An invitation from the Israel/Palestine Mission Network (IPMN) of the PC(USA) to be a prophetic witness this Advent season.
By now, we are sure that you have borne witness to the atrocities taking place in Gaza carried out by the Israeli military with weapons provided by the US government. Perhaps you are looking for guidance, direction, or support.
It is at times like these that we, the IPMN, are grateful for the PC(USA)’s longstanding history of prophetic witness to the Israel/Palestine crisis. Since the 1948 Nakba, when 750,000 Palestinians were ethnically cleansed from their homeland by the new state of Israel, the Presbyterian Church has been advocating for a just peace. The church has stood for the right to return for Palestinian refugees; an end to the occupation of the West Bank, east Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip; and investment policies that ensure we do not profit from human rights abuses or the deadly use of weaponry.
On a broader scale, our church has been engaged for more than fifty years in mission work that relies upon the “recognition and respect” of our mission partners rather than the presumptions of Western missionaries. In order to do “God’s work for the sake of the world God loves,” Presbyterian “mission in partnership” listens to, and works with, our partners rather than speaking to, and working for, them.
In that spirit, we encourage you to listen to our Palestinian partners, who have asked us to do the following in order to end the genocide that is unfolding in front of our eyes and is funded by our tax dollars:
- Demand that your elected officials call for a permanent ceasefire. Click on this link to identify your elected officials. Then, when calling your House representative, say:
“As a Presbyterian (minister) I’m calling to urge Representative _____ to support H.Res.786, which calls for an immediate de-escalation and permanent ceasefire in Palestine and Israel. I also ask you to advocate for Temporary Protected Status or Deferred Enforced Departure for Palestinians currently in the US. Thousands of innocent lives have been lost and we need you to do everything in your power to bring an end to this horrific tragedy and protect visiting Palestinians here in the US.” When calling your Senator, say: As a Presbyterian (minister) I’m calling to urge SENATOR ______ to support an immediate de-escalation and permanent ceasefire in Israel and Palestine. I also ask you to advocate for Temporary Protected Status or Deferred Enforced Departure for Palestinians currently in the US. Thousands of innocent lives have been lost. and we need you to do everything in your power to bring an end to this horrific tragedy and protect visiting Palestinians here in the US.”
Palestinians are also asking us to demand that our elected officials support House Resolution 902, which affirms Palestine’s right to exist, and oppose House Resolution 894 and H. Res. 888, both of which conflate anti-zionism with antisemitism.
- Continue educating yourself and your congregation on the crisis. You may find useful some of the many resources that IPMN has produced, including Zionism Unsettled, Why Palestine Matters, Steadfast Hope, or our study guide to help understand the Kairos Palestine document. We also recommend this list of resources that Palestinian Christian theologian, Daniel Bannoura, put together. Daniel gave an extensive interview on the context of the current war on Gaza as well, which we encourage you to listen to and share widely. Our partners at the Sabeel Ecumincial Liberation Theology Center, in Jerusalem, have also provided a number of resources.
- Take a public stance in defense of human rights. Join a peaceful protest near you in order to show not only our government, but also your community, where you stand on this issue. Pledge to make your congregation apartheid free. Boycott products that are profiting from human rights abuses in Palestine. Bring our overture to divest from General Electric and Palantir Technologies, both of which are used by the Israeli military against Palestinian civilians, to your session and presbytery.[1]
- And finally, pray with our Palestinian partners for a just peace in Palestine/Israel and heed their call.
In the words of Palestinian theologian Rev. Dr. Mitri Raheb, “Stop praying for Gaza, while allowing your government to sanction war. Stop thinking you are doing the people in Gaza a favor by praying without working vehemently for justice.”
If Christ were to be born today, he would be born under the rubble. We see his image in every child killed and pulled from under the rubble. – Rev. Dr. Munther Isaac
[1] If you are interested in taking this overture to your session, please contact us at [email protected]
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