March 16, 2022
How long can this go on?
Disciples of Christ issue "Compelled to Witness"
"How long can this go on? How long must Palestinians bear this pain in their bodies, souls, and community?" The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) has issued a statement entitled "Compelled to Witness." It chronicles the worsening denial of Palestinian rights, placing particular emphasis on the responsibility of the U.S. government for the continuing dispossession and oppression of the Palestinians. In addition to issuing a direct challenge to the U.S. government, the declaration unequivocally rejects "any theology or use of scripture to justify any system of discrimination, oppression, violation of any person’s dignity, or exclusivist claim on land, including Christian Zionism."

The Disciples of Christ statement is an example of the increasing willingness of churches, throughout the world, to stand with the Palestinian people. Absent in the declaration is what had become customary language striving for "balance," intended to pre-empt accusations of antisemitism.

This is the future of political advocacy for Palestine. Guided by the theological and political action roadmap provided by "Cry for Hope," churches are claiming their power -- and their mission -- to directly effect human affairs. This power has been demonstrated in struggles against racism at other historical moments, when churches exerted direct pressure on their governments as well as spurring their church institutions to challenge beliefs and actions inconsistent with Christian values. Churches are acting as individual bodies as well as in coalition with one another across denominational boundaries. We have reported here on church actions taken since "Cry for Hope," -- from the U.S., Sweden, Norway, the UK, Germany, and Asia.

“I’m racking my brain for a historical parallel to the courage and fighting spirit of the Ukrainians and coming up empty. How many people have ever stood their ground against an aggressor like this? It’s legendary.”

These words of Paul Massaro, a senior policy adviser at the U.S. Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, come to us courtesy of Mohammed Rafik Mhawesh, a Palestinian writer and journalist based in Gaza City. Massaro tweeted the statement on February 26, two days into the Russian invasion.

“Have you ever heard of the Palestinians?” Mhawesh asks Massaro in his recent piece in Al Jazerra. “We have been courageously standing our ground against an aggressor for 73 years. You cannot think of a ‘historical parallel’ only because you view our struggle not as resistance, but as ‘terrorism.’”

Mhawesh is not alone in noting the irony of the West's vigorous and unified response to the invasion of Ukraine in contrast to its 70+ years' abandonment of the Palestinians in the face of Israel's relentless aggression. Nor is his voice the only one raised against what he calls the “inherent hypocrisy of the global community at large.” He calls out “the Western leaders, media organizations and institutions [who] passionately talk about 'the illegality of occupations,' 'occupied peoples' right to armed resistance, and 'the importance of sovereignty and national autonomy' – arguments and concepts that they never seriously put forward in defense of Palestinian people and their decades-long struggle for freedom."

Mhawesh, of course, experiences firsthand the worsening reality of life in colonized Palestine. "Still," he writes, “Palestinians support all other oppressed peoples’ struggles for liberation. We uplift them in solidarity because we have been through the same. We support Ukrainians in their fight against the aggressors trying to steal their lands and their futures too, because we have been there ourselves.”

We join with Mohammed Rafik Mhawesh in calling out hypocrisy, words that not only fail to protect the innocent but that perpetuate injustice. Let us continue to draw from the Palestinian example of sumoud -- fortitude and determination in the face of oppression. Their example, like that of the Ukrainian people, demonstrates the words of Martin Luther King Jr. that “injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”
 
 
Cry for Hope in Lent: A new series
presented by Sabeel-Kairos UK
Sabeel-Kairos in the UK has launched a series of studies for Lent 2022 focused on the Palestinian ‘Cry for Hope’ and associated themes. The product of a collaboration with activists in the Methodist Church in England, the webinar series is a continuation of Sabeel-Kairos UK's outreach and collaboration with church clergy and leaders. The series includes online events with international speakers, discussion, prayers and actions every Sunday for 5 weeks during Lent.

Visit the program homepage for overview and links to the complete program schedule, study guide, and flyer.
The latest edition of the United Church of Christ Palestine-Israel Network E-News is out, and as usual it is bursting with news and analysis of events and developments in the church movement for Palestine.

This month's edition features an extended comment on the invasion of Ukraine and links to analyses on the implications and meaning for the Palestinian struggle, including an article by Israeli historian Ilan Pappé. The essay on Ukraine introduces the next installment of the E-News' review of the action steps of the recent UCC Declaration for a Just Peace Between Palestine and Israel," step seven: "Advocate for the Right of Return." This action step, notes E-News, speaks to “the rights of Palestinian refugees to return to their homes if they so choose or to be compensated for their loss of property."

The newsletter includes links to upcoming webinars, including a presentation on the weaponization of antisemitism and an interview with Rev Brian Brown about his landmark new book, Apartheid South Africa! Apartheid Israel! Rev Loren McGrail's always excellent "Breaking the Stories" provides a review of the important stories of the day on Palestine, Ukraine and the international scene.
PIEN is a network of Australian Christians and supporters who seek lasting peace for the people of Palestine and Israel. The mission of PIEN is to equip and inform Australian churches, inspired by Christ’s vision for universal reconciliation.

Click here for PIEN's "Weekly Wrap" newsletter. This edition includes information on lectures, public actions, and PIEN's "Hear Our Voices!" Lenten series featuring the lived experiences of Christian Palestinians and Palestinian Australians.

Visit Palestine Portal's Mapping the Movement for information and contact information for PIEN and the growing global network of organizations and coalitions devoted to bringing the voice of the Palestinians to the churches of the world.
Visit PalestinePortal.org for newsfeeds, upcoming events, and the most comprehensive resources for education, networking, and action.
Palestine Portal is a program of Kairos USA. Support the work of promoting the voices of prophetic leadership by making a gift today. Donate online or by check to Kairos USA, 1815 NW 27th Ave., Portland OR 97210.