On this day of action for Palestine, I want to lift my voice too: Free Palestine
I say this first for my Palestinian friends and for the people of Palestine. I love you and I stand with you against the Israeli occupation, apartheid, the stealing of your land, the murder of your people. I stand with you for your return to the land.
As an Interfaith professional, where Israel/Palestine can often be a third rail, rarely addressed, I am sensitive to the special relationship of Jewish communities to Israel and the passion of the Islamic Umma, worldwide community, for the cause of the Palestinians. I have become familiar with my fellow Palestinian Christians, who suffer the occupation as well. Israel is a diverse place with many views, including Israeli Jews who demonstrate with Palestinians in Israel for peace. Israel’s history as a safe haven after generations of persecution all over the world and the horror of the Holocaust is undeniable.
Yet it is hard to reconcile this with the dispossession and persecution of Palestinians. The current offensive once again repeats the uneven conflict, where Hamas rockets hurt and kill dozens while the Israel Defense Forces claim precision while killing civilians, families, children in the 100s. They terrorize the populace. All must be called to peace, but Israel is the power and must be persuaded to do what is right, stop the bombing now, and end the occupation.
As this news gets beamed to us in the U.S., we are presented with choices about how we want our government to spend money. Just yesterday, news came of the Biden admin sending precision weapons to Israel which could be used to kill more Palestinians. We have a say with our elected representatives.
I have been reading about life in Israel, about the bomb shelters people resort to, and about the precious lives lost. We should not be callous to the danger they live with in a conflicted region for half a century.
Yet, none of this can compare or justify the violence and restriction Palestinians live under in Gaza, what some describe as the largest open air prison, and the West Bank, where illegal settlements continue to steal Palestinian land. This is something Israeli groups are rising up against with Palestinians, and American Jewish groups like If Not Now and Rabbis like Jill Jacobs have spoken up for the end of the occupation.
I am also worried for my Jewish friends, who see spikes in anti-semitic acts in times like these. I have already heard of some receiving hateful messages. Criticizing Israel, calling it to treat Palestinians right is not anti-semitic – but the movement for Palestinian liberation cannot give any space to anti-semitism. I have heard some Palestinian activists saying just that this week. I have spoken to Muslim friends and we agreed that Christians and Muslims need to root anti-semitism out of our religious communities. Anti-semitism should be fought and Palestine should be free. For me, those two go together.
I don’t pretend to be the genius who can figure out the Middle East. I dream of the coexistence that could have been instead of intractable and increasingly uneven conflict. I dream about what could be if the tide turned now. I know this much – the various governments have been bad actors and too fallible. It will ultimately be the work of the people seeking liberation and a just peace together.
For those who want to learn more, I suggest the books The Lemon Tree by Sandy Tolan and Blood Brothers by Elias Chacour.
Let us see that our liberation is bound up together across our world. Free Palestine.
I invite dialogue, resources, context. I am not interested in an echo chamber. If you need to disagree or correct me, I invite it. Either below or privately. The two things I ask: do not dehumanize others and maintain respect.
Matt Hartley 