+ Sodastream will be advertising during the Superbowl. Let's begin to spread the word: Boycott Sodastream! Sodastream is manufactured in one of the settlements in the occupied West Bank.
Sodastream presents... How to profit from Occupation, Oppression and Apartheid. While this video is titled, "Sodastream presents..." it is not from Sodastream but comes from the organized boycott effort.
+ Bradley Burston writes in Ha'aretz, "The founding of Bab al-Shams was genius." His article is, An Israeli in awe of a Palestinian act of non-violence.
"On Friday, nearly a hundred men women and children pitched tents on a Palestinian-owned plot of land in the patch of the West Bank called E-1, a political and diplomatic minefield which Netanyahu has vowed to build on, and Washington has warned him not to. The place was given a new name - Bab al-Shams, the Gate of the Sun.
"The Palestinians who staked down the tents were explicit in calling their rocky hilltop encampment a village. But the manner of its founding made it all too clear to Israelis what it was as well - a ma'ahaz, a settlement outpost, no less and no more illegal than the scores and scores of rogue farms, tent camps, rude shacks and proto-suburbs which Israeli settlers have staked across the West Bank and East Jerusalem." [Read the whole blog/article at this link.]
+ Jewish Voice for Peace is backing up the stance of 15 US church leaders. Please sign and share this petition. "Israel, the biggest long-term recipient of US aid, should not be above the law. Mr. President, please condition US aid to Israel on compliance with US and international law. It must not be used to violate the rights of Palestinians." The goal is 60,000 signatures.
+ Budrus is a village that has carried out a successful non-violent resistance to the Separation Barrier. The movie, "Budrus," introduced me to the citizens of the village. Here's sad news from "Just Vision," the folks who made the movie.
"We have some heartbreaking news to share.
"Earlier this morning, 16-year-old Sameer Awwad, a resident of Budrus, was killed by the Israeli military near the Separation Barrier in the village. He was shot with live ammunition several times in the leg, neck and chest.
"Over the past few years, as we've grown close to many of the residents of Budrus and shared their stories with you, we have been struck by how close-knit their community is. That solidarity was a huge part of the success of their nonviolent struggle several years ago, and today, we know it means that the entire village is staggered by this terrible news."
Our condolences go out to Sameer's family and to the people of Budrus. We hope that the strength and resilience that have guided them through difficult times in the past will help them overcome this tragedy.
+ 5 Broken Cameras is nominated for an Academy Award in the documentary catagory. I'll be watching and hoping for a win on Oscars night. More importantly, I'm encouraging everyone to try to see this film and share info about it.
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Pastor Mitri Raheb's Dec. 9 sermon, "Bethlehem Then and Now" is circulating. It is well worth reading and sharing (below). In addition, Pastor Raheb offers an Advent greeting on video. Pastor Mitri Raheb's Advent greeting on video here.
Bethlehem Then and Now
Rev. Dr. Mitri Raheb's Sermon
December 9, 2012
“O little town of Bethlehem” is one of the most famous Christmas Hymns. Bethlehem has become almost a mythological place: Children imagine it with a few “huts,” a few camels and the holy family. At the time of Jesus, Bethlehem was a little town of 300-1,000 inhabitants. What people might not know is that the city of Bethlehem today is not in Israel but in Palestine, and that it is a bustling city with 28,000 people. One third of them are Palestinian Christians.
When Christians today sing “O little town of Bethlehem” they seldom think of the real city with the real people. When it comes to Bethlehem and to Christmas, Christianity has become so spiritualized and so commercialized.
It’s all about Santa, the Tree, the gifts, and the food. But what happened in Bethlehem 2000 years ago was something real. Jesus was born as a refugee. His family was forced to leave Nazareth and go to Bethlehem. Later his family had to flee the brutality of King Herod and go into hiding in Egypt for two years. Today Bethlehem has almost 20,000 Palestinian refugees who lost in 1948, when the State of Israel was established, their land, homes and belongings and came to Bethlehem seeking refugee. They are still living in three refugee camps waiting for a just solution.
