PIN Responds to the Statement of Heads of Churches & Patriarchs on the current threat faced by Holy Land Christians

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On Dec. 14, Episcopal News Service posted a Statement:
” Anglican archbishop, other heads of churches and patriarchs issue Statement on the current threat Holy Land Christians Face. ” Here is the statement in full. The Most Rev. Hosam E. Naoum, the Anglican Archbishop in Jerusalem, joined in issuing the Statement. EPF PIN is grateful for the courage of church leaders in the Holy Land for speaking truth to power in a dangerous situation with multiple threats against their communities.
The Statement begins:
Throughout the Holy Land, Christians have become the target of frequent and sustained attacks by fringe radical groups. Since 2012 there have been countless incidents of physical and verbal assaults against priests and other clergy, attacks on Christian churches, with holy sites regularly vandalized and desecrated, and ongoing intimidation of local Christians who simply seek to worship freely and go about their daily lives. These tactics are being used by such radical groups in a systematic attempt to drive the Christian community out of Jerusalem and other parts of the Holy Land.
The statement does not define “fringe radical groups” and this may be confusing to U.S. readers in our Islamaphobic context. It is also an opening for Israeli authorities to twist the meaning of the statement. But for Palestinians, no definition is necessary, due to the daily experience of Jewish settler/right wing “price tag” attacks on Christians and Muslims alike, backed up by border police and IDF forces. “The growth of settler communities” referred to in the statement is a nod to the expanding violence and systematic government policies aimed at driving non-Jewish communities out of the Holy Land.
The Statement’s focus is on violence against Christians, speaking for a community
whose numbers are in steep decline. The numbers of Christians in Jerusalem in particular have dwindled to a level bordering on extinction — a real possibility within a generation. Today it is estimated that Christians are less than 1% of Jerusalem’s population — a decline from 11% in the middle of the 20th century. To learn more about the policies and “maneuvers to seize property” that are driving away Christians, click here. The Statement corroborates these maneuvers: “Yet radical groups continue to acquire strategic property in the Christian Quarter, with the aim of diminishing the Christian presence, often using underhanded dealings and intimidation tactics to evict residents from their homes, dramatically decreasing the Christian presence, and further disrupting the historic pilgrim routes between Bethlehem and Jerusalem.”
A Times of Israel article notes that the “radical groups” unnamed in the Statement
would include Ateret Cohanim, a religious-Zionist organization that works to populate the Old City and other East Jerusalem neighborhoods with Jewish residents by purchasing properties from non-Jewish owners.
Pilgrimage and tourism are an economic life-line for Palestinians, both Christians and Muslims. As the Statement indicates, a recent report by the University of Birmingham “highlighted that Christian pilgrimage and tourism contributes $3bn to the Israeli economy.” In the West Bank, Christmas visitors in Bethlehem are crucial to the economy. This year, COVID has accentuated the dependency of Palestinians on Israeli government regulations. Last week, Christian leaders accused Israel of discrimination after closing the borders to tourism but allowing Jewish “Birth Right” groups into the country. An official with the Catholic Church said church officials were shocked and angry by the Israeli decision. He said the church, along with other denominations, have appealed to Israel’s Tourism Ministry to allow Christian pilgrims to travel through Ben Gurion airport for the holidays. The exploding omicron variant has made this appeal moot.
The Statement ends with an appeal to the authorities of Israel, Palestine and Jordan to engage with Church leaders to:
Deal with the challenges presented by radical groups in Jerusalem to both the Christian community and the rule of law, so as to ensure that no citizen or institution has to live under threat of violence or intimidation.
Begin dialogue on the creation of a special Christian cultural and heritage zone to safeguard the integrity of the Christian Quarter in Old City Jerusalem and to ensure that its unique character and heritage are preserved for the sake of well-being of the local community, our national life, and the wider world.
This appeal demands a response from the churches in the West, as well. This week the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, published an article in the Sunday Times with the Anglican Archbishop in Jerusalem, Hosam Naoum. With united voices, the two Archbishops reiterated the call of the Statement by Church Leaders and Patriarchs for “governments and authorities in the region to listen to church leaders in their midst: To engage in the practical conversations that will lead to vital Christian culture and heritage being guarded and sustained. The time for action is now!”
PIN agrees: the time for action is now, not only on behalf of Christians but for the human rights and full civil rights of all Palestinians. We salute Archbishop Naoum for his courage in speaking out, not only in Palestine/Israel but also in the Sunday Times. We pray for him, for his church, for all the churches and cultures hoping to survive and thrive in the Holy Land. We pray for ALL the people between the river and the sea, that a new vision for living together as members of the one human family may arise in 2022.

EPF PJN Acts for Justice in 2021

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PJNontheGo: EPF PJN Acts for Justice in 2021

9 December 2021

Let’s face facts. EPF’s Palestine Justice Network is a small organization with limited resources. And we are still testing our vocal strength when calling The Episcopal Church to speak and act prophetically against injustice in Israel & Palestine or the ways we and our government sustain structures of oppression.

But that picture may be changing. In last week’s PJN on the Go! we reported details of three dioceses, Olympia, Vermont and Chicago, which had recently approved resolutions calling out the unequal treatment afforded Palestinian citizens of Israel as well as residents of occupied east Jerusalem, the west bank of the Jordan River, and the besieged Gaza Strip. Two of those dioceses followed the human rights organizations B’Tselem and Human Rights Watch, in using the “A” word, apartheid, to describe current Israeli governance “from the river to the sea”. In each diocese, members or friends of EPF PJN were in the vanguard seeing these resolutions passed.

An article by EPF PJN member Steve France, covered much the same territory for Mondoweiss, and hinted of similar resolutions to come in late January when the Diocese of Washington (DC) meets in convention.

