12 mar 2014
activists and community leaders of all faiths, international church leaders, diplomats and journalists. A legal appeal, by local landowners, against the wall’s route went to the Israeli Supreme Court in January, ordering Israel’s State Attorney to provide more evidence as to why dividing Cremisan is necessary.
These vigils will continue until the final hearing on the case, in July. But, regardless of any Israeli court decision, the International Court of Justice ruled, in 2004, that the construction of the wall in occupied Palestinian territory is contrary to international law. In Beit Jala, as with 85% of its route, the barrier would take more Palestinian land instead of separating the West Bank from Israel on the internationally recognized border, or Green Line.
Israel claims that the barrier is needed for security, and many believe that the wall stopped suicide bombings, the last of which occurred in February of 2008. At that time, according to the Israeli human rights group B’Tselem, these and other acts of armed resistance by Palestinians had killed 1,012 Israelis since October 2000. During the same period, Israeli forces killed 4,536 Palestinians.
But, as the Cremisan case illustrates, only two-thirds of the wall’s planned route has been built. Every day, tens of thousands of Palestinian workers lacking hard-to-get Israeli permits pass through the barrier’s remaining gaps, in order to avoid checkpoints. Suicide bombers could enter just as easily, indicating that, as former Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Arens told an Israeli newspaper, “It’s clear there is no connection between the wall and the cessation of attacks.”
In Beit Jala, says Father Shomali, “The wall is being used to link the settlements of Gilo and Har Gilo, consolidating the Israeli annexation of our land.” Covering the hilltops on either side of the monastery, they too are illegal [under] international law, as are all settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories. These two settlements already occupy 778 acres of Beit Jala land, according to the Applied Research Institute Jerusalem (ARIJ). Were the barrier built as planned, this majority Christian town would lose a total of 1,649 acres, isolating 47% of its land behind the wall.
In other villages in the West Bank, such as Budrus, Jayyous and Bil’in, Palestinian activism and legal action have succeeded in altering the barrier’s route. As the weekly vigils continue, Beit Jala’s residents pray that their protest will be similarly successful.
In this video slideshow, Father Shomali explains the motivation behind this unique protest, and the recent developments in his community’s legal challenge to the separation barrier.
These vigils will continue until the final hearing on the case, in July. But, regardless of any Israeli court decision, the International Court of Justice ruled, in 2004, that the construction of the wall in occupied Palestinian territory is contrary to international law. In Beit Jala, as with 85% of its route, the barrier would take more Palestinian land instead of separating the West Bank from Israel on the internationally recognized border, or Green Line.
Israel claims that the barrier is needed for security, and many believe that the wall stopped suicide bombings, the last of which occurred in February of 2008. At that time, according to the Israeli human rights group B’Tselem, these and other acts of armed resistance by Palestinians had killed 1,012 Israelis since October 2000. During the same period, Israeli forces killed 4,536 Palestinians.
But, as the Cremisan case illustrates, only two-thirds of the wall’s planned route has been built. Every day, tens of thousands of Palestinian workers lacking hard-to-get Israeli permits pass through the barrier’s remaining gaps, in order to avoid checkpoints. Suicide bombers could enter just as easily, indicating that, as former Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Arens told an Israeli newspaper, “It’s clear there is no connection between the wall and the cessation of attacks.”
In Beit Jala, says Father Shomali, “The wall is being used to link the settlements of Gilo and Har Gilo, consolidating the Israeli annexation of our land.” Covering the hilltops on either side of the monastery, they too are illegal [under] international law, as are all settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories. These two settlements already occupy 778 acres of Beit Jala land, according to the Applied Research Institute Jerusalem (ARIJ). Were the barrier built as planned, this majority Christian town would lose a total of 1,649 acres, isolating 47% of its land behind the wall.
In other villages in the West Bank, such as Budrus, Jayyous and Bil’in, Palestinian activism and legal action have succeeded in altering the barrier’s route. As the weekly vigils continue, Beit Jala’s residents pray that their protest will be similarly successful.
In this video slideshow, Father Shomali explains the motivation behind this unique protest, and the recent developments in his community’s legal challenge to the separation barrier.
10 mar 2014
Archimandrite Attalla Hanna called on the family of former prisoner Samer Al-Issawi in a solidarity visit after his sister and brother were detained by Israeli occupation forces in occupied Jerusalem. The Archbishop of Sebastia condemned the IOF arrest of Shireen and Shadi Issawi, and expressed his solidarity with “this family that has been subjected to many oppressive practices”.
“After the release of Samer, now his sister and his brother are detained in a provocative manner,” he said, adding that children were terrorized during the IOF raid on Issawi home.
Hanna called for the immediate release of Shireen and Shadi and for an end to arbitrary arrests and mouth muzzling.
The Israeli occupation authorities extended the detention of Shireen and Shadi until Thursday for further investigation.
“After the release of Samer, now his sister and his brother are detained in a provocative manner,” he said, adding that children were terrorized during the IOF raid on Issawi home.
Hanna called for the immediate release of Shireen and Shadi and for an end to arbitrary arrests and mouth muzzling.
The Israeli occupation authorities extended the detention of Shireen and Shadi until Thursday for further investigation.
8 mar 2014
As the visit of Pope Francis to Palestine and Israel nears, a letter signed by 20 US Bishops was sent the Pontiff asking him to speak out against the targeting of Palestinian children by the Israeli military.
Rev. Don Wagner, the National Director of the Friends of Sabeel in the United States said in a press release, issued 5 March 2014, that the letter aims at raising awareness about the mistreatment of Palestinian children by Israel.
This letter comes as statements by the Vatican threatened to cancel the visit to Israel, under the pretext that the Israeli ministry of foreign affairs did not prepare well for the visit, as their staff is on strike.
During his expected visit in May, the Pope is going to visit Bethlehem, with stops at the Church of the Nativity and Deheisheh refugee camp.
