A Problematic Pause

Written By Friends of Sabeel

By Jonathan Kuttab

We are gratified and deeply thankful that an agreement was reached for a short “humanitarian pause” between Hamas and Israel, and we share with the joy and relief of the released captives and the ever so short respite from vengeful destruction and carnage. Nonetheless, we need to reiterate a number of shortcomings from our perspective that render this agreement insufficient :

1. The release of women and children should have been done immediately and unconditionally.  They should never have been captured in the first place. Their abduction was illegal under the laws of war, immoral according to Islamic principles, and totally unconscionable. No oppression and injustice by Israel can justify such an action, which has been deeply counterproductive for the Palestinian cause anyway. I hope Hamas commanders will punish those responsible for this action and publicly make clear that it is contrary to their policies and Islamic principles. Children and noncombatants must never be used as bargaining chips.

2. The increase in access to humanitarian supplies is being agreed upon as a concession, a quid pro quo, and part of the agreement. While humanitarian supplies to the civilian population of Gaza should never have been denied in the first place, they should have been allowed into Gaza unencumbered from Day One. Like the kidnapping of civilians, barring these essential supplies is also a war crime, and must be stopped immediately. It is unconscionable that such basic humanitarian essentials as water, food, medicine, and fuel are being doled out sparingly and used as leverage and bargaining chips in this power game.

3. It is still unclear what will happen after this short respite, and whether the negotiations between Hamas and Israel (through intermediaries, at this point) can be resumed and will be able to address other core issues. The alternative is to allow those who prefer the language of violence and force to continue to hold sway. It is maddening that it took so long for those in power to even agree to such a short respite, all while promising to resume bombing with a vengeance once the suspension of hostilities is up.

The true hope of all peace-loving people is that this pause will allow tempers to cool down, the lust for vengeance to subside, and all efforts made to pursue alternative means of resolving difficult issues. At a minimum, additional exchanges of prisoners and captives should be negotiated and perhaps a reassessment made of the declared goals of the fighting. Can one even hope that some underlying issues are addressed finally and a true peace process started? Those who oppose a ceasefire seem to want only the language of violence and destruction.

Despite the bravado on both sides, it should be abundantly clear now that violence alone cannot advance the interests of either side. While Hamas has succeeded in shaking Israel’s purported invincibility and sense of security with its attacks, no one really believes that Hamas can possibly liberate Palestinian territory by force, even if it is willing to pay a horrendous price as it faces the wrath of a far more powerful opponent determined to unleash its full power with no restraints. Similarly (and without making any pretense at symmetry between the two sides) Israelis must be aware by now that they cannot achieve security by military force alone, however superior and however much devastation and destruction it can wreak on its enemies and their civilian population. A political solution is ultimately in their interest as well. The stated goal of “eliminating” Hamas is clearly unobtainable, and even if it were possible it would not provide security, since other groups, perhaps even more radical, will necessarily arise out of the massive destruction entailed. If history is any indication, only further hatred will result, and other eruptions of violence are certain to occur in the future. Israel, despite being asked repeatedly by the US, seems to have no realistic plans for the future of Gaza, let alone for the day the war eventually ends.

Yet there are those in the Israeli government who may think otherwise. Of particular concern are the statements by Israeli officials that their true aim may not only be the destruction of Hamas and its military potential but the goal of ensuring that Gaza will “never again pose a threat to Israel.” This means that those within the Israeli government who actively seek to depopulate Gaza, produce a “second Nakba,” and forcibly move Palestinians to Egypt and Jordan may try to have their way. Indeed, a plan for such a transfer was already leaked, and Egyptian President Al Sisi openly spoke of attempts to pressure Egypt into accepting millions of Palestinians into Sinai. The fact that Palestinians were ordered by the millions to “move South” as Israel destroyed most buildings in the northern half of Gaza appears to be only the first phase of such a strategy. Israel already announced that Palestinians will not be allowed to return to the North. The discourses surrounding the threat posed by Khan Younis in the South and subsequent bombings merely serve to confirm this.

As the bombing continues, Palestinians may soon be ordered to evacuate the rest of Gaza and move into the Egyptian desert, if Israel is to achieve its stated war objectives. The strategic imperative for Zionists to ethnically cleanse Palestine of its non-Jewish population in order to “win the demographic war” and assure  the Jewishness of Israel seems to be playing out today in Gaza under the guise of “eliminating Hamas.”