The Christmas story of the Bible has nothing to do with what we know today as Christmas. Take the story of the Magi or the kings from the East. That story is read in a nostalgic way and is being performed over and over again. But a closer look at the story will show that it talks about the Roman Empire and their occupation of Palestine. Empires do not control only the native people they rule; they also work to ensure that visitors coming in contact with the land and its native people are controlled. In 2010 a well-known evangelical preacher came to attend a theological conference in Bethlehem. Upon arrival at Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv, Israeli officials told him that they would like to invite him for a cup of coffee in their offices and have a chat. For almost four hours he was questioned about his decision to attend a conference in Bethlehem, what he thought of the Palestinian Kairos Document, and how he knew some of these “radical” Palestinian theologians. This was supposed to be VIP treatment. Others who are part of solidarity movements with Palestine are often detained at the Israeli airport and sent back to their home countries.
When this highly reputed American evangelical preacher told us his story I told him, “Welcome to Palestine. As someone who knows his Bible well you should not have been surprised by such treatment. The same VIP treatment was also extended to the Magi from the east that came to see Jesus in Bethlehem. Herod too invited them ‘for a cup of coffee’ to ascertain why they wanted to travel to Bethlehem, and how they knew about the newborn child. So now you have experienced something biblical. Welcome to the Holy Land!”
I still recall how everyone in the group laughed. Then an American woman attending the conference asked me, “So what should we tell the Israelis at the airport when they question us about where we have been? What should we say?” I replied “I wish I could tell you what the angel told the Magi, after visiting Jesus; basically showing them another route not controlled by the Empire. Unfortunately, all roads, airports and borders are controlled by Israel. By the way, an invitation to drink a cup of coffee by Israeli or Arab intelligence authorities is known in political jargon as interrogation.”
We seldom read the story of the Magi as them being interrogated by the occupation that holds the power. But this is what it was.
Bethlehem at the birth of Jesus was a besieged city. Today Bethlehem is again a besieged city surrounded from three sides by a 25 foot high concrete wall. So what if Jesus were to be born today in Bethlehem? If Jesus were to be born this year, he would not be born in Bethlehem. Mary and Joseph would not be allowed to enter from the Israeli checkpoint, and so too the Magi. The shepherds would be stuck inside the walls, unable to leave their little town. Jesus might have been born at the checkpoint like so many Palestinian children while having the Magi and shepherds on both sides of the wall.
So where is the Gospel in all of this? The good news is this: God came into no other than this troubled, wounded and real world. He is real and wants to enter into our real world with all its complexities and fears. Christmas is real. It is not a myth or a wonder world. The Gospel is that God became one of us, one like us. He came as a child, vulnerable, and weak. And yet through his vulnerability was able to overcome the empire. Christmas is God’s promise to us that we will have life, peace, and future. For us Palestinian Christians and citizens of Bethlehem the Christmas story of then is our story today. Praise God that Jesus is the same: yesterday, today and forever.
Pastor Raheb's sermon at the Bright Stars of Bethlehem website here.
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Pastor Mitri Raheb of Christmas Lutheran Church in Bethlehem shares an advent greeting from the Holy Land. Christmas Lutheran does a simulcast Christmas Service between Bethlehem and the National Cathedral in Washington DC each year.
Pastor Raheb spoke to a travel seminar group from Yale earlier this year, and that group posted video. [See the two video clips a this link to the Yale blog]
In a recent article Pastor Raheb reflected on the Christmas story in his hometown of Bethlehem:
"Bethlehem at the birth of Jesus was a besieged city. Today Bethlehem is again a besieged city surrounded from three sides by a 25 foot high concrete wall. So what if Jesus were to be born today in Bethlehem? If Jesus were to be born this year, he would not be born in Bethlehem. Mary and Joseph would not be allowed to enter from the Israeli checkpoint, and so too the Magi. The shepherds would be stuck inside the walls, unable to leave their little town. Jesus might have been born at the checkpoint like so many Palestinian children while having the Magi and shepherds on both sides of the wall." [Read the article at this link]
For more Advent reflections see the ELCA Peace Not Walls blog.