Below is the full text of the Press Release:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – March 5, 2014
CONTACT:
Rev. Donald Wagner
National Program Director, Friends of Sabeel - North America
847-507-0191; Advocacy@FOSNA.org
Ash Wednesday Letter to Pope Francis: Speak out against Targeting of Palestinian Children
In anticipation of the Pope’s May visit to the Holy Land, an Open Letter signed by over 200 bishops, clerics, members of religious orders and theologians from several faith traditions, was delivered today to Pope Francis. The letter asks the Pope to speak out against the Israeli army’s program of kidnapping, detention, and systematic abuse of Palestinian children and to call for an end to the occupation and colonization of Palestine.
The letter, whose signers include over 20 bishops, cites a recent UNICEF report that documents nighttime arrests, blindfolding and shackling of children between 12 and 18 years of age. Based on over 400 sworn testimonies, UNICEF concluded that the “ill-treatment of children who come into contact with the system appears to be widespread, systematic, and institutionalized throughout the process.”
“With this letter, we are raising the profile of the well-documented systematic mistreatment of Palestinian children,” said Rev. Don Wagner. “The Israeli government is purposefully going after children, who are clearly vulnerable, to deeply scare and traumatize them.”
Wagner is the National Program Director of Friends of Sabeel-North America (FOSNA.org), which initiated the letter. FOSNA supports the work of Sabeel, a Jerusalem-based peace and justice organization founded by Palestinian Christians.
The letter notes that similar concerns about the mistreatment of Palestinian children have been raised by Save the Children, the United Nations Commission Against Torture, Military Court Watch, Defense of Children International, and B’Tselem, an Israeli human rights organization.
“The enthusiastic response to our request for signers to the letter indicates the urgency of these concerns,” Wagner said. “Now that the letter has been delivered, we would like to invite people worldwide to join this appeal to Pope Francis and raise this issue with their media, human rights organizations, and governments until this targeting of children and the occupation are ended."
The petition to support the letter is hosted at www.endtheoccupation.org/Letter2Pope
Wagner said that FOSNA initiated the letter in the hope that Pope Francis would speak out for the people of Palestine as he has boldly spoken for the poor and oppressed elsewhere.
“During his upcoming May visit, we want the Pope to publicly call upon the Israeli government to end its intentional mistreatment of Palestinian children,” Wagner said, “as well as to end its prolonged military occupation of the West Bank, East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip and its punitive and illegal blockade of Gaza, where 51 percent of the 1.8 million residents are under the age of 18.”
The letter is the first step, Wagner said, in a larger campaign to educate and mobilize faith and other communities in an effort to end the abuse of Palestinian children and the occupation that oppresses them and their families.
Rev. Don Wagner, the National Director of the Friends of Sabeel in the United States said in a press release, issued 5 March 2014, that the letter aims at raising awareness about the mistreatment of Palestinian children by Israel.
This letter comes as statements by the Vatican threatened to cancel the visit to Israel, under the pretext that the Israeli ministry of foreign affairs did not prepare well for the visit, as their staff is on strike.
During his expected visit in May, the Pope is going to visit Bethlehem, with stops at the Church of the Nativity and Deheisheh refugee camp.
Below is the full text of the Press Release:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – March 5, 2014
CONTACT:
Rev. Donald Wagner
National Program Director, Friends of Sabeel - North America
847-507-0191; Advocacy@FOSNA.org
Ash Wednesday Letter to Pope Francis: Speak out against Targeting of Palestinian Children
In anticipation of the Pope’s May visit to the Holy Land, an Open Letter signed by over 200 bishops, clerics, members of religious orders and theologians from several faith traditions, was delivered today to Pope Francis. The letter asks the Pope to speak out against the Israeli army’s program of kidnapping, detention, and systematic abuse of Palestinian children and to call for an end to the occupation and colonization of Palestine.
The letter, whose signers include over 20 bishops, cites a recent UNICEF report that documents nighttime arrests, blindfolding and shackling of children between 12 and 18 years of age. Based on over 400 sworn testimonies, UNICEF concluded that the “ill-treatment of children who come into contact with the system appears to be widespread, systematic, and institutionalized throughout the process.”
“With this letter, we are raising the profile of the well-documented systematic mistreatment of Palestinian children,” said Rev. Don Wagner. “The Israeli government is purposefully going after children, who are clearly vulnerable, to deeply scare and traumatize them.”
Wagner is the National Program Director of Friends of Sabeel-North America (FOSNA.org), which initiated the letter. FOSNA supports the work of Sabeel, a Jerusalem-based peace and justice organization founded by Palestinian Christians.
The letter notes that similar concerns about the mistreatment of Palestinian children have been raised by Save the Children, the United Nations Commission Against Torture, Military Court Watch, Defense of Children International, and B’Tselem, an Israeli human rights organization.
“The enthusiastic response to our request for signers to the letter indicates the urgency of these concerns,” Wagner said. “Now that the letter has been delivered, we would like to invite people worldwide to join this appeal to Pope Francis and raise this issue with their media, human rights organizations, and governments until this targeting of children and the occupation are ended."
The petition to support the letter is hosted at www.endtheoccupation.org/Letter2Pope
Wagner said that FOSNA initiated the letter in the hope that Pope Francis would speak out for the people of Palestine as he has boldly spoken for the poor and oppressed elsewhere.
“During his upcoming May visit, we want the Pope to publicly call upon the Israeli government to end its intentional mistreatment of Palestinian children,” Wagner said, “as well as to end its prolonged military occupation of the West Bank, East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip and its punitive and illegal blockade of Gaza, where 51 percent of the 1.8 million residents are under the age of 18.”
The letter is the first step, Wagner said, in a larger campaign to educate and mobilize faith and other communities in an effort to end the abuse of Palestinian children and the occupation that oppresses them and their families.
7 mar 2014
Papal ambassador to Israel informed the Israeli Foreign Ministry that Pope Francis will cancel his planned visit to Israel, which was to take place over May 24-26, due to the ongoing labor dispute at the Israeli Foreign Ministry.
A source at the Israeli Foreign Ministry confirmed that the workers are currently on strike in protest against their wages and are unable to make the necessary arrangements for the high-profile visit.