There are other ways PJN is seeking to amplify its voice in the Episcopal community, to other ecumenical PJNs, and on the (inter)national stage. One way is to endorse the actions of larger and better-known and -funded partners, adding our organizational name and reputation to actions they are sponsoring.

Why are endorsements important? Endorsing the actions of like-minded groups strengthens our bonds for a common purpose. Endorsement encourages those who benefit from the action to know they are not alone in their struggle for justice. And endorsements, especially when offered by multiple organizations, add weight to a request or demand to an elected official.

Requests for endorsement are handled by the PJN Communications with Allies and Friends workgroup. For obvious reasons, this moniker usually gets abbreviated to “the CAF”. The CAF is one of three workgroups, including Education and Local Organizing, where the bulk of PJN’s work is done.

CAF members receive requests for endorsement, either directly from the sponsoring organization or by referral from a PJN member. The request is reviewed for scope, relevance to our mission, and consistency with our values. If the CAF finds the action appropriate, the Convenor forwards an endorsement recommendation to the Steering Committee and signs on behalf of the PJN.

Once PJN endorses another group’s initiative, we publish our support for it on our website, in email communications like this one, and on our Facebook page. If we had additional volunteer support, we would love to expand our presence on Twitter and Instagram. Since this process was established earlier this year, PJN has endorsed more than a dozen actions by other organizations.

Here is a partial list of the resolutions, actions, requests and demands EPF PJN has endorsed in 2021…

In March, a PJN Steering Committee member suggested we join 40 organizations in a letter opposing a series of anti-boycott bills before the NY State Legislature. If enacted, these laws would stifle and punish boycott as a constitutionally protected form of speech. Sadly, at the 2018 Episcopal General Convention in Austin, the House of Deputies defeated a resolution which affirmed your right to boycott! PJN, on the other hand, supports you right to call for nonviolent social change in Israel and Palestine and will support another resolution next year in Baltimore.

In April 2021 we took the opportunity to demonstrate some intersectional love by joining the US Campaign for Palestinian Rights’ call to oppose the further militarization of police. State-sanctioned violence is a problem in black and brown communities of the US as well as in Palestine. And unfortunately, the US and Israel share a history of national security cooperation which includes mass surveillance, racial profiling, and violent suppression of dissent.

We also joined our national church, together with surprising partners like JStreet and Americans for Peace Now in endorsing Rep. Betty McCollum’s bill, HR 2590. The bill, would expand previously proposed legislation by adding monetary penalties to military support for Israel if such funding was used to detain Palestinian Children. HR2590 now has more than 30 co-sponsors.

Our endorsement activity increased in May as we joined other denominational PJNs, interfaith partners, and secular organizations in a letter to President Biden opposing planned evictions in predominantly Palestinian neighborhoods of eastern Jerusalem.

In response to the Israeli police attacks at the Al Aqsa Mosque compound, the rockets out of Gaza and the disproportionate retaliation by the Israeli military, we lent our name as one of 122 faith-based organizations signing an Interfaith Call to Action and called on PJN members and friends in Washington, DC area to participate in the national March for Palestine.

We were among more than 100 faith-based and secular organizations such as Churches for Middle East Peace, JVP Action, DCI – Palestine, and Indivisible in a letter urging President Biden to block delivery of an unnecessary, unrequested $735 million in military aid to Israel.

One of the more emotionally wrenching requests for endorsement came in July after Husam El-Qoulaq met several Members of Congress and their staff. Twenty-two members of Husam’s family were killed in Israel’s May attack on Gaza. Rep. Hank Johnson agreed to lead aHouse letter to Secretary of State Blinken calling for an investigation into whether Israel’s use of US weapons to attack the Gaza Strip was a violation of US law.

In mid September we learned that Representatives Tlaib, Ocasio-Cortez and Pocan were going to introduce anAmendment to the 2022 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) which would block the $735 Billion arms sale which we had petitioned the President to rescind. We were quick to show we continued to oppose this action and supported their initiative.

In late October we joined the Adalah Justice Project, AJP Action, the Center for Constitutional Rights and Progressive Democrats of America (among many others) in endorsing Rep. Betty McCollum’s House Resolution 751 condemning the Israeli government’s criminalization of six Palestinian human rights organizations.

We also joined with some of these and other organizations, sending a letter to Secretaryof State Blinken, asking him to demand that Israel rescind their false designation of these NGOs.

In November, we endorsed a letter organized by FCNL, J Street, and Democracy for the Arab World Now (DAWN) in support of SenSanders’ amendment to the FY22 NDAA which would require a report on the humanitarian impact of severe restrictions on movement, access, and goods in and out of Gaza as well as possible solutions to the crisis.

The latest PJN endorsement came in response to a November request from the Friends of Sabeel, North America (FOSNA), to support a petition calling on all parties to release the bodies of those killed. Currently, 4 Israeli soldiers bodies are somewhere in Gaza and 335 Palestinian bodies are being held by Israel. A Declaration Regarding Respect forthe Bodies of the Deceased asks faith leaders (like you!) to sign their petition to return these bodies to their families for burial.

Do these endorsements accomplish their goal? It is true that our cries sometimes seem to fall on deaf ears. But we think standing with the oppressed and for justice is the right thing to do, Could we do more? Sure! And perhaps with your financial and volunteer support we will.

Thanks to Randy Heyn-Lamb for bringing this together.

Action at the Diocesan Grassroots for Palestine: Olympia, Vermont and Chicago

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In the span just over a month, three Episcopal dioceses from across the continental United States, considered and supported resolutions which recognized the unequal treatment meted out to Palestinians in occupied east Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza, and toward Palestinian citizens of Israel.

