WATCH: Barabbas or Jesus: The Israeli-Palestinian conflict through a biblical lens

In light of recent international decisions regarding the recognition of a Palestinian state and the International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrants against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has once again come to the forefront of global attention.

Join IDF Sgt.-Maj. Chaim Malespin as he explores a striking biblical parallel between the current situation and the story of Jesus and Barabbas in Mark 15:6-15.

Watch the video above or read the transcript below.

Choices are being made right now; decisions that affect the very future of our children, our families, our lives, our homes, our countries, the free world. And the recent decision by Spain, Norway, Ireland – I don't know what other countries – to recognize a Palestinian state after the [Hamas Oct. 7] massacre...on the heels of the ICC kangaroo court, the International Criminal Court arrest warrant against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, was it also Yoav Gallant, our defense minister, [Hamas leader Yahya] Sinwar, and I think Mohammed Deif, all together like they're all the same. Oh, it's frustrating. People are making decisions and they're looking at this Israeli-Palestinian conflict again and, you know, mob frenzy, mob rule. Sometimes mobs can make the wrong choice and chant the completely erroneously wrong thing. It's like the ancient Hebrew writer from the Galilee named Mark, chapter 15.

And at the feast, Pilate used to release for them one prisoner, whoever they wanted, and among the rebels in prison who had committed murder at the insurrection was a man named Barabbas. And the crowd came up and began to ask Pilate to do as he usually did for them. And he answered them, saying, "Do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews?" for he perceived that it was out of envy that the chief priest had delivered him up. But the chief priest stirred up the crowd to have him release for them Barabbas instead.

And Pilate said to them, "What shall I do with this man they call the king of the Jews?" And they said, "crucify him." Pilate said to them, "Why, what evil has he done?... Got a good record..." And they shouted all the more, "Crucify him!" So Pilate, wishing to satisfy the crowd, released for them Barabbas, and having scourged, whipped, Yeshua, delivered him to be crucified.

And this is where we are right now as a society, as societies around the world. You know, Israel is not perfect – with a perfect record like Yeshua – but a nation that simply wants to survive, a free, democratic society and live in peace. On the other hand, Hamas and those advocating for a Palestinian state are really seen like Barabbas, a murderous group that...has genocidal intent; that somehow, after the massacre suddenly is garnering support from crowds all over the world, saying: "Release to us, Barabbas! Release to us Hamas!" Just as there have been many who justified Barabbas' actions as a means to liberate – he was an insurrection...He killed someone in the insurrection. So they say, 'Well, he's doing the same thing today. Some argue for the legitimacy of a Palestinian state and they say they're under oppression, they're under occupation, which is not true. And they say a Palestinian state will give them a right to self-determine and slogans like Free Palestine from the River to the sea. And it encapsulates this sentiment.

And we see, on the other hand, a nation that just wants to live; for their kids to go to kindergarten, for my son to do his Bar Mitzvah, for our family to survive and thrive and plant our crops and build our house. And so the crowds, even the nations filled with people are shouting: "Crucify Israel, crucify Israel! And on the other hand, the murderous group in the insurrection, they scream, "Free Palestine!".That's what we're seeing.

Will the nations of the world side with those who are looked at as murderers, a terror group, essentially, and grant them statehood? I don't know how – who wants to live next to a terror nation, a nation that has, unless it all changes completely from the top to bottom, A to Z, Aleph to Taff, Alpha to Omega? You know, it's gotta all change over there. And will they stand with Israel on our quest for peace, for security, to let our people go back there [home] without having a rocket shot on them or a massacre happening to them, to their houses/

Also in the north, on the Lebanon border, where the other terrorist group, Hezbollah, is. So there's a moral choice between supporting evil or innocence. There's very little middle ground here. Think about it. I'm sure that at the time of Yeshua, people were saying, "Well, maybe Barabbas was oppressed...; Well, maybe this murderer was just doing it as a means of liberation...Barabbas should be free from the river to the sea.

You know, it seems like there's a parallel - that that's kind of what the nations are deciding to do right now. And if you want to be on the side of Hamas murderers and you want to grant them freedom, and you want to grant them an entire state, that is a very dangerous choice for the future.

Or are we on the side of Israel? Yeah. Are we on the side of Israel?

It doesn't matter if we feel like it's an anointed country or if it's a special place in the eyes of God, which it is. But if you don't even think that, what about just a bunch of people who want to live in peace? And I want to be clear, I'm not saying that Israel is perfect. It's not perfect, okay? But there is definitely a "Psalms 2" kind of reality here. Why do the nations rage and the people imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves up and take counsel together against the Lord and against his anointed, saying, "Let's burst their bonds apart. Let's cast away their cords from them."

The anointed ones of God are being targeted, singled out and blamed while being innocent. What are you going to do? Where are you going to stand? What choices will you make?