In a related context, the Palestinian Supreme Presidential Commission for Ecclesiastical Affairs is finishing the latest arrangements for the Pope's visit to Palestine.
It's worth mentioning that in early January, Pope Francis announced that he would pay a visit to the Middle East, which includes Bethlehem Jerusalem and Amman.
The Israeli Foreign Ministry said that, according to the Vatican, the pope's visit won't be able to be rescheduled, only cancelled.
A source at the Israeli Foreign Ministry confirmed that the workers are currently on strike in protest against their wages and are unable to make the necessary arrangements for the high-profile visit.
In a related context, the Palestinian Supreme Presidential Commission for Ecclesiastical Affairs is finishing the latest arrangements for the Pope's visit to Palestine.
It's worth mentioning that in early January, Pope Francis announced that he would pay a visit to the Middle East, which includes Bethlehem Jerusalem and Amman.
The Israeli Foreign Ministry said that, according to the Vatican, the pope's visit won't be able to be rescheduled, only cancelled.
6 mar 2014
Israel's separation wall pictured in Aida refugee camp, Bethlehem.
By Charlie Hoyle
Hundreds of peace activists, church leaders, evangelical Christians and academics will meet in Bethlehem on Monday for five days of dialogue and discussion about the role of Christian Zionism in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
First held in 2010, the Christ at the Checkpoint conference has grown in size and stature over the past three years and will welcome over 700 participants from March 10-14 at the Bethlehem Bible College, located a mere 100 meters from Israel's separation wall.
Conference director Munther Isaac says the number and diversity of participants this year, together with opposition to the event from elements of the evangelical right, reflect the growing impact of a forum designed to challenge evangelical theological beliefs which have long legitimized Israel's occupation of the Palestinian territories.
"Just the fact that evangelicals are talking about Palestine and Israel is a success," Isaac told Ma'an on Wednesday.
The conference aims to discuss the realities of the injustices in Palestine, empower the role of the Palestinian church in achieving peace, and explore the role of Christianity, above all the evangelical church, in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Dr. Jack Sara, President of the Bethlehem Bible College, says that the conference is also an invitation to international Christians to come and learn about the local context of the Palestinian struggle.
"We feel that the Palestinian people have been oppressed for so long and their voice needs to be heard," Sara told Ma'an.
"A lot of the Christian world does not know that there is an existence of Palestinian Christians who live in Palestine and Israel and who are suffering because of the conflict."
The conference will host a wide range of speakers and aims to both inform the Western world about the existence of Palestinian Christians and demonstrate that the Palestinian church is active on the ground and an integral part of Palestinian society, Isaac says.
"The conference will highlight the injustices for sure, this is one of our key goals, but we will not be adopting a victimization mentality. We want to show that here is a living, hopeful culture which is looking forward despite all of the challenges."
Shift in evangelical attitudes
From 100 or so international participants in 2010, this year's conference will host church leaders, mission agencies, and official representatives from different Christian denominations, in a sign that traditional evangelical attitudes to Israel and the occupation of Palestine are slowly beginning to change.
Once an automatic support base for pro-Israel US policies, evangelicals in the United States are slowly beginning to join the debate about the practical implications of their theological beliefs, Isaac says, and Christ at the Checkpoint has provided a platform that had previously never existed.
According to the Pew Research Center, white evangelical Protestants are twice as likely as American Jews to favor stronger US support for Israel and 82 percent say that God gave Israel to the Jewish people.
Isaac acknowledges that political and economic support for Israel from US evangelicals is "real, and measured on the ground," but says that there is a significant generational shift in attitudes among young evangelicals which is beginning to challenge the dominant theological narrative justifying Israel's occupation.
"I think it's going to take some time, but there are positive signs that the younger evangelical generation are more interested in social justice. They are more knowledgeable, they know more about the conflict so they can make informed decisions."
Church leaders in the US are also now feeling more comfortable to positively engage in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict instead of defending Israel as a default position, Isaac says.
"Our message is rather than engage in a discussion about who has a divine right to the land, let's engage in a discussion about how we can advance peace among Palestinians and Israelis and how the church can promote a shared land concept," Isaac says.
"It is slow, but things are moving in the right direction."
Growing opposition sign of success
As in previous years, the conference has been widely discussed among the evangelical community in the United States, the Israeli press, and by Jewish groups, who fear that Christ at the Checkpoint represents a turning point in dividing the US evangelical support base for Israel.
A recent blog in the Jerusalem Post described the conference as "anti-Israel, anti-Zionist" and "dangerous," while an article in the Middle East Quarterly described the Bethlehem Bible College and the Christ at the Checkpoint conference as playing leading roles in a growing "anti-Israel" narrative among evangelical groups.
An article in December by the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs, an Israeli think tank, described the original Christ at the Checkpoint conference as part of an "Evangelical Intifada", and noted that the 2012 conference could be "legitimately described as a watershed moment for the cause of anti-Zionism in American Evangelicalism."
One article in Israel Today went as far as labeling Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah, who will attend this year's conference, as a "terror-Linked Palestinian Official", and evidence of the conference's "true underlying message."
Isaac says there has been an "increased density of attacks" in the run-up to this year's conference which often target individual members of the Palestinian evangelical community.
Despite some of the opposition, the attacks have generally become more "sophisticated," Isaac says, a clear indication that the conference is being taken seriously as a movement which can no longer be ignored in the wider pro-Israel evangelical community.
Isaac stresses though that progress in challenging the influence of Christian Zionism in the United States is dependent on a number of factors, including the outcome of the current peace process, the possibility of a return to violence, and the ongoing conflict in Syria.
"We talk about hope, and it is our belief that only forgiveness and true reconciliation is the way forward, forgiveness that is based on justice. Palestinians must forgive Israelis and Israelis must forgive Palestinians, I believe we are both victims in this conflict."
By Charlie Hoyle
Hundreds of peace activists, church leaders, evangelical Christians and academics will meet in Bethlehem on Monday for five days of dialogue and discussion about the role of Christian Zionism in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
First held in 2010, the Christ at the Checkpoint conference has grown in size and stature over the past three years and will welcome over 700 participants from March 10-14 at the Bethlehem Bible College, located a mere 100 meters from Israel's separation wall.