The first of the dioceses to address this was Olympia. Bishop Greg Rickel is no stranger to the Anglican/Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem, since he also serves as Board Chair of the American Friends of the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem, and established his own Bishop’s Committee for Justice and Peace in the Holy Land (BCJPHL).

As part of their late October Convention, the BCJPHL offered two workshops demonstrating the difficulty of life for Palestinians. The first included a screening of the BAFTA award winning film, The Present, co-written by Hind Shoufani and the director, Farah Nabulsi, available on Netflix. A second workshop included a slide presentation about a school-based water purification project in Gaza sponsored by the Middle East Children’s Alliance.

The BCJPHL introduced two resolutions for consideration. The first, entitled Peace in the Holy Land-Striving for Justice, called on Diocese of Olympia parishes to learn about the ongoing military occupation in the West Bank, the blockade of Gaza, and the unequal laws and treatment Palestinians experience in Israel. It also recognized the BCJPHL as a resource congregations could call upon. This first resolution passed by a margin of 217 to 37, and copies of the resolution and its accompanying four-page explanation will be distributed to and used by parishes as part of their education process. Both resolutions and their explanations can be found here.

Olympia’s second resolution, entitled Justice and Peace in the Holy Land-Our Call to Action, begins by affirming of the right of the State of Israel to exist, while simultaneously condemning the continued occupation, segregation and oppression of the Palestinian people. According to BCJPHL member Stacy Andersen, the Committee “felt it was important to begin with an unambiguous statement condemning violence from any source and recognizing the reality and harm of antisemitism.” The action they asked the Diocese to affirm and send to General Convention in 2022 calls on President Biden and the Congress to oppose Israeli laws and practices which result in unequal rights. This resolution passed by a wider margin of 244 to 19.

The Diocese of Vermont was the next to be heard. Two of the three resolutions they considered in early November were memorials of diocesan resolutions previously passed in 2018. (Note: A memorial allows a previously passed resolution to be submitted without change for further consideration.) The first memorial asked the Diocese to send their previous resolution, Supporting Freedom of Speech and the Right to Boycott on to GC next year in Baltimore. This resolution, coming just months after Resolution 2018-D028 On the Topic of Opposing Anti-Boycott Legislation was rejected at GC in Austin, affirms the decision to boycott as part of the freedom of speech. While not limited to a boycott of Israel, the Vermont resolution does cite the attempts by some states and the federal government to outlaw boycott and limit free speech when it comes to Israel. The memorial passed 116 to 4 and will be sent to Baltimore.

The second Vermont memorial was a resubmission of their 2018 resolution Application of the Leahy Laws to Israel.  [The “Leahy law” refers to two statutory provisions prohibiting the U.S. Government from financially assisting units of foreign security forces where there is credible information implicating that unit in gross violations of human rights. One provision applies to the State Department, the other to the Defense Department.] The vote to send the memorial to GC for consideration passed by 105 to 11.

Then came the new resolution entitled Recognition of Apartheid in Israel and Palestine. Unlike Olympia, which spoke of unequal treatment, the Vermont resolution specifically named recent legislation such as the Nation State Law, as well as earlier laws and practices in Israel and the occupied Palestinian Territories as “correspond[ing] to the definition of apartheid.” The resolution further contends that apartheid is antithetical to the Gospel of Jesus and to our baptismal vows as Episcopalians. Resolution supporters read statements from EPF PJN co-convener Linda Gaither and Vermont Palestinian Wafic Faour, who was instrumental in pushing Ben and Jerry’s to leave the Israeli settlements, called on the US to withhold military funding from Israel until the apartheid experienced by his family in Israel is eliminated. While several voices opposed the resolution, the strong 89 to 25 vote in favor will send it to the GC for consideration. The resolutions and testimony of the Vermont Convention can be viewed on their YouTube site between the 2:10:00 and 2:46:00 marks here.

The most recent Diocese to discuss these matters was Chicago. On the weekend before Thanksgiving, the Resolution Confronting Apartheid was addressed. Like Vermont, the resolution calls for The Episcopal Church to recognize that Israeli treatment of Palestinians constitutes apartheid under international law and is contrary to the Gospel and our Baptismal Covenant. A similar resolution was defeated the previous year, with 42% in favor but 58% opposed. This year, however, the resolution was approved by 300 (72%) yes votes (72%) to 114 (28%) nays.

What led to this stunning reversal in Chicago and the strong pluralities in Olympia and Vermont? There were likely multiple factors, including the early 2021 report by the Israeli human rights watchdog B’Tselem, which became the first organization to publicly name Israel’s system of laws and control over east Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza as apartheid. Just a few short months later, Human Rights Watch issued its own report, documenting similar abuses and drawing the same conclusion.

The recent action taken by delegates to the United Church of Christ General Synod, which named Israeli apartheid as a sin, may have influenced some delegates. In Chicago, two lay delegates and the Diocesan Peace & Justice Committee sponsored this year’s resolution. Meanwhile, a small group of EPF-PJN members organized a series of talks titled Seeking Peace and Justice in Palestine/Israel that prioritized Palestinian voices and featured a local rabbi who leads a congregation that defines itself as “anti-zionist.” They also presented the resolution at three deanery meetings to assess clergy response, and reached out to lay delegates as they could.

Opposing voices had scuttled last year’s resolution, so the group strategized for the debate they thought would come – “A tricky exercise,” said PJN member Priscilla Read, “in a virtual gathering where raising hands and lining up to testify would be online and impossible to see, much less control.” In the end, a resolution sponsor joined with the Rector of a local parish to set the political and religious stage for reintroducing the resolution while another sponsor brought supportive testimony from the rabbi and a Palestinian-American Christian recounted her family’s experiences of systemic discrimination in Israel and the West Bank.