Sabeel, the ecumenical liberation theology center in Jerusalem, issued a Christmas message from the Rev. Naim Ateek, director, A Child in a Manger: Liberation through Nonviolence
Here is a little bit: In reflecting on the Christmas story, what stands out to me this year are the words of the angel to the shepherds, “This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.” The people of first century Palestine were looking for salvation and liberation from the oppressive yoke of the Roman Empire. They were looking for a military leader to overthrow their oppressors and lead them to victory. The angel, however, declared that their savior had come in the form of a helpless child. Today’s Palestinians are looking for salvation and liberation from the oppressive yoke of Israel. Tragically, and too often, it is through the clamor of the instruments of war and violence that we seek our liberation. Yet true and lasting liberation can only come through the power of nonviolence.
[See the entire message at this link]
I hope you will also take some time during Advent to read Cornerstone, the regular publication from Sabeel.
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From the World Council of Churches:
WCC sees positive step in Palestine upgrade at the UN
The newly upgraded status of Palestine in the United Nations (UN) is viewed as a positive step in the direction toward peace and a reaffirmation of the World Council of Churches (WCC) long-term commitment to a two-state solution, Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit, WCC general secretary said on Friday.
“It is now up to the two sides, Israel and Palestine, to move this process forward,” said Tveit. “The vote in the UN confirms that the two-state solution is the best way to peace in the region. Without that, the future holds yet more violence and insecurity, and continuing tragedy for both peoples.” [Read the article here]
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ELCA Bishop Mark Hanson urged President Obama to support Palestine at the United NationsIn a letter to President Obama on Nov. 26, ELCA Presiding Bishop Mark S. Hanson advocates for the US to support the upcoming Palestinian bid for non-member observer state status at the UN in the General Assembly:
With the present Palestinian effort to seek observer state status in the United Nations, the U.S. has another opportunity to demonstrate its support for self-determination and freedom. The U.S. should support these announced plans by the Palestinians when they come before the General Assembly later this month.
Over the past year, we have witnessed efforts to restart talks with the objective of achieving a two-state solution. We have also witnessed worrying developments on the ground which have inhibited those efforts, mainly the continuing expansion of illegal Israeli settlements and the increased displacement of Palestinians from their homes and villages. U.S. support for observer state status at the UN for the Palestinians would be an important signal to the parties that reaching a comprehensive, just and lasting settlement, where both communities may live in peace and security is still the fervent goal of our government.
Advocating for observer state status for the Palestinians does not preclude the necessity for returning to confidence-building measures and negotiations that support a just peace. We should support both paths.
See the blog post at Peace Not Walls, and be sure to comment there.
Read the full letter HERE.-- --
President Jimmy Carter and Gro Harlem Brundtland wrote in the New York Times...
Two-State Solution on the Line
If the recent rocket attacks on Israel and Israeli air strikes on Gaza tell us anything, it is that the status quo in the Middle East is not a safe choice for Israelis or Palestinians. In the current political climate, it is highly unlikely that bilateral talks between Israel and the Palestinians can restart. Action is needed that will alter the current dynamic. As Elders, we believe that the Palestinian statehood bid at the United Nations is such a moment.
On Nov. 29, U.N. member states will be asked to vote on a resolution to grant “non-member observer state status” to Palestine, a significant upgrade from its current “observer entity” status. We urge all member states to vote in favor.
In going to the General Assembly, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is not carrying out a provocative act. Nor is he undermining trust and distracting from the pursuit of peace, as his critics have said.
This is a vote for human rights and the rule of law. It is completely consistent with decades of commitment by the United States, Europe and the rest of the world to peace in the Middle East based on the creation of a viable and contiguous Palestinian state existing side by side with Israel. It is a lawful, peaceful, diplomatic act in line with past U.N. resolutions and international law. [Read the full article HERE.]
