In This Issue
With so many demands on our attention, where do we direct our gaze? As this message goes out, Israel has renewed its attacks on Gaza and hundreds have been killed, even as killing and displacement continues in the West Bank. May this Lent be a Season of Seeing as we refuse to look away and recommit to looking for the Imago Dei (Image of God) in one another.
LOOK CAREFULLY: WHAT DO YOU SEE?
In the Israeli-occupied East Jerusalem neighborhoods of Silwan, 80% of Palestinian homes have received eviction notices. Thousands of Palestinians have had their homes demolished (sometimes multiple times) and been forcibly displaced.
Using public art to uplift and advocate for their communities, a group of artists and activists have painted giant murals featuring large images of staring, wide-opened eyes that “dare to look back at the occupying forces and bear witness to the colonial violence that is wielded again the Palestinian people.”
Some of these murals can be seen from miles away and appear as if they are watching over the ever-encroaching Israeli touristic sites which many Christian pilgrims so blindly flock to.
Once one looks, it is hard to avert ones’ eyes…
The Eyes of Silwan
Below are excerpts from a first-hand account of Silwan as seen by Reverend Chad Collins. “The Eyes of Silwan” was originally published on Friends of Sabeel North America’s blog.
It was my great honor to be part of the Apartheid Free Campaign delegation to Palestine, May 5 – 14. One of our goals was to observe Israeli apartheid in its many forms, particularly in East Jerusalem and within the 1948 borders of the state. This trip was to sharpen our focus and strengthen our voices as we, in partnership with many denominational Palestine Israel Networks (PINs), the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC), and others prepare for the official launch of the Apartheid-Free Campaign.
On our first full day, we took a very significant walk down a road leading from the Dung Gate of the Old City through the streets of Silwan to the neighborhood of Batn al Hawa, to the Madaa – Silwan Creative Center. Like many walks in Palestine, it was a difficult trip, physically and emotionally.
As we walked from the Old City to Silwan there were three intertwined images that I hope will resonate with all of you. At the beginning of the walk you witness the presence of the Israeli Apartheid forces at work. This is most notable by their many surveillance cameras, which serve as a reminder that the people of Silwan are always being watched. The people are not free in so very many ways and are being watched by their occupier 24/7.
Secondly, as you make your way down the hill you will begin to see in the distance, painted on the houses of Silwan, murals of the eyes of local and international leaders, activists, freedom fighters and more. These eyes communicate to the people of the world (namely Israel) that Silwan sees them and that they should see Silwan too and know that they are still here and that they love their land and their home.
Many of the eyes are from those martyred (murdered) by police (military) forces within Palestine (i.e. Eyad al-Hallaq, Rachel Corrie) and throughout the world (George Floyd). It is powerful to stare into these eyes and to know the stories of their lives and deaths and their witness beyond death. As it is said, the eye is the doorway to the soul and with these murals Silwan is calling us all to see the souls of these beautiful people as they represent the sumud, or steadfast resistance, against Israeli apartheid.
Photos of Silwan by Mike Merryman-Lotze
LOOK CAREFULLY: WHAT DON’T YOU SEE?
With all attention on Gaza (understandably), the West Bank and East Jerusalem generally gets overlooked. However, what had already been an exceedingly bad situation there, has only gotten exponentially worse since October 7. According to B’Tselem, the Israeli Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories, in the last two months “the Israeli regime has ramped up its oppression of Palestinians in the West Bank and adopted more extreme measures, including extreme arbitrary violence against innocent civilians, further loosening of the permissive open-fire policy, severe movement restrictions and disruption of daily life, blanket cancellation of permits to enter Israel, and extreme limitations on access to farmland that are critically damaging livelihoods, mass arrests and the transformation of detention facilities into a network of torture camps.”
“There’s a reason you’re not seeing a lot on news or social media about what’s happening right now in the West Bank and Jerusalem. Israeli authorities are ramping up the judicial harassment of Palestinian journalists in Jerusalem, while in the West Bank journalists are being detained while in the field and their equipment is either confiscated or they’re forced to delete any images or videos they capture of Israeli aggression. By targeting the messengers, Israel is enforcing media blackout.”
perspective of Mariam Barghouti, Palestinian journalist, as shared on Instagram
LOOK CAREFULLY, THEN ACT!
What responsibility do we hold, in the face of witnessing such oppression and injustice? How does one move from passively observing to becoming change-makers? May we be inspired and compelled to action by the words of a fellow Mennonite as she shares her story.