Conference director Munther Isaac says the number and diversity of participants this year, together with opposition to the event from elements of the evangelical right, reflect the growing impact of a forum designed to challenge evangelical theological beliefs which have long legitimized Israel's occupation of the Palestinian territories.
"Just the fact that evangelicals are talking about Palestine and Israel is a success," Isaac told Ma'an on Wednesday.
The conference aims to discuss the realities of the injustices in Palestine, empower the role of the Palestinian church in achieving peace, and explore the role of Christianity, above all the evangelical church, in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Dr. Jack Sara, President of the Bethlehem Bible College, says that the conference is also an invitation to international Christians to come and learn about the local context of the Palestinian struggle.
"We feel that the Palestinian people have been oppressed for so long and their voice needs to be heard," Sara told Ma'an.
"A lot of the Christian world does not know that there is an existence of Palestinian Christians who live in Palestine and Israel and who are suffering because of the conflict."
The conference will host a wide range of speakers and aims to both inform the Western world about the existence of Palestinian Christians and demonstrate that the Palestinian church is active on the ground and an integral part of Palestinian society, Isaac says.
"The conference will highlight the injustices for sure, this is one of our key goals, but we will not be adopting a victimization mentality. We want to show that here is a living, hopeful culture which is looking forward despite all of the challenges."
Shift in evangelical attitudes
From 100 or so international participants in 2010, this year's conference will host church leaders, mission agencies, and official representatives from different Christian denominations, in a sign that traditional evangelical attitudes to Israel and the occupation of Palestine are slowly beginning to change.
Once an automatic support base for pro-Israel US policies, evangelicals in the United States are slowly beginning to join the debate about the practical implications of their theological beliefs, Isaac says, and Christ at the Checkpoint has provided a platform that had previously never existed.
According to the Pew Research Center, white evangelical Protestants are twice as likely as American Jews to favor stronger US support for Israel and 82 percent say that God gave Israel to the Jewish people.
Isaac acknowledges that political and economic support for Israel from US evangelicals is "real, and measured on the ground," but says that there is a significant generational shift in attitudes among young evangelicals which is beginning to challenge the dominant theological narrative justifying Israel's occupation.
"I think it's going to take some time, but there are positive signs that the younger evangelical generation are more interested in social justice. They are more knowledgeable, they know more about the conflict so they can make informed decisions."
Church leaders in the US are also now feeling more comfortable to positively engage in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict instead of defending Israel as a default position, Isaac says.
"Our message is rather than engage in a discussion about who has a divine right to the land, let's engage in a discussion about how we can advance peace among Palestinians and Israelis and how the church can promote a shared land concept," Isaac says.
"It is slow, but things are moving in the right direction."
Growing opposition sign of success
As in previous years, the conference has been widely discussed among the evangelical community in the United States, the Israeli press, and by Jewish groups, who fear that Christ at the Checkpoint represents a turning point in dividing the US evangelical support base for Israel.
A recent blog in the Jerusalem Post described the conference as "anti-Israel, anti-Zionist" and "dangerous," while an article in the Middle East Quarterly described the Bethlehem Bible College and the Christ at the Checkpoint conference as playing leading roles in a growing "anti-Israel" narrative among evangelical groups.
An article in December by the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs, an Israeli think tank, described the original Christ at the Checkpoint conference as part of an "Evangelical Intifada", and noted that the 2012 conference could be "legitimately described as a watershed moment for the cause of anti-Zionism in American Evangelicalism."
One article in Israel Today went as far as labeling Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah, who will attend this year's conference, as a "terror-Linked Palestinian Official", and evidence of the conference's "true underlying message."
Isaac says there has been an "increased density of attacks" in the run-up to this year's conference which often target individual members of the Palestinian evangelical community.
Despite some of the opposition, the attacks have generally become more "sophisticated," Isaac says, a clear indication that the conference is being taken seriously as a movement which can no longer be ignored in the wider pro-Israel evangelical community.
Isaac stresses though that progress in challenging the influence of Christian Zionism in the United States is dependent on a number of factors, including the outcome of the current peace process, the possibility of a return to violence, and the ongoing conflict in Syria.
"We talk about hope, and it is our belief that only forgiveness and true reconciliation is the way forward, forgiveness that is based on justice. Palestinians must forgive Israelis and Israelis must forgive Palestinians, I believe we are both victims in this conflict."
1 mar 2014
The Palestinian Center for Human rights on Thursday denounced an attack on a Catholic church in Gaza City, the group said in a statement.
The PCHR urged the Gaza government to "seriously investigate the shameful crime," which they said was foreign to "the traditions and values of our people."
The statement said that a blast was heard at around 12:30 a.m. on Thursday in the courtyard of the church, which is affiliated to the Latin Patriarch in the Zaytoun neighborhood of Gaza City.
Initial reports from Gaza police indicated that a homemade explosive devise was planted under a bus that belonged to the church, the statement said.
Police also found "inappropriate" graffiti on a wall inside the courtyard, according to the statement.
AFP reported that a hand grenade exploded in the church's courtyard late Wednesday, without causing any casualties or damage.
"In the middle of the night, unknown assailants threw a hand grenade at the church. It landed in the courtyard and exploded but caused no damage or casualties," a parish official told AFP.
"We won't let this juvenile and irresponsible act affect us and will carry on our work as normal," the source said, requesting anonymity.
According to the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, around 1,550 Christians live among the 1.5 million, predominantly Muslim, residents of the Gaza Strip.
The PCHR urged the Gaza government to "seriously investigate the shameful crime," which they said was foreign to "the traditions and values of our people."
The statement said that a blast was heard at around 12:30 a.m. on Thursday in the courtyard of the church, which is affiliated to the Latin Patriarch in the Zaytoun neighborhood of Gaza City.
Initial reports from Gaza police indicated that a homemade explosive devise was planted under a bus that belonged to the church, the statement said.