The only way to prevent such a calamity would be a determined effort by the United States and the  international community, which so far has been either silent or complicit in the forcible transfer of Palestinians. As governments fail to act to prevent this outcome, our massive protests and direct actions demanding a ceasefire are all the more needed to prevent such a catastrophic outcome. Those, however, who would still reject  such a permanent ceasefire are actively complicit in genocide and ethnic cleansing.

Solidarity Week

TUESDAY

Giving Tuesday is Tomorrow 

Giving Tuesday, established in direct response to the consumerist frenzy of "Black Friday" and "Cyber Monday," is a day focused on the celebration and practice of generosity. Generosity is good; compassionate generosity in the pursuit of liberation, justice, and peace is better. Nothing is possible without your support. Join in and help support the mission to liberate religion from those who misuse it to justify apartheid, dispossession, and genocide.

WEDNESDAY

International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People

Wednesday, November 29, is the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People. It's also the day the powers voted in 1947 to unjustly force partition upon the Holy Land against the wishes of its native inhabitants. Multiple amazing solidarity actions and events are being organized or offered by movement partners. (We specifically chose to hold our webinar on Thursday as a result.) Use this as a time to learn more, take action, and get involved on behalf of the people of Palestine. The following is just a sample of possible activities:

THURSDAY

The War in Gaza: Where Are We? Why Are We Here? and Where In God's Name Could We Be Going? A Conversation With Alice Rothchild and Jonathan Kuttab.

Join us for a conversation with with Alice Rothchild (physician, author, activist, filmmaker) about what she has been hearing on the ground in Gaza, in particular from the medical community. We will then turn to Jonathan Kuttab (international human rights attorney) to speak briefly about what brought us to this unfolding genocide and what we might see beyond it. Facilitated by Doug Thorpe of the Bishop's Committee for Justice and Peace in the Holy Land and St. Mark's Mideast Focus Ministry. 

ADVENT SUNDAY

Preach Against Apartheid. Stand Against Genocide

"Hope," in the immortal words of Archbishop Desmond Tutu, "is being able to see that there is light despite all of the darkness."

Responding to the call of our sisters and brothers in Palestine, FOSNA calls upon all communities of faith and conviction to stand firm in the light of truth and preach against apartheid this advent season. Added to this is the call to stand against genocide and take any action in your context that might help disrupt the normal flow of the American Christmas machine until there is a permanent ceasefire. This Advent, preach Palestine and work to dismantle the darkness of oppression and segregation endemic to the Israeli apartheid regime, as we also call for an immediate, permanent end to the present horror. We have gathered resources for worship planners from a diversity of traditions and voices that lift up liberation from Turtle Island to Palestine and beyond. Be it:

  • an entire service or a single prayer,

  • a study series or a guest lecture, and/or

  • a film screening or a fundraising event,

we are asking you to Preach Palestine and lift up the Palestinian people such that they would come to experience the joy, justice, and peace of Christ's liberating reign, as a very real light in the present darkness. A list of alternative actions, standing against the normal flow of the American Christmas machine, is forthcoming. (Click here for a simple, yet powerful change to your advent candle ceremony.)

Can you commit your congregation to preach against apartheid and stand against genocide this Advent season?

FOSNA News

Rev. Naim Ateek's long-anticipated memoir is now available from Cascade Books, an imprint of Wipf of Stock publishers.

Call and Commitment: A Journey of Faith from Nakba to Palestinian Liberation Theology.

"Here is Assis Naim Ateek at his most vulnerable and thus at his most prophetic." 

Weekly

Sabeel Prayer Service. Join Sabeel every Thursday (6pm Palestine) for online Bible Study, discussion, and prayer. Examine scripture in light of the ongoing realities confronting the Palestinian Church and the pursuit of Palestinian liberation.

Wave of Prayer. Subscribe to receive Sabeel's Wave of Prayer, enabling friends of Sabeel around the world to pray over issues of critical concern to the Holy Land on a weekly basis.

Kumi Now! November 28 - The Kairos Document

Kumi Now is an online gathering every Tuesday (6pm Palestine) with a guest speaking on the weekly topic. Register here.

In 1985, theologians around Soweto, South Africa issued the first Kairos Document. Its goal was to look critically at the misuse of Christian theology used to justify apartheid, and by doing so then unite Christians to action in order to challenge apartheid. 

Twenty-four years later, theologians in Palestine issued a like-minded document. This week, as the world observes International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, the Kumi Now community is focusing on spreading the message of the Kairos Palestine Document, bringing Christians and non-Christians together to stand for justice and peace everywhere.

Friends of Sabeel
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