol, a Messianic Jew, and Ronza Nwesry, an Arab Christian from Nazareth, Carine has released a new song along with another Messianic Jewish artist from Florida, Kaya Jones.
With Jerusalem Day on Monday and the nations turning against Israel, they feel it is a critical time to get “Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem” out into the world.
(Graffiti on the bus stop in Jerusalem declaring, “Peace will come”).
Carine first connected with Shai Sol in 2020, and they soon became firm friends. Kaya Jones was once in the Russian band, “Pussycat Dolls” but is now singing for the Lord as a Jewish believer. “She loves the Lord and she loves Israel and she’s advocated for Israel too,” says Carine, “she’s just a beautiful, beautiful human being.” Lastly, Ronza Nwesry is part of the “Hope” Nazareth House of Prayer and Exploits. “I heard her around 2023 when I got connected to the House of Prayer,” Carine explains. “They gave me a private link to join them, standing with them in the time of war, and I saw this woman worshiping and she was flowing beautifully in the Spirit with the Lord, and I was just like, oh my goodness, who is this woman?” Carine explained, “That’s how I got connected to her — I needed to connect with her, she’s anointed. Amazing.”
The song is based on Carine’s memories of her Lebanese Grandmother sharing how they would take a bus from Beirut, pass through the border with Israel, and travel into Jerusalem. They were Orthodox Christians and her Grandma described going to church and walking around the streets of the Old City. It caused Carine to dream of being on that bus to Jerusalem, currently an impossibility for Lebanese citizens, yearning for a day to come when peace would make it possible once more. “It’s my dream to go,” Carine tells me. “I feel like I just want to go. I need to go. I need to be there.”
But it’s been a big battle to get their song of peace, based on Psalm 122, released. Carine had a serious car accident months ago and is still in recovery, while the others also encountered setbacks and troubles of their own.
Peace does not come easily. It’s ironic, we say, that we have to “fight” for peace, but we do. Just like we have to “work” to rest.
“We need to get the message of unity for the Christians, the believers in the Middle East and Lebanon,” says Carine. “We want to make peace. We want to awaken this dream.”
At the moment, any Lebanese believer suspected of any connection with Israel at all can get stopped at security when they travel and barred from leaving the country. We are praying for the freedom to cross borders in the Middle East, “It’s almost there,” Carine tells me. She adds that politicians are frightened of steps towards normalization with Israel due to the very real danger of assassination.
“But there are people from Lebanon who stand with Israel,” she assures us. “God tells us to pray for peace. We really need to do as He asks us to.”
Psalm 122. A Song of Ascents. Of David.
I was glad when they said to me,
“Let us go to the house of the Lord!”
Our feet have been standing
within your gates, O Jerusalem!
Jerusalem—built as a city
that is bound firmly together,
to which the tribes go up,
the tribes of the Lord,
as was decreed for Israel,
to give thanks to the name of the Lord.
There thrones for judgment were set,
the thrones of the house of David.
Pray for the peace of Jerusalem!
“May they be secure who love you!
Peace be within your walls
and security within your towers!”
For my brothers and companions’ sake
I will say, “Peace be within you!”
For the sake of the house of the Lord our God,
I will seek your good.
“Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem,” will be released on major streaming platforms.