Police also found "inappropriate" graffiti on a wall inside the courtyard, according to the statement.
AFP reported that a hand grenade exploded in the church's courtyard late Wednesday, without causing any casualties or damage.
"In the middle of the night, unknown assailants threw a hand grenade at the church. It landed in the courtyard and exploded but caused no damage or casualties," a parish official told AFP.
"We won't let this juvenile and irresponsible act affect us and will carry on our work as normal," the source said, requesting anonymity.
According to the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, around 1,550 Christians live among the 1.5 million, predominantly Muslim, residents of the Gaza Strip.
26 feb 2014
Palestinian priest Father Shomali leads an open air mass on church lands threatened with confiscation by Israeli authorities for the separation wall on April 6, 2012
By Alex Shams
A new law to create a separate "Christian" nationality for Palestinian citizens of Israel successfully passed through the Knesset on Monday with more than three-quarters of votes in favor.
The bill, which creates a distinction from the existing "Arab" nationality, has raised fears among many Palestinians that a renewed push is underway by the state to divide their society along religious lines.
The law's supporters have made clear that the new measure is not merely a legal formality, but instead intends to de-emphasize the Arab identity of Christians by racializing and politicizing existing religious distinctions.
"It's a historic and important step that could balance the State of Israel and connect us to the Christians, and I am careful not to refer to them as Arabs, because they are not Arabs," sponsor Likud MK Yariv Levin said in January, adding that Christians are "our natural allies," unlike Muslims "who want to destroy the state from within."
On Wednesday, PLO executive committee member Hanan Ashrawi condemned the law, calling it an effort to transform the occupation into "an outright religious confrontation," and stressing that Israel is adopting a "policy of the classification of its citizens based on religion or ethnicity" as part of a larger system of "apartheid."
A Knesset committee is even looking into instituting compulsory army service for Israel's 120,000 Palestinian Christians, a proposal which has raised ire among both Muslims and Christians citizens, who are currently exempted.
But Palestinian society is not taking these efforts lying down.
One member of the Knesset has even called upon the pope to intervene. Civil society groups on both sides of the Green Line, meanwhile, are mobilizing a campaign of local and global resistance to what they fear is a a larger campaign to tear their religiously diverse society apart.
'Divide and rule strategy'
"We will do everything in our power to stop this law," says Rifat Kassis, head of the Palestinian-Christian activist group Kairos.
"We are against it. All informed Christians are against it," he says, highlighting that the vast majority of Christians in Israel as well as the 50,000 Palestinian Christians in the West Bank -- where he is based -- oppose the measure.
"Christians are an integral part of the Palestinian community ... We are Palestinians just like any other."
While Kassis acknowledges that some Christian Palestinians inside Israel do support the law, he insists they are a tiny minority.
"We should respect differences in opinion, but (the boycott movement) is supported by (the) vast majority of Christians" in both the West Bank and Israel, he explains.
"A minority thinks differently, but this phenomenon is being encouraged by the state itself."
In Kassis' view, the law reflects the "apartheid nature" of the Israeli state and its inability to "deal with its citizens as citizens" but instead as a collection of religious groups.
The roots of the law, Kassis argues, are in the "the British divide and rule strategies," referring to how British colonizers seized upon religious differences in order to enlist locals in the colonial project.
The colonizers often favored certain groups -- particularly Christians -- and emphasized their links to European civilization. This denial of indigenous identity to Christian Arabs was intended to sever their connections to their neighbors and weaken Palestinian society and resistance.
By Alex Shams
A new law to create a separate "Christian" nationality for Palestinian citizens of Israel successfully passed through the Knesset on Monday with more than three-quarters of votes in favor.
The bill, which creates a distinction from the existing "Arab" nationality, has raised fears among many Palestinians that a renewed push is underway by the state to divide their society along religious lines.
The law's supporters have made clear that the new measure is not merely a legal formality, but instead intends to de-emphasize the Arab identity of Christians by racializing and politicizing existing religious distinctions.
"It's a historic and important step that could balance the State of Israel and connect us to the Christians, and I am careful not to refer to them as Arabs, because they are not Arabs," sponsor Likud MK Yariv Levin said in January, adding that Christians are "our natural allies," unlike Muslims "who want to destroy the state from within."
On Wednesday, PLO executive committee member Hanan Ashrawi condemned the law, calling it an effort to transform the occupation into "an outright religious confrontation," and stressing that Israel is adopting a "policy of the classification of its citizens based on religion or ethnicity" as part of a larger system of "apartheid."
A Knesset committee is even looking into instituting compulsory army service for Israel's 120,000 Palestinian Christians, a proposal which has raised ire among both Muslims and Christians citizens, who are currently exempted.
But Palestinian society is not taking these efforts lying down.
One member of the Knesset has even called upon the pope to intervene. Civil society groups on both sides of the Green Line, meanwhile, are mobilizing a campaign of local and global resistance to what they fear is a a larger campaign to tear their religiously diverse society apart.
'Divide and rule strategy'
"We will do everything in our power to stop this law," says Rifat Kassis, head of the Palestinian-Christian activist group Kairos.
"We are against it. All informed Christians are against it," he says, highlighting that the vast majority of Christians in Israel as well as the 50,000 Palestinian Christians in the West Bank -- where he is based -- oppose the measure.
"Christians are an integral part of the Palestinian community ... We are Palestinians just like any other."
While Kassis acknowledges that some Christian Palestinians inside Israel do support the law, he insists they are a tiny minority.
"We should respect differences in opinion, but (the boycott movement) is supported by (the) vast majority of Christians" in both the West Bank and Israel, he explains.
"A minority thinks differently, but this phenomenon is being encouraged by the state itself."
In Kassis' view, the law reflects the "apartheid nature" of the Israeli state and its inability to "deal with its citizens as citizens" but instead as a collection of religious groups.
The roots of the law, Kassis argues, are in the "the British divide and rule strategies," referring to how British colonizers seized upon religious differences in order to enlist locals in the colonial project.