As it turned out, only one person testified in opposition to the resolution, and his comments were apparently eclipsed by the ardent advocacy of the supportive speakers.  More time was spent on debating several motions to amend which passed and appear as the final “resolved” in the text of the resolution. You can see the full text of the resolution as amended here. To view the full debate on YouTube beginning at 5:06:00, go here.

One other diocese is scheduled to discuss our Church’s position on Israel and Palestine when the Diocese of Washington takes up the matter at its late January convention. Your EPF Palestine Justice Network will be there, watching what unfolds and working to support “a more robust Episcopal Church witness for justice and peace for our Palestinian and Israeli brothers and sisters.”

Thanks to Randy Heyn-Lamb, Stacy Andersen, John Heermans and Priscilla Read for pulling this report together.

Update and Call to Action on Standing with Palestinian Human Rights Organizations

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Last week, EPF PJN issued a statement condemning the decision taken by Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz, which libelously labeled six Palestinian human rights NGOs as “terrorist organizations.” You can read the statement on our website or view an expanded version with additional background information, published by the Episcopal New Service.

Three of the six organizations have significant international name recognition. For thirty years, Addameer has been at the fore in supporting the struggle of Palestinian political prisoners in Israeli and Palestinian prisons. They publicize news of significant events, such as hunger strikes, and attempt to investigate and end practices of torture or other violations of prisoners’ rights.

Al-Haq was established more than 40 years ago to protect and promote human rights and the rule of law in the occupied Palestinian Territory (oPT). Generally recognized as the preeminent organization promoting legal rights for Palestinians, the organisation has special consultative status with the United Nations and is affiliated with multiple national and international judicial organizations.

Perhaps the most well-known of the six NGOs, Defense for Children International-Palestine, or DCI-P, has continued for 30 years to defend and promote the rights of children living in the West Bank, including east Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip. Through their No Way to Treat a Child campaign, and by working closely with Rep. Betty McCollum’s efforts to promote HR 2590, the Defending the Human Rights of Palestinian Children and Families Living Under Israeli Military Occupation Act, DCI-P has become a high profile advocate for Palestinian children.

Although lesser known than these three, for more than forty years the Bisan Center for Research and Development has been actively engaged with the poor and marginalized communities in the oPT, educating and building partnerships which help them achieve their socio-economic rights in impoverished areas which are highly dependent on foreign assistance.

Formed by a group of agronomists 35 years ago, the Union of Agricultural Work Committees. or UAWC, is one of the largest agricultural development institutions in Palestine. Their agricultural committees work with national and international development agencies to establish priorities for local farmers and implement co-operative programs and community activities to strengthen agricultural communities.

Different in its target, but similar in methods, the UPWC, or Union of Palestinian Women’s Committees has worked through local community groups formore than forty years to build a civil, democratic, progressive society to improve the status of Palestinian women and empower them to pursue true equality and social justice between men and women, free from discrimination.

The Israeli Defense Ministry has argued that these six NGOs are “terrorist organizations” because of their supposed ties to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, a political party banned in Israel (but not Palestine). Critics of the Israeli government however, say that the decision has less to do with their political affiliations as their effectiveness in revealing the Israeli occupation to the international community.

With such reputations and strong connections to human rights groups around the world, it is unsurprising that opposition to Minister Gantz’ announcement was quick to coalesce. Mondoweiss reported that ten Palestinian Christian organizations condemned and denounced the move “in the strongest possible terms” A statement issued by the Israeli human rights watchdog B’Tselem reported that twenty-five Israeli NGOs had signed a joint statement opposing the decision. According to the popular YNet News, the move “caused shockwaves” among European donor nations, NGOs, and from Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch. The Turkish-based Andalou Agency reported that at least three members of the Israeli Cabinet had publicly denounced the move, including the Health, Environmental Protection, and  Regional Cooperation Ministers.

Here in the United States, the opposition took the form of joint letters to Secretary of State Antony Blinken, urging him to pressure the Israeli government to rescind the terrorist label. One letter, sponsored by the Center for Constitutional Rights, JVP-Action and the US Campaign for Palestinian Rights collected endorsements from more than 290 organizations, including both EPF and EPF PJN. You can see and still sign the letter here. The Episcopal Church joined fourteen other Church bodies, and para-church organizations, in signing a similar letter to Secretary Blinken.

Representative McCollum also acted quickly to introduce H.Res.751, “Condemning the repressive designation by the Government of Israel of six prominent Palestinian human rights and civil society groups as terrorist organizations.” The Resolution has been co-sponsored by ten of her colleagues already. A press release issued by her office stated (in part) that,

“When a government uses the label of terrorist as a weapon to silence the work of human rights organizations and advocates who courageously represent vulnerable people living under military occupation, it is a sign of incredible weakness more aligned with an authoritarian regime than a healthy democracy. Israel’s decision to brand these prominent Palestinian civil society groups as terrorist organizations exposes the truth that Israel’s occupation is violent, immoral, and unjust, and that peaceful efforts to defend the rights of Palestinian children, women, farmers, or prisoners must be declared illegal.”

We encourage all PJN supporters to contact their Congressional Representatives to become co-sponsors of H.Res.751. The US Campaign for Palestinian Rights has made it easy to do so here. While you are at it, be sure to sign the Episcopal Public Policy Network action alert in support of HR2590. You can call the White House Comment Line Tuesday thru Thursday form 11AM-3PM EST at (202) 456-1111. Or send a message to President Biden at the White House and/or Secretary of State Antony Blinken. And don’t forget to use your preferred social media platforms to ask your friends, Rector, Bishop, etc. to join you in these support actions.