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Rabbi Brian Walt wrote in Haaretz defending the recent letter to Congress by leaders of Protestant churches that called for U.S. military aid to Israel to be contingent on Israeli compliance with American law. His piece was picked up by Mondoweiss ...
Christian leaders will not be cowed into silence about widespread human rights violations
(...) Over the past two weeks, I had the privilege of leading an interfaith delegation including several leaders of the civil rights movement, younger civil and human rights leaders, Christian clergy, academics, and several Jews, on a two-week trip to the West Bank.
We were all shocked by the widespread human rights violations that we saw with our own eyes and that we heard about from both Palestinians and Israelis. Several black members of our group, including those who participated actively in the civil rights movement, remarked that what they saw on the West Bank was "frighteningly familiar" to their own experience, a systemic pattern of discrimination that privileged one group (in this case, Jews) and denigrated another (Palestinians).
[Read the full article HERE.]
Rabbi Brian Walt is the Palestinian/Israeli Nonviolence Project Fellow of the Dorothy Cotton Institute.
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The Jewish Daily Forward magazine published an article...
Why Jews Should Back Palestinian U.N. Bid
Statehood Move Affirms Need for Two-State Solutionttp://m.forward.com/articles/166826/why-jews-should-back-palestinian-un-bid/
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Warren Clark, director of Churches for Middle East Peace has written about the Palestinians' U.N. action.
"A drama is unfolding this week in New York over plans for a resolution in the UN General Assembly (UNGA) this Thursday, November 29, that would recognize Palestine as a non-UN member state. That is the anniversary of the UNGA vote on resolution 181 in 1948 for partition and creation of a Jewish state and an Arab state in Palestine. It was declared an “International Day of Solidarity With the Palestinian People” by the UN in 1977.
"UN recognition of Palestine as a state could have far-reaching political and legal implications. Even without being a UN member, for example, it might give Palestine the legal standing to bring cases against Israel in the International Criminal Court.
"The U.S. and Israel have firmly opposed recognition of Palestine as a state by the UNGA, saying Palestine’s status can only be determined as the result of direct negotiations between Palestinians and Israel. The U.S. has sought to dissuade the Palestinian Authority (PA) from proceeding with recognition now, saying that the U.S. needs more time to work something out. What that “something” might be and how long it would take was not made clear.
"Recently PA President Mahmoud Abbas called President Obama to say that he plans to go ahead with the UN vote on November 29, notwithstanding US objections.
"The reasons for the defiance by Abbas are not hard to find. Since leading the PA in 2005 he has sought self-determination for the Palestinian people, but despite years of close PA security cooperation with Israel and the U.S., he faces a Palestinian public disappointed by his inability to stop settlement growth and make progress towards ending the Israeli occupation. Abbas and the PA also have been weakened by their inability to have much influence over stopping violence in the Gaza Strip. In the past Abbas paid a high political price for bowing to U.S. wishes, for example by withdrawing a resolution from the UN Human Rights Commission at U.S. request that raised questions about Israel’s conduct in the Gaza war of 2008-09.
"According to press reports the U.S. informed Israel that it was not successful in getting Abbas to back down and that it sees no way to block a vote in the UNGA. Prime Minister Netanyahu then changed his stance, sending his chief negotiator to the U.S. this week to discuss the wording of a resolution in an effort to limit the damage. Israel is thought to be seeking assurances that Palestinians will not ask to be a member of the International Criminal Court; that recognition grants no Palestinian sovereignty over the West Bank, the Gaza Strip or East Jerusalem; and that Palestinians will commit to enter into direct negotiations without preconditions.
"Indeed President Abbas has said that once Palestine is recognized, he would be willing to enter into direct negotiation with Israel, as he will be able to do so on a state-to-state basis. This pre-positioning is important to both sides. As a recognized non-UN member state the PA may believe it will be in a stronger position to negotiate on the basis on the 1967 lines with agreed territorial swaps as suggested by President Obama.
"This also was the negotiating position of the last Israeli government under Ehud Olmert in 2008, but it was rejected by Prime Minister Netanyahu in his meeting with President Obama in May 2011.