The colonizers often favored certain groups -- particularly Christians -- and emphasized their links to European civilization. This denial of indigenous identity to Christian Arabs was intended to sever their connections to their neighbors and weaken Palestinian society and resistance.
A Baladna poster reads in Arabic, "Hand in hand, we will bring down the law of conscription"
'A methodical plan since 1948'
Many view these efforts through a similar lens, stressing that Israeli authorities have historically sought to manipulate and politicize cultural or religious divisions to weaken the Palestinian national movement.
Nidaa Nassar, a project coordinator for a Palestinian youth organization in Israel called Baladna, argues that the moves are "not a marginal phenomenon, but a methodical plan that has been implemented gradually since 1948."
"These are part of a politicized project to divide us, because if we become small groups, we we will stop sharing our national identity," she says.
Israeli government institutions "try to find partners in order to find ways to collaborate with Palestinians," in the process exploiting the "weak points" in Palestinian society in Israel for political purposes.
Nassar argues that sectarianism -- along religious, tribal, regional, and other lines -- exists, but it becomes a much more serious issue when "recruited for political goals."
In December, Baladna launched a campaign against sectarianism in all its manifestations, holding workshops in Palestinian communities across Israel and launching an awareness campaign.
One video for the campaign features a doctor diagnosing a patient with the "disease" of sectarianism.
"The base of our work is raising national identity, bringing together different groups and ensuring strength of national identity," Nassar explains.
'A methodical plan since 1948'
Many view these efforts through a similar lens, stressing that Israeli authorities have historically sought to manipulate and politicize cultural or religious divisions to weaken the Palestinian national movement.
Nidaa Nassar, a project coordinator for a Palestinian youth organization in Israel called Baladna, argues that the moves are "not a marginal phenomenon, but a methodical plan that has been implemented gradually since 1948."
"These are part of a politicized project to divide us, because if we become small groups, we we will stop sharing our national identity," she says.
Israeli government institutions "try to find partners in order to find ways to collaborate with Palestinians," in the process exploiting the "weak points" in Palestinian society in Israel for political purposes.
Nassar argues that sectarianism -- along religious, tribal, regional, and other lines -- exists, but it becomes a much more serious issue when "recruited for political goals."
In December, Baladna launched a campaign against sectarianism in all its manifestations, holding workshops in Palestinian communities across Israel and launching an awareness campaign.
One video for the campaign features a doctor diagnosing a patient with the "disease" of sectarianism.
"The base of our work is raising national identity, bringing together different groups and ensuring strength of national identity," Nassar explains.
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'Pure propaganda'
In recent years, Israeli authorities have increasingly sought to promote Palestinian enlistment in the military. Although these efforts have been met with widespread public rejection, some Christians and Muslims have signed up. Army Maj. Shadi Rahal told the Associated Press last year that 208 Muslims and 137 Christians had signed up voluntarily. Israeli military advertisements directed toward Palestinian Christians in particular, meanwhile, have increased. One such video, released in January, focuses on a young Christian woman |
who voluntarily signed up for the military. In fluent Arabic, both Monalisa Abda and her mother speak with pride about her decision to serve her country, and encourage others to sign up.
Facebook users reacted in anger, and many mocked the upbeat tone of a video about signing up to fight in the army.
Elias Hawila, a Palestinian medical student with Israeli citizenship from Haifa, considers the video "pure propaganda."
"One does not know whether to laugh at the absurdity of the situation or be sad that she and her mother are being used in this way,” he explains, adding: "Her mother sounds like she is trying to sell some sort of laundry detergent, not trying to convince parents to send their own children to use violence against their own people!"
From a Christian background himself, Hawila calls the effort to promote conscription a "ludicrous" idea, explaining that he "strongly objects to the government's false notion of integrating the Christian population."
"Palestinians were always made up from different religions and all are an integral part of Palestinian society," he adds.
Facebook users reacted in anger, and many mocked the upbeat tone of a video about signing up to fight in the army.
Elias Hawila, a Palestinian medical student with Israeli citizenship from Haifa, considers the video "pure propaganda."
"One does not know whether to laugh at the absurdity of the situation or be sad that she and her mother are being used in this way,” he explains, adding: "Her mother sounds like she is trying to sell some sort of laundry detergent, not trying to convince parents to send their own children to use violence against their own people!"
From a Christian background himself, Hawila calls the effort to promote conscription a "ludicrous" idea, explaining that he "strongly objects to the government's false notion of integrating the Christian population."
"Palestinians were always made up from different religions and all are an integral part of Palestinian society," he adds.
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'We must all work together to fight'
The possibility of compulsory recruitment of Christians into the Israeli army raises the specter of the Druze and the process of thorough de-Arabization the community has experienced since Israel’s founding. The Druze are a religious minority for whom compulsory military service was instituted in 1957. Generations of youths in the Druze community have fought for Israel against Palestinians and neighboring Arab states. Today, few Druze identify as Arab, and even fewer as Palestinian, even though they share language, customs, and history with their Arab neighbors. "There is a fear that the experience of the Druze will be repeated with |
Christians through the implementation of forced conscription," Nassar of Baladna explains. Her organization supports a growing movement among Druze youth to refuse conscription, but the movement still faces an uphill battle within the community.
Nassar does not believe that Israeli authorities will succeed this time around, however, stressing that Palestinians are more "aware and organized" than they used to be.
"They say it's a Druze issue, but it's not. It's not a Christian issue. These are national issues," she stresses.
"We must all work together to fight."
Nassar does not believe that Israeli authorities will succeed this time around, however, stressing that Palestinians are more "aware and organized" than they used to be.
"They say it's a Druze issue, but it's not. It's not a Christian issue. These are national issues," she stresses.
"We must all work together to fight."
24 jan 2014
Rev. Ibrahim Shomali, a Catholic priest, pictured during the mass.
By Charlie Hoyle
Residents of Beit Jala held their last weekly mass Friday in an area threatened by Israel's separation wall as locals awaited a decision from Israel's Supreme Court on an appeal to halt the land seizure.