EPF PJN Condemns Israel’s Designation of 6 Palestinian Human Rights Organizations as “Terror Organizations”

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The Episcopal Peace Fellowship Palestine Justice Network (EPF PJN) condemns the Israel Defense Ministry’s October 22 designation of six Palestinian human rights organizations as “terror organizations”. EPF PJN is very familiar with the six organizations:
Over several years members of EPF PJN have benefited from and relied on the integrity of these groups’ reporting, esteemed the accuracy and balance of their information, and met with officials of several of them in their offices in Palestine. We support their work with complete confidence and will continue to do so.
The Defense Ministry’s fear-mongering use of the “terror” epithet is cynical, dangerous, and unsubstantiated. This use of lawfare, “a tactic used by repressive regimes to label and discourage civil society or individuals from claiming their legal rights via national or international legal systems”, is sadly typical of an Israeli government whose actions frequently violate international law, occur in the dark of closed judicial proceedings, and are enforced at the point of a gun. Such actions affirm once again the discriminatory and separatist character of Israel’s government policies toward Palestinian people. Palestinian analyst Yara Hawari writes here of the way this designation fits the longstanding pattern of Israel’s criminalization of dissent.
EPF PJN urges members of The Episcopal Church to raise awareness of this ominous move in parishes and church offices, and to contact their elected government officials to ensure that legislation against human rights abuses is upheld while applying pressure to the government of Israel to rescind this designation.

Remembering Sabra and Shatila 16-18 September 1982

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Remembering Sabra and Shatila 16-18 September 1982

This Litany uses the traditional form of a corporate prayer for the dead, such as might be found in the Book of Common Prayer.  Thanks to Randy Heyn-Lamb  for raising up a commemoration of this horrific event in prayer.

 

Beginning on the evening of September 16th, 1982, and continuing until the morning of the 18th, between 460 and 3,500 Palestinian refugees and Shiite Lebanese civilians in the Sabra neigborhood of Beirut and the neighboring Shatila refugee camp were massacred by militia members affiliated with the right-wing Lebanese Christian Kataeb (Phalange) Party.

As part of the Lebanese Civil War, the Phalangists were ordered by their ally, the Israeli Military, to clear Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) fighters out of Sabra and Shatila. The Israeli Army surrounded the area and stationed troops at the exits to prevent camp residents from leaving. Although Israeli commanders received reports of the ongoing Phalange atrocities, not only did they not take action to stop the massacre but fired illuminating flares at night.

In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful (Bismillah ir Rahman, ir Raheem).

Have mercy on your servants.

In the Name of God, the Way, the Truth, the Life  (Bismillah ir Rasheed, al Haqq, al Hayy)

Have mercy on your servants.

In the Name of God the Holy, (Bismillah al Quddoos)

Have mercy on your servants.

In the Name of the One, the First, the Last, the Eternal (Bismillah al Ahad, al ‘Awwal, al ‘Akhir, al Samad)

Have mercy on your servants.

From all evil, sin, and tribulation,

Good Lord, deliver them.

By Your presence among us, by Your understanding of our pain and fears,

Good Lord, deliver them.

By Your power over the grave, and to redeem your creation

Good Lord, deliver them.

May it please You to deliver the souls of Your servants from the power of evil and from eternal death,

We beseech you to hear us, good Lord.

May it please you to mercifully pardon all their sins,

We beseech you to hear us, good Lord.

May it please you to grant them a place of refreshment and everlasting blessedness,

We beseech you to hear us, good Lord.

May it please you to give them joy and gladness.

We beseech you to hear us, good Lord.

Into your hands, O God of Peace (As-Salaam), we commend your servants. Acknowledge them, we humbly pray, as sheep of your own fold, lambs of your own flock, sinners of your own redeeming. Receive them into the arms of your mercy, into the blessed rest of everlasting peace, and into the glorious company of your saints in light.

Amen.

Grant them eternal rest, O Lord:

And let light perpetual shine upon them

May their souls, and the souls of all the departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.

Amen.

An Update on Layan as of 6 September 2021

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Thanks to EPF PIN member Randy Heyn-Lamb for this update.

Last week we reported the release on bail of Layan Nasir, a Birzeit University student arrested in July for her alleged role in a student group banned by the Israeli Occupation Army. Layan’s story was published in Mondoweiss by her priest, Fr. Fadi Diab, at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church. After a joyful welcome by friends at the checkpoint, Layan returned to her parents’ home. for additional celebrations with friends and family. Archbishop Theodosius (Atallah) Hanna of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate, an outspoken critic of the Occupation and for Palestinian rights, also made a pastoral visit.

In addition to Layan, 2 other women, 28-year-old Ayat Mahfouz, and 25-year-old Anhar Al-Deek who were jailed on more serious charges of stabbing an Israeli soldier, were released from detention. Ms. Al-Deek, who is now under house arrest, had generated international attention as she is due to deliver her 2nd child at any time.

Four other young women, Amany Jaradat, Anagem Awad, Layan Kayed, and Ruba Asi, detained on charges similar to Layan Nasir’s, have all been tried and sentenced to prison terms of varying lengths. A fifth prisoner, Mona Qa’dan, remains in detention with an uncertain trial date. 

Layan, who faces an October 5th trial date in an Israeli military court, used her temporary freedom to take to Facebook with a message of gratitude and challenge. “Thanks to everyone who stood in solidarity and defended the cause of our prisoners. Each of them has a message and each of them has a story”, she continued. “The world should not ignore the barbarity and arrogance of the occupation, and its practice of stripping and depriving female prisoners of their most basic rights.” 

Reports from Middle East Eye indicate that the Israeli military rounded up 11 Palestinians, including 5 minors on unknown charges earlier this week.