| An Awakening to Activism by Alice Moyer of West Philadelphia Mennonite Fellowship |
| Like many folk, the events of October 7 and the subsequent aftermath in Israel/Palestine had a jarring effect on my focus on the Middle East. Since young adulthood, I’ve had a developing sense of the imbalance of power and injustice in Israel/Palestine. I attribute this to growing up amongst Mennonites whose perspective would have differed from many Americans and Christians. I’ve also been fortunate to have Palestinian friends and friends at church who had direct experience in Palestine to help inform me. My church signed onto the Palestine Kairos document that Palestinian Christians implored American Christians to endorse. However, throughout the years, I never contacted my elected representatives to voice my concern for the injustice that was occurring and the complicity of our government in it. For that, I beg forgiveness. I’m sure, like many of you, I found I was unable to hold the depth of sadness and horror I felt as events unfolded after October 7. I was needing a place to express and process these feelings. So when the newly formed Mennonite Action put out its call to action, I was on board. I welcomed the chance to call on my Senators to act, to hold public vigils in my city, to sing hymns in the Senate Cannon Building rotunda in DC. I needed the weekly vigil held by Fridays at Fetterman’s to hold space for those suffering death, injury and displacement in Gaza as well as the hostages and prisoners waiting to return home. I needed to participate in the walk from the Liberty Bell to Lockheed Martin during Lent and later the walk from Harrisonburg, VA to DC to share my sadness with others along the way. I needed to share in the multi-faith worship services in front of the White House and Capitol. I needed to participate in the disruption of the CUFI (Christians United For Israel) convention and their Zionist agenda. I needed to worship and march with Palestinian, Jewish and Mennonite Action groups marking one year since the beginning of the war. In all these actions, I admit this is what I needed to do to make sense of what was happening, to own my part in it, and to find some sort of solace for my soul. But I also hoped my actions showed to those suffering that I saw them and what was happening was not okay. I hoped my actions demonstrated my choosing to stand in solidarity with them and to fight for them. October 7 has taken place in the backdrop of some of my own searching and learning the past few years regarding my white and Christian privilege. I learned I have benefited from laws that have favored me due to my whiteness and from my ancestors coming to North America who were allowed to farm on land based on the Doctrine of Discovery. I attended a reparations training for faith-based groups sponsored by the mayor’s office of Philadelphia. I joined a book group that reads books examining all of these issues. So it was clear to see the interconnectedness of these issues of colonialism and greed with what was happening in Israel/Palestine. My pastor, Jonny Rashid, reminded our congregation on the anniversary of 500 years of Anabaptism that our ancestors nonviolently disrupted the power structure to follow Jesus in the midst of persecution. So I try to hold all of this as I participate in these actions. It is hard. As the violence continues, it is easy to become discouraged. But I continue to be moved by others. Weekly, at our Fridays at Fetterman’s vigils here in Philadelphia, I hear stories of solidarity, persistence and determination. At the recent gathering of Allegheny Mennonite Conference, Conference Minister Amy Yoder McGloughlin shared photos of a recent trip to Palestine where artists have painted eyes on buildings bearing witness to the unlawful confiscation of their neighbors’ homes. I am moved by the stories of the tenacity and courage of those who have lost so much. And on my desk I have a quote from Sarah Augustine, author of The Land Is Not Empty, that says, “We must accept that resistance is an end in itself. In the face of overwhelming injustice, resistance is the only ethical human response.” This is the resistance I feel called to. |
Join Christians for a Free Palestine’s March Community Call on Saturday March 29 to hear live updates from a Silwan resident resisting displacement alongside esteemed Palestinian artist Sliman Mansour, Palestinian American activist Halah Ahmad, and member of CFP leading solidarity actions in their own communities. oin celebrated chef Suzanne Husseini for a family-friendly workshop and learn to make Date Bracelet Cookies (Kaak el Asawer) – a beloved Palestinian treat.
Perfect for families, kids, or anyone wanting to participate! This workshop is designed to be fun for bakers of all ages.
100% of the funds will go to Prosthetics for Palestine, a volunteer-led initiative created to provide prosthetic & orthotic care/supplies in Gaza.
On Saturday, March 8, Department of Homeland Security agents detained Mahmoud Khalil, U.S. permanent resident and student organizer for Palestinian rights at Columbia University.
As Anabaptists, our spiritual forebears were jailed, beaten, and tortured for standing up for their religious and political freedom. We refuse to stand by silently while Mahmoud is detained for standing up for his own beliefs.
Thursday, March 20, 8-9:30 pm EST
Join Mennonite Action’s next mass monthly call this Thursday and learn about how Mennonite Action mobilizes a racial justice framework in our Palestine solidarity efforts. This month’s theme is immigrant justice, as chapters of Mennonite Action begin holding “God’s Love Knows No Borders” actions across the US and Canada this month.
Christians Stand Against Forced Displacement and False Doctrines
Over 3000 “Christian Zionist” leaders affiliated with American Christian Leaders for Israel (ACLI), a project of the extremist International Christian Embassy of Jerusalem (ICEJ), recently issued a deeply immoral statement calling on President Trump to declare Israeli sovereignty over the entirety of the Holy Land. That statement can be accessed here. Trump is expected to make an announcement on the topic of annexation within the coming weeks, if not days.
The ACLI statement is wholly inconsistent with the God witnessed to in the pages of scripture and with our moral and ethical obligations as followers of Jesus and the Biblical prophets. We must publicly renounce such efforts and make it clear that those affiliated with ACLI do not speak on behalf of Christians or Christianity. Moreover, we must categorically reject any thinly-disguised plan to annex Palestinian land and engage in continued violence against innocent civilians in the occupied West Bank, in Gaza, and beyond.
For this reason, a diverse coalition of Christian voices committed to just peace in and beyond the Holy Land have come together to stand against forced displacement and reaffirm the inalienable Palestinian right to a life of freedom and dignity in their ancestral homeland.
Mennonite Palestine Israel Network
MennoPIN keeps you informed about Palestine/Israel through our monthly update, special alerts, calls to action, important resources and tour possibilities, all from an Anabaptist perspective. To find out more, please visit our website at www.mennopin.org
Feedback, responses, and suggestions for future updates can be submitted to info@mennopin.org
Steering Committee
Bob Atchison (Manhattan Mennonite Church, Manhattan, KS)
Lydia Brenneman (Lima Mennonite Church, Lima, OH)
Dave Janzen (Fellowship of Hope, Elkhart, IN)
Michael George (Landisville Mennonite Church, PA)
Jonathan Kuttab (Palestinian lawyer and human rights activist, Manheim, PA)
Dorothy Jean Weaver (Community Mennonite Church, Harrisonburg, VA)
Zachary Murray (Mennonite Central Committee, Washington, DC)
Adam Ramer (Co-coordinator of Mennonite Action, New York, NY)
David Bluford (Rainbow Mennonite Church, Kansas City, KS)
Gretchen Merlot (Philadelphia, PA)
MennoPIN 