"The prime minister reportedly has also prepared some sticks in case the UNGA resolution goes forward. These include a freeze on tax revenues that Israel collects for the PA; the announcement of hundreds of new housing units in West Bank settlements; and approval of sections of the Levy report that recommended legalizing and easing restrictions on construction of outposts in the West Bank.
"One of the reasons that Israel has sent its chief negotiator, Isaac Molho, to the U.S. may well be to seek assurance that there will not be undue adverse U.S. reaction to Israel’s retaliation measures.
"This suggests that the U.S. still has some influence over the unfolding of events in the next few days.
"Let us all watch and pray for an outcome that takes us a step closer to real peace and better lives for all people in the region."--- --- ---
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Every Thursday the community at Sabeel joins together in prayer and fellowship. Sabeel is the ecumenical liberation theology center in Jerusalem. To join in the prayers, subscribe to the weekly memo with prayer concerns at this address: Friends of Sabeel--North America, PO Box 9186, Portland, Oregon 97207; www.fosna.org
This week's prayers address the new escalation in Gaza, the suffering and violence there, and the harm that the building of settlements brings to the work toward peace. Please join us in prayer at 12:00 noon in your time zone, or whenever you are in your time of prayer and meditation.
Sabeel Wave of Prayer
Wave of Prayer for Thursday, November 15, 2012
Sovereign God of justice and peace, our hearts are broken once again by this week's escalation of violence in Gaza. Please bring about a just peace between the two sides. Lord, we mourn everyone killed in the attacks, especially lamenting the loss of several children. We cry out that the lives of these people, are not dispensable, but are valuable beyond measure. We beg you, God, to calm the senseless storm of violence, and move politicians to make real and diligent progress toward peace. Lord, in your mercy...
As we mourn events in Gaza, we also pray for general movement toward peace with regard to every aspect of the conflict. Lord, would you work in the hearts and minds of Israeli politicians and impress upon them the irrevocable harm which illegal settlement-building causes to the work towards peace. May they recognize the need to stop all such building. Lord may we all remember that our lives are bound up together as members of one shared humanity, and may we never seek only our own interests, but also those of our neighbors and of the whole world. Lord, in your mercy....
Father, in light of these needs, please mold us into agents of peace and effective witnesses to the Gospel - that we may love our neighbors in action and in truth. We pray specifically that you would bless this week's Sabeel programs and the U.S. women's witness visit led by Reverend Ann Franklin. Lord, in your mercy...
Lord, we look beyond the struggles in our home region to other corners of the world that are suffering. We specifically lift up the citizens of Guatemala and Myanmar, many of whom were impacted by significant earthquakes last week, including terrifying aftershocks that exacerbated damage and injuries. Lord would you heal the wounded, provide emergency relief for victims, and comfort the families of the dozens who lost their lives. Lord, in your mercy...
Finally, along with the World Council of Churches, we pray in solidarity with the people of the Republic of Congo, Gabon, and São Tomé e PrÃncipe. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Following the 2006 Sabeel International Conference, the Friends of Sabeel coordinators met and discussed the idea of "Waves of Prayer." The premise is that in their respective time zones, individuals and groups around the world will pray together at 12:00 on Thursdays, in solidarity with Sabeel in Jerusalem and with "Friends of Sabeel" worldwide. Starting in the Pacific Islands, passing through Asia, Africa, Palestine, Europe, the Americas and on around the globe, we pray for peace with justice. Each Thursday at noon in Jerusalem, Sabeel holds a Communion service that is open to the community. It is a time to join together to discuss how the scriptures apply to our lives today, to pray for the needs of this region and our world and to share the Eucharist.
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My last post addressed the economic realities in Palestine at this time. Here's more related information.
Six hospitals in East Jerusalem, including the Lutheran World Federation’s Augusta Victoria Hospital, face difficulties because of the Palestinian Authority’s financial crisis. The PA is dependent upon foreign aid, which has been reduced from the Gulf States and Washington. Washington withheld $192 million because President Abbas has said he would continue to strive for observer status at the UN. The PA has built up debts of $18 million to the specialized healthcare centers this year. The World Bank forecasts a $1.5 billion deficit in the 2012 PA budget due to the shortfall in foreign aid.