Layan’s parents continue to call upon both local and international political and religious leaders to press Israeli authorities to unconditionally release Layan and the other young women detained for exercising their free speech and freedom of association rights guaranteed under international law. EPF PIN calls on all its friends and supporters to contact their own elected officials and religious leaders to advocate on behalf of Layan and the other prisoners.

Seeking Truth and Justice in Palestine/Israel

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Seeking Truth and Justice in Palestine/Israel

You are invited to a series of talks in-person and live-streamed hosted by St. Chrysostom’s Episcopal Church
1424 N. Dearborn Pkwy., Chicago 60610.

(Street and garage parking in vicinity)

Thursday evenings, September 30, October 14 and 28, and November 4, from 7:00 to 8:30 pm CT

Events in May 2021 once again focused global attention on the Holy Land, where the struggle over land and water has led to on-going abuse of human rights and loss of life and livelihood. St. Chrysostom’s invites you to an introductory series of four talks that will describe the current conditions on the ground, illuminate the sources of violence, and explore ways that we as Christians can contribute to the search for peace with justice. Discussion will follow presentations.

September 30: Current Conditions in Gaza, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem

Jehad Abusalim is Education and Policy Associate, Palestine Activism Program, American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) and a PhD candidate in History and Judaic Studies, New York University. Jennifer Bing is Director, Palestine Activism Program, AFSC-Chicago and has held various positions with AFSC’s Palestine-Israel programs since 1989.

Mai Kakish Khader is Director of TEE Arabic Language & Culture for Children of Arab Diaspora, a board member of the Seraj Library Project, and founder and writer of Almondandfig,com.

October 14: A Brief History of Palestine/Israel
Iymen Chehade is Lecturer on Palestine, Columbia College and School of the Art Institute-Chicago and

founder of Uprising Theater, which aims to amplify voices of Palestinians and other marginalized groups. October 28: A Jewish Perspective

on Palestine/Israel and Zionism

Rabbi Brant Rosen is Rabbi and founder of Tzedek Chicago and co-founder of the Jewish Voice for Peace Rabbinical Council.

November 4: How Christians Can Contribute to the Search for Peace with Justice

Canon Naim Ateek is a priest of the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem, co-founder of the Sabeel Ecumenical Liberation Theology Center-Jerusalem, and co-author of Kairos Palestine.

Registration is required at https://bit.ly/palestineevent to attend these sessions in person or via live- stream. Those attending virtually will receive the livestream links a day or two in advance of each remaining session. Everyone who registers will receive suggestions for background resources.

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Layan’s Story: Released on Bail!

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Twenty-one year old Palestinian student Layan Nasir, who had been planning to continue her 4th year of Nutrition studies at Birzeit University in the fall, slept in her own bed last Thursday night for the first time since seven Israeli soldiers raided her family home in the early morning hours of 7 July.

Layan is an active member of St. Peter’s Anglican/Episcopal Church in her hometown of Birzeit, approximately 12 miles north of Jerusalem. She was released on 26 August upon payment of 24,000 NIS bail (about US $7,500), a reversal of the Israeli military court’s decision to deny bail which had been handed down week before last.

As is the usual pattern, the court did not provide a reason why Layan’s appeal was granted, but her case has begun to generate a fair amount of international attention.

Samidoun, the Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network, first published an account of her arrest, noting that two days before, she had shared on social media about attacks she and others had suffered at the hands of undercover Palestinian Authority security forces, who violently beat students protesting the assassination of Palestinian activist Nizar Banat.

Birzeit University reported increased Israeli aggression against its students, including the mass arrest of Layan and 13 other students on 7 July. The violence was “neither new nor unprecedented”, it said, and the University called on international organizations to “take a stand against these severe human rights violations and to raise awareness of them worldwide,” and to “hold the occupation authorities accountable to ensure the sanctity of higher-education institutions and protect academic freedoms and human rights”. 

The actual charges brought against Layan by the Israeli military prosecutor were not revealed until a 5 August court appearance, nearly a month after she had been handcuffed, blindfolded, and taken from her home. According to a statement issued by her parents, the charges against Layan and the other students “are baseless and absurd. The evidence presented against Layan reflects the normal activities of any student and engaged citizen. She is accused of walking through the university campus discussing union activities, organizing nature walks for her classmates and friends, becoming part of the emergency committee formed during the coronavirus pandemic, and visiting students recently released from prison.” The statement continues, “Layan’s arrest illustrates the ways Israeli military law criminalizes the most fundamental and mundane aspects of a Palestinian student’s life.”

Perhaps the most serious of the charges against her was that Layan was an active member of a Birzeit University student group, the Democratic Progressive Student Pole. That group was banned by the Israeli Occupation Forces in August 2020, for unrevealed reasons.  According to al Haq, an independent Palestinian non-governmental human rights organization, the Israeli military uses unjust regulations which they inherited from the British following he end of their Mandate rule in 1948. 

In the United States, two petitions were started on Layan’s behalf using the Change.org website. The first was started shortly after her arrest and directed toward Representative Rashida Tlaib of Michigan. Representative Tlaib is the first Palestinian-American member of Congress, her grandmother lives in a small village some 12 miles west of Birzeit, so she may have been seen as a likely champion for Layan.

A second petition started about two weeks ago, and included the names of other women students who were arrested by the Israeli military around the same time. That petition is directed toward President Biden, Vice President Harris and Secretary of State Blinken, as well as Senate Majority Leader Schumer and House Speaker Pelosi, asking them to press Israeli authorities for the release of Layan and the other detainees. “The freedoms of expression and peaceful association are fundamental, universal human rights. We call on our elected representatives and those in authority within our government, to demand and pressure the Israeli government and military forces to immediately release Layan and her fellow students.” 