Around 60 Palestinians, internationals and representatives of the Catholic, Orthodox and Lutheran churches gathered on an olive tree-covered hilltop in the Cremisan Valley to pray for a halt to Israel's separation wall, which is set to annex the entire lush green area north of Beit Jala.
The weekly mass, which has been held since 2011, is the last action by the largely Christian community before Israel's Supreme Court issues a final ruling on Jan. 29 regarding the route of the wall.
Rev. Ibrahim Shomali, a Catholic priest who led the mass, thanked the crowd for its support over the years and said it was now up to the Israeli court to decide on the "future of our presence in the Holy Land."
Issa Kassissieh, Palestine's ambassador to the Vatican, which owns the land threatened with confiscation, told Ma'an that the seizure was unacceptable.
By Charlie Hoyle
Residents of Beit Jala held their last weekly mass Friday in an area threatened by Israel's separation wall as locals awaited a decision from Israel's Supreme Court on an appeal to halt the land seizure.
Around 60 Palestinians, internationals and representatives of the Catholic, Orthodox and Lutheran churches gathered on an olive tree-covered hilltop in the Cremisan Valley to pray for a halt to Israel's separation wall, which is set to annex the entire lush green area north of Beit Jala.
The weekly mass, which has been held since 2011, is the last action by the largely Christian community before Israel's Supreme Court issues a final ruling on Jan. 29 regarding the route of the wall.
Rev. Ibrahim Shomali, a Catholic priest who led the mass, thanked the crowd for its support over the years and said it was now up to the Israeli court to decide on the "future of our presence in the Holy Land."
Issa Kassissieh, Palestine's ambassador to the Vatican, which owns the land threatened with confiscation, told Ma'an that the seizure was unacceptable.
"The pope is coming as a peace pilgrimage to the Holy Land to build bridges and here we are seeing that a wall is being erected."
"This is a way of exodus. This is a way of pushing people out and there is no legitimate grounds for this confiscation by the Israelis, so we hope that the power of logic will prevail and not the logic of power."
Israel is constructing some of the last segments of its wall on lands west of Bethlehem, including the Cremisan monastery area, and al-Walaja village.
In 2006, Israel issued a military order to build the separation wall around Beit Jala and Har Gilo.
After a seven-year legal battle, 58 local landowners, and nuns from the Salesian convent who joined their legal action, lost an appeal against the route of the separation wall in April 2013.
The ruling last year proposed that the convent, and adjacent school, remain on the Palestinian side of the wall, but the nuns would lose access to 75 percent of their land and the school would be situated in a military zone surrounded by the separation wall.
The Cremisan monastery and winery would be on the Israeli side on the wall, splitting the religious community, and residents would no longer be able to participate in the annual religious event of the Holy Spirit Procession, which sees local Christians walk from Cremisan to the Annunciation church in Beit Jala.
"This is a way of exodus. This is a way of pushing people out and there is no legitimate grounds for this confiscation by the Israelis, so we hope that the power of logic will prevail and not the logic of power."
Israel is constructing some of the last segments of its wall on lands west of Bethlehem, including the Cremisan monastery area, and al-Walaja village.
In 2006, Israel issued a military order to build the separation wall around Beit Jala and Har Gilo.
After a seven-year legal battle, 58 local landowners, and nuns from the Salesian convent who joined their legal action, lost an appeal against the route of the separation wall in April 2013.
The ruling last year proposed that the convent, and adjacent school, remain on the Palestinian side of the wall, but the nuns would lose access to 75 percent of their land and the school would be situated in a military zone surrounded by the separation wall.
The Cremisan monastery and winery would be on the Israeli side on the wall, splitting the religious community, and residents would no longer be able to participate in the annual religious event of the Holy Spirit Procession, which sees local Christians walk from Cremisan to the Annunciation church in Beit Jala.
Little hope for Beit Jala residents
After a lengthy legal battle, residents have little faith that justice will prevail through Israeli courts.
"People do not trust the Israeli courts. They just have hope in God to change the mentality of Israel's army and political leaders," Rev. Shomali told Ma'an.
Grace Abu Mohor, a teacher in Beit Jala who is set to lose 20 dunams of land and hundreds of olive trees, says Israel is seeking to annex the land in order to expand nearby settlements.
"Our hope is just in God. I don't think we have any hope with the Israelis. We look for peace but they don't know what the word peace means."
Abu Mohor says the seizure of family land which dates back generations will force Christians out of Beit Jala.
"I think this is what they want, but we are staying here until God takes our life."
Antwan Saca, a Beit Jala resident, said that Israeli policies have created huge limitations for the Christian community and will restrict worshipers from accessing their holy sites.
"The church, the seminary and the winery are the very last open green spaces that this community has, and they will be taken away from them," he told Ma'an.
Anica Heinlein, an advocacy officer for the Society of St. Yves, which represents the nuns, says that if they lose the upcoming appeal there is nothing else that can be done legally through Israel's justice system.
The case presented by the landowners and Salesian religious community argues that the wall is a means to annex Palestinian land to expand the surrounding settlements of Gilo and Har Gilo.
The appeal also stresses that the wall will infringe on the right to freedom of religion by separating the Christian community from the monastery and will threaten the right to education by forcing children to attend school in a military zone.
The area also serves as a recreational space for the residents of Beit Jala, Bethlehem and Beit Sahour, with families picnicking and hiking in the lush green valley.
Farmers harvest olives from the steep agricultural plateaus and will lose access to their land once the wall is built.
In the last hearing, high-ranking Israeli security experts from the Council for Peace and Security gave their opinion that the now planned route is neither necessary nor logical for serving Israeli security needs, St Yves said, and they proposed an alternative route next to Gilo.
Despite this testimony, and the appeal from landowners and the religious community, the state attorney from the Israeli Ministry of Defense said that the wall was necessary for the security of the Israeli state and would not create a permanent border.
It is uncertain when construction of the wall would begin following the Israeli Supreme Court's ruling, but Rev. Shomali says that taking the land away from local Palestinians will devastate the community.
"If they take our land there will be no future. No houses or cultural sites, or the monasteries that we have, or the agricultural land that we used to work on."