“The moment the PA faces any financial difficulty, it stops paying. But the hospital must still take in patients,” Tawfiq Nasser, head of the Augusta Victoria Hospital, told Reuters. “We can no longer offer the same services and that is putting patients at risk, endangering their lives.” [Read the Peace Not Walls bulletin at this link.]
Students in the West Bank and Gaza face many obstacles in their quest for higher education. Several indicators show that Palestinians are among the most educated in the Arab world despite the hardships caused by the occupation and blockade. The students’ struggles received worldwide attention this week after the U.S. State Department withdrew scholarships for students in Gaza after Israeli authorities would not permit them to travel to the West Bank from Gaza.
Gaza student Amal Ashour, 18, is a student who recently studied in Minnesota during her senior year through a U.S. government funded program. This fall she planned to study in a West Bank university with financial support also provided by the U.S., however a month before school started, she was informed that her U.S. scholarship was no longer available.
According to the Associated Press, “Under Israeli pressure, U.S. officials have quietly canceled a two-year-old scholarship program for students in the Gaza Strip, undercutting one of the few American outreach programs to people in the Hamas-ruled territory.” [Read the full story at this link.]
Jimmy Carter and the Elders in Jerusalem
In case you didn't see news coverage of President Carter's most recent trip to Jerusalem, together with other Elders (Nobel Peace Prize winners), see the story at this link.
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After today's election, the issues discussed in this good article will still factor in to the economy and the human rights situation in Palestine. It's from Aljazeera, written by Kristin Szremski, director of media and communications for the American Muslims for Palestine.
Romney, economic realities and one Palestinian’s story
Murad's story typifies Palestinians' experience of running into proverbial roadblocks at every turn of their development
The combined results and fall-out from the Oslo peace accords, Israel's siege on Gaza and the loss of freedom of movement under a military occupation are some of the reasons why the Palestinian economy barely sputters alongside a more robust Israeli one. The anaemic economy has nothing whatsoever to do with a less-than-desirable Palestinian culture, as presumptive Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney told Israeli guests at a $25,000-a-head fundraiser in Jerusalem on Monday.
By now, Romney's comments have been thoroughly dissected, deconstructed and also, from Romney's camp, even denied. But they bear looking into again in light of the personal story of a Palestinian agronomy student who wants to contribute positively to his society, finding himself thwarted by the occupation and the maze of rules governing international aid agencies. His story typifies Palestinians' experience of running into proverbial and actual roadblocks at every turn of their personal development - while it also helps explain that economic problems are occupation-induced, not the result of a population devoid of a "divine Midas touch", which Romney intimated "Providence" bestowed upon Israeli Jews.
Murad Amro, is a 23-year-old agricultural student from Hebron who goes by the name of "Murad Palestina" on Facebook. According to his timeline, Murad divides his time between his studies, his horses and participating in non-violent resistance to Israel's occupation with the group Youth Against Settlements. When his posts aren't related to the group's efforts to open Shuhada Street, which is closed to Palestinians, or documenting violence at the hands of Jewish settlers, they reveal the reflective and romantic side of a young man who says he wants to "plant peace in the hearts of all people."
(...) [Murad was distressed upon learning] he did not get an internship with the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), a special agency of the United Nations - not because his credentials were lacking, but simply because of who he is. He graduated on June 20 from Al-Quds Open University with a degree in plant production and hopes, one day, to go on to earn a PhD, he said. The internship would have been an important learning tool toward his goal of contributing to Palestinian agriculture. But IFAD refused to consider his application because Palestine is not a UN member state.
"Unfortunately we require our interns to have a nationality from a member state and Palestine is not part of this … So unfortunately, we would not be able to consider the application. I hope this helps," a human resources clerk reportedly wrote in an email response to his application. PLEASE READ THE FULL STORY AT THIS LINK.
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