Other international support for Layan and her fellow students came from the French Solidaires Trade Union which, in a translation of their 20 August website statement declared that, “Faced with this obvious denial of freedom of association, expression and the right to form unions for students, we demand the immediate and unconditional release of Layan Nasir, as well as dozens of detained students. for similar reasons…” 

Layan was originally scheduled to be returned to court for the start of her trial on 24 August. The day prior to that, an article written by the Rev. Fadi Diab, Layan’s parish priest, appeared on the Mondoweiss website. In it he speaks movingly of Layan’s activism stemming from her baptismal vows. Father Diab describes Layan as “a remarkable young woman with a calm demeanor, tender spirit, and incredible potential.”. However, “…in Layan’s and other Palestinian Christian youths’ experience, Israel’s efforts to delegitimize, silence and attack student unions challenging the systemic oppression of the occupation is seen as an attack on the Christian Baptismal Covenant.”  Father Diab continued, “For Christians in Palestine, this means resisting historical, political, economic and cultural structures that are at odds with the life and teachings of Jesus Christ – loving the enemy who is created in the image of God while, at the same time, resisting the enemy’s occupation.”

On 25 August, Father Diab accompanied Layan’s parents on a visit to St. George’s Anglican/Episcopal Cathedral, where they met with the Archbishop in Jerusalem, the Most Reverend Hosam Naoum. While the purpose of the visit was primarily pastoral, the Archbishop did appear in photos with Layan’s parents flanking a banner with Layan’s picture and a call for her release in Arabic. According to a Facebook statement issued by the Diocese of Jerusalem’s Media Office, Archbishop Naoum inquired about [Layan’s] situation in the Israeli Prison,” and “assured the family that they have the church’s support, especially during these difficult times” He also mentioned that he has been in contact with officials both inside and outside of the country, and will continue to do that in the hope that [Layan] will be freed soon.”

The Archbishop did not have to wait long. By midday last Thursday, efforts to return Layan to her home in Birzeit were well under way, and shortly after 7pm local time she crossed the Israeli military checkpoint between Nazareth and Jenin where she was met by friends and members of her family. A brief video of Layan crossing over to her friends can be seen on YouTube.  It took another several hours for Layan to reach Birzeit, where additional family and friends had gathered to welcome her home.

Since Layan is out on bail, it is expected that she will be taken into custody at some point before her trial in Jerusalem in October. It s hoped that the worldwide Anglican Communion, and especially the American Episcopal Church will be vocal in their support of Layan and other Palestinian students rights to free speech and free association. The Church Times in Great Britain quotes Layan’s father on the day before her release, “We are distressed and concerned at the way we have been treated when our daughter is completely innocent. But we will fight on for justice.” He concluded by saying, “We… call upon activists, and people of conscience, to stand in solidarity with Palestinian students”. 

Thanks to EPF PJN Member Randy Hey-Lamb for the reporting.

EPF PJN Member John Heermans reflects on Ben and Jerry’s Announcement

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On July 19, the Board of Directors of Ben & Jerry’s issued a statement informing the world that it would no longer allow its “peace & love” ice cream to be sold and catered in illegal, Jewish-only settlements in occupied Palestine.  To continue to do so, it asserted, would be “inconsistent” with the company’s social mission.  It further stated it would not be renewing the license with Ben & Jerry’s franchise in Israel after it expires in 2022. On the same day, the parent company, Unilever, stated that they will continue to do business with the state of Israel.  Netanyahu has told all Israeli’s to boycott Ben and Jerry’s.  

The issue is far from resolved due to in-fighting between Unilever and Ben and Jerry’s, but what is very clear is the that through determination and perseverance for more than a decade, a small group of people in Vermont who are members of Vermonters for Justice in Palestine (VTJP) once again proved Margaret Mead right: Never under estimate the power of a small group of dedicated people to change the world.   

So who is VTJP?  Although many of the core group of VTJP have little or no interest in organized religion apart than partners in their cause to bring justice to Palestinians, the first meeting of VTJP was organized by Sister Miriam Ward of the Sisters of Mercy in Burlington in 2001.  Simply stated their mission is to free the Palestinian people from the zionists.  

I have been involved with VTJP for more than a decade and have been on their steering committee for five years.  We meet once a month for two hours to discuss actions and stay current with events in Palestine.  Apart from participating in numerous demonstrations and showing of films, my main role in the organization has been to connect VTJP to the Episcopal Diocese in Vermont.  Three core members from VTJP (two Jews and a Palestinian) were allowed to attend and speak at the Diocesan Convention in 2017 and were instrumental in passing a resolution on BDS and a resolution on the Leahy Law.

The campaign to show the hypocrisy of Ben and Jerry’s and demand that they stop making and selling ice cream in Israel has been one of the main subjects of meetings and actions for at least ten years.  I was not on the sub-committee that met regularly on this issue.  In fact, I felt that they spent far too much time on Ben and Jerry’s and despite all their efforts, it seemed like they were not moving forward on the issue.  But the core BDS group insisted and they carried on year after year.

So one could say that other than sideline support, my role has been minimal on this issue.  Or in the grand scheme of how the universe works, through my resistance, perhaps I did play a minor role.  Stay with me on this.

Another group in Vermont that meets at the Rock Point facility on Diocesan property is the Rock Point Wisdom School (RPWS), a school that is associated with the Episcopal priest and mystic, Cynthia Bourgeault’s dynamic wisdom movement.  The RPWS was created in 2016 following the election of Donald Trump.  We welcome everyone and every denomination and our mission is also simple: to wake up.  

One of the core teachings of the school is “The Law of Three”, a Gurdjieffian term that states that all manifestations and creations in the universe require three forces: active, passive and neutral. The law of three isn’t a quack idea up for discussion, it’s just the way it is and has been proven in science and in the world of people and events.  No act of creation can occur without an active (positive), resistant (negative) and reconciling force (neutral).  