"There will be no chance for our community to stay here on this land."
After a lengthy legal battle, residents have little faith that justice will prevail through Israeli courts.
"People do not trust the Israeli courts. They just have hope in God to change the mentality of Israel's army and political leaders," Rev. Shomali told Ma'an.
Grace Abu Mohor, a teacher in Beit Jala who is set to lose 20 dunams of land and hundreds of olive trees, says Israel is seeking to annex the land in order to expand nearby settlements.
"Our hope is just in God. I don't think we have any hope with the Israelis. We look for peace but they don't know what the word peace means."
Abu Mohor says the seizure of family land which dates back generations will force Christians out of Beit Jala.
"I think this is what they want, but we are staying here until God takes our life."
Antwan Saca, a Beit Jala resident, said that Israeli policies have created huge limitations for the Christian community and will restrict worshipers from accessing their holy sites.
"The church, the seminary and the winery are the very last open green spaces that this community has, and they will be taken away from them," he told Ma'an.
Anica Heinlein, an advocacy officer for the Society of St. Yves, which represents the nuns, says that if they lose the upcoming appeal there is nothing else that can be done legally through Israel's justice system.
The case presented by the landowners and Salesian religious community argues that the wall is a means to annex Palestinian land to expand the surrounding settlements of Gilo and Har Gilo.
The appeal also stresses that the wall will infringe on the right to freedom of religion by separating the Christian community from the monastery and will threaten the right to education by forcing children to attend school in a military zone.
The area also serves as a recreational space for the residents of Beit Jala, Bethlehem and Beit Sahour, with families picnicking and hiking in the lush green valley.
Farmers harvest olives from the steep agricultural plateaus and will lose access to their land once the wall is built.
In the last hearing, high-ranking Israeli security experts from the Council for Peace and Security gave their opinion that the now planned route is neither necessary nor logical for serving Israeli security needs, St Yves said, and they proposed an alternative route next to Gilo.
Despite this testimony, and the appeal from landowners and the religious community, the state attorney from the Israeli Ministry of Defense said that the wall was necessary for the security of the Israeli state and would not create a permanent border.
It is uncertain when construction of the wall would begin following the Israeli Supreme Court's ruling, but Rev. Shomali says that taking the land away from local Palestinians will devastate the community.
"If they take our land there will be no future. No houses or cultural sites, or the monasteries that we have, or the agricultural land that we used to work on."
"There will be no chance for our community to stay here on this land."
23 jan 2014
Father Attallah Hanna, archbishop of the Orthodox Church of Jerusalem, said he rejects all attempts by the Zionist entity to Israelize the Palestinian people from all spectra, stressing the Christian and Muslim Palestinians are one people sharing the same history. Father Hanna made his remarks during a meeting with Christian young men refusing to join the Israeli army.
"The Church rejects all attempt to segregate and discriminate between the sons and daughters of the one people from different sects, and all attempts to separate the Christian Palestinians from the Palestinian people and their Arab roots," Father Hanna emphasized.
"Such miserable attempts will not succeed because our young men and women have enough awareness and sense of belonging protecting them," he added.
"We will never forget that the occupation forces that are trying to lure our young men and women into joining the ranks of their army are the same forces which have caused the nakba (plight) of the Palestinian people, and expelled and displaced them."
"We will not forget that it is the state which has destroyed our Muslim and Christian villages and cities, and we will not forget that it refuses the return of our people to their homes," the archbishop underlined.
"The Church rejects all attempt to segregate and discriminate between the sons and daughters of the one people from different sects, and all attempts to separate the Christian Palestinians from the Palestinian people and their Arab roots," Father Hanna emphasized.
"Such miserable attempts will not succeed because our young men and women have enough awareness and sense of belonging protecting them," he added.
"We will never forget that the occupation forces that are trying to lure our young men and women into joining the ranks of their army are the same forces which have caused the nakba (plight) of the Palestinian people, and expelled and displaced them."
"We will not forget that it is the state which has destroyed our Muslim and Christian villages and cities, and we will not forget that it refuses the return of our people to their homes," the archbishop underlined.
21 jan 2014
The Palestinian government congratulated the Christian community in the Gaza Strip on their celebration of the holy birth of Jesus Christ and said that the Christians are an integral part of the Palestinian society. The government hailed the steadfastness of the Christian Palestinians in Gaza in the face of the Israeli aggression and their national role in the struggle against the occupation, and stressed the need for preserving and strengthening the Muslim-Christian social fabric in Gaza.
This came during a recent visit by a government delegation to the Church of Saint Porphyrius, the Orthodox Christian church of Gaza.
The delegation included advisor to the Palestinian premier for international relations Basem Naim and deputy minister of foreign affairs Ghazi Hamad as well as other senior government officials.
The delegation highlighted premier Haneyya's keenness on making 2014 a year for national reconciliation and unity between the Palestinians from all spectra.
The delegation met with Bishop Alexius and members of the Church council and conveyed premier Ismail Haneyya's sincerest wishes to the Christian community for a happy new year.
For his part, Bishop Alexius expressed his happiness for the visit and hailed the positions of premier Haneyya and his government towards the Christian community in Gaza and stressed the importance of such visits in strengthening the ties between the Muslim and Christian Palestinians.
This came during a recent visit by a government delegation to the Church of Saint Porphyrius, the Orthodox Christian church of Gaza.
The delegation included advisor to the Palestinian premier for international relations Basem Naim and deputy minister of foreign affairs Ghazi Hamad as well as other senior government officials.
The delegation highlighted premier Haneyya's keenness on making 2014 a year for national reconciliation and unity between the Palestinians from all spectra.
The delegation met with Bishop Alexius and members of the Church council and conveyed premier Ismail Haneyya's sincerest wishes to the Christian community for a happy new year.
For his part, Bishop Alexius expressed his happiness for the visit and hailed the positions of premier Haneyya and his government towards the Christian community in Gaza and stressed the importance of such visits in strengthening the ties between the Muslim and Christian Palestinians.
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