In the case of VTJP and Ben and Jerry’s, there was a core group of activists who would not give up (active force).  There were also others like myself that thought that were kicking the can down the road and that the withdrawal of Ben and Jerry’s in Israel was a pipe dream.  However, there was no reconciling force, no third force until – until some courageous lady filmed the slow execution of a black man by a cop on a street in Minneapolis, Minnesota.  When the protests began last year, VTJP jumped on board and established a solid relationship with Black Lives Matter.  As more and more people from BLM saw that the plight of the Palestinians was not different than the plight of all oppressed people in the world, many of the protesters in Vermont wanted to join forces with VTJP.  

During the last massacre in Gaza, more than 300 protesters stood in front of Ben and Jerry’s famous store in Burlington on Church St. and chanted “Shame Shame Shame…” for about five minutes.  It was a game changing moment.  The rest is history.  The story is far from over but judging by the media coverage and the angry backlash and threats by the zionist community to Ben and Jerry’s and VTJP, a small group of dedicated people in Vermont refused to give up and scored a major victory toward their mission of freeing the Palestinian people.  

EPF PIN’s Concerns about ‘The Abraham Accords: Working Towards A New Middle East Writing A Positive Story Together

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EPF PIN is distressed to learn that the Epsicopal Diocese of Atlanta is co-sponsoring, and that Bishop Robert Wright of Atlanta is planning to attend an Interfaith Prayer Breakfast scheduled for this Wednesday, August 4th at the Chapelhill (AOG) Church. The scheduled presentation is on the Abraham Accords, the Trump-era plan to normalize relations between the Arab States and Israel and promising a chance to “Meet the next generation of Arab and Israeli leaders bringing peace, partnership, and understanding among Middle Eastern populations.”
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EPF PIN is concerned about exactly who the Abraham Accords do NOT benefit. Chief among them are the Palestinian people who have relied on the Arab League position that normal relations with Israel are contingent on a negotiated agreement with the Palestinians.

The Abraham Accords also normalize the Occupation, which leaves nearly three million Palestinians disenfranchised and brutalized by Israeli military forces, border police and settlers.

And the Abraham Accords normalize the irrelevance of international law and United Nations’ Security Resolutions.

The “changing landscape in the New Middle East” that will be celebrated at the breakfast on August 4 is grounded in shady deals and power plays. The benefits are immediate and tangible for the UAE and Bahrain: access to Israeli intelligence and spyware, opportunities of hi-tech trade deals, the chance to buy F35 state-of-the-art fighter planes from the U.S.

The Steering Committee of EPF PIN has written to Bishop Wright, explaining these concerns and asking him to reconsider his participation in, and co-sponsorship of this Wednesday’s Prayer Breakfast. If he does attend, wee have asked that he raise our concerns about the negative impact the normalization envisioned in the Abraham Accords will have on the Palestinian people.

If you would like to send your own personal message to Bishop Wright, you can send an email to communications@episcopalatlanta.org. You can also reach Bishop Wright on Twitter @episcopalatl and on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/episcopalatlanta/

What is Solidarity? A Voices for Justice Reflection

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Colleague Judith Norman, a member of Jewish Voice for Peace – San Antonio and a Professor of Philosophy at Trinity University, offers this reflection on solidarity with Gaza and a challenge as we in the Episcopal Church prepare for our General Convention in 2022.

I want to think a bit about what solidarity means and what it requires of us.

Today I read that of the 37 states that painted Black Lives Matter on their streets, only one ended qualified immunity for police.  This points to some of the pitfalls of solidarity: how easy some of the performative gestures can be, how good they can look, how hollow they really are.

True solidarity is demanding.  It requires us in the first place to listen to the people we’re in solidarity with.  The BLM activists weren’t asking for sidewalk chalk: they were asking for a real change in the balance of power.  Solidarity requires us to join in and uplift their demands for real solutions, not cosmetic solutions.  Similarly, it requires our real participation, not our cosmetic (performative) participation.  Real solidarity requires us to be in it for the long term, not to disappear when the cause leaves the headlines.

Right now, there is a ceasefire in Gaza.  But my friend, Kareem in 

Gaza writes: 

“Israel launched a campaign to arrest 500 of Palestinians citizens of Israel

Israel is still provoking Palestinians in Sheikh Jarrah

Israel is now blocking the only border for goods into Gaza

Israel is blocking fishermen in Gaza from fishing

Israel forces yesterday stormed al Aqsa and injured 15 Palestinian worshipers

Israel is still cutting the electricity (that we pay for it) on Gaza, made it 4 hours a day only

This is all not in [the] mass media, because Israelis in Tel Aviv are now back to beaches, everything came back normal to Israelis.”

Now is the time to lean in and redouble our commitment. Solidarity does just not mean affirming our common humanity.  That’s too easy.  Palestinians aren’t being attacked because of our common humanity.  They are being attacked because of their Palestinian identity.  Solidarity requires us to find out more about Palestinian identity learn about Palestine, as a place of beauty and samoud as well as a place of occupation and oppression.

Solidarity requires us to know not just about people in Palestine, but about ourselves as well, our positionalities, the amount of tax dollars we send to Israel, the way we’re implicated in the oppression, our own proximity to power, our own blind spots, our own comfort levels, not so that we can stay inside of them but so that we can push back against them.  Because solidarity requires risk.  If we’re in this for congratulations or virtue signaling, then we’re not acting in solidarity.

 

So I would like each of you to think about how you can push yourself.  What risks you can take, what actions you can take to help keep the Palestinian struggle visible and to act on our involvement in the oppression of Palestine.  I want to challenge each one of you to think: What action can I take, how can I push myself to stand in true solidarity.

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