Every Life is Sacred
credit: EPA
by Jonathan Kuttab
Over 100 Israeli civilians have died violently since the beginning of this year. They were not victims of rocket fire from Gaza (none this year), nor of what Israel calls terrorism (a handful this year), but of organized crime. The reason these victims never received much attention is that although they were Israeli citizens they were Palestinian Arabs and not Jews. If there is anything that confirms the apartheid nature of Israel, it is this wanton indifference to Arab lives.
Israel has been very efficient in eliminating the Jewish mafias (which is one reason for the creation of a vacuum that was filled by Arab mafias). The number of civilians killed by gun violence and even bombs in the Arab community has been rising steadily, tripling over the last year. Protection rackets run rampant, as well as corruption in the municipalities, as these mafias seem to operate with total impunity. Citizens are so disenchanted with the police response that they sometimes do not even bother to report criminal activities at all. Citizens are even afraid to leave their homes after dark.
There are different causes for this, to be sure. One reason for this, expressed by Israeli police chiefs, is that many of the perpetrators of the violence are of value to Israeli security officials as informers, and the impunity they enjoy is one of the attractive inducements they have to act as informers against any so-called “terrorism related” activities. Another reason is the total lack of trust the community has in Israeli police who have historically been more concerned with curbing any political manifestations of Palestinian nationalism than in the welfare of the Arab community. Israel’s extensive resources in fighting crime have not been directed at the Arab community, where there is a chronic shortage of police and crime fighting resources.
Another reason is the blatant racism and proliferation of anti-Arab stereotypes found in Israeli society, especially among the police. One police chief was even heard saying recently that nothing can be done because “violence is in their nature.” Such racism against Arabs is well known in Israel.
The new Israeli minister of police, Ben Gvir, himself an indicted criminal and totally unprofessional and unsuited for his position, is using this crime wave to introduce against Israeli Palestinians the same oppressive measures used extensively in the occupied territories. He is calling for authorization to use administrative detention, which is legal in Israel, against Palestinian Arab citizens specifically. Over 1000 Palestinians in the occupied territories are currently under administrative detention, with no charges or trial, for indefinite periods (actually 6 months, renewable), but this is not regularly used in Israel. Jewish Israelis are correctly concerned that such measures are undemocratic; however, the new regulations are intended to make it clear that these measures will only be used against Arabs. This would only further consolidate and confirm the view that Israel is now more clearly and openly acting as an apartheid state.
Netanyahu is also calling for greater use of the secret service (Shin Bet) in the fight against organized crime in the Arab community. This is curious since the Shin Bet has always been active in the Arab community, mostly to fight Arab Palestinian nationalism, vet school teachers and other government employees, and generally for controlling the Palestinian population. Calling for a greater role for them in fighting crime simply invites a slide towards the return to military rule in Arab areas of Israel. After all, the entire Arab community in Israel was under military rule from the creation of the state to 1966, one year before the Six Day War and the occupation of the remainder of historic Palestine.
Whatever the reasons or details of organized crime in the Arab community in Israel, the basic concern is over a system where non-Jewish lives are treated differently than Jewish lives. The divine light within every human being requires that we show equal concern for all lives. The vulgar chant, often heard in right-wing demonstrations, that “a Jewish soul is sacred but Arabs are s.o.b.s” must not be tolerated. At FOSNA, we affirm the value and sacredness of each and every life and reject all forms of discrimination and bigotry. The fight against apartheid flows not only from the universal (secular) notions of human rights, but also from our deeply-held religious belief in the intrinsic value of all God’s children. It is this that informs our rejection of antisemitism (anti-Jewish bigotry), Islamophobia, and all forms of racism, discrimination, and bigotry. This also comprises our most serious critique of Zionism. Jesus rejected claims of Jewish superiority (“Do not say we are children of Abraham. God can create out of these stones children of Abraham”), and he offered salvation to all, most especially the marginalized and the maligned. As followers of Jesus, we can do no less.
FOSNA News
Below is the testimony of Maher Hanna, attorney for wrongfully imprisoned World Vision staffer Muhammad Halabi:
Today, 6.15.2023, marks seven years since the inhumane abduction of engineer Muhammad Khalil Halabi.
Today marks seven years since Muhammad Halabi was subjected repeatedly and relentlessly to various forms of blackmail, the most egregious being the threat of taking him away from his wife, kids, and the rest of his family, as well as from his humanitarian work in Gaza, if he did not cooperate with the attempt to put an end to all humanitarian aid work in Gaza.
Seven years have passed since this hero made the ultimate sacrifice, rejecting this extortion in order to protect the cause of humanitarian work in Gaza.
I was present during engineer Muhammad Halabi's purported “trial:”
I hereby testify that the number of blackmailers and the amount of blackmail attempts against the hero Muhammad Halabi only increased as his so-called "trial" went on.
Since I was there for it all, I can speak to the fact that throughout the entire seven-year period the legal process was neither fair nor honest, nor was it transparent.
I testify that in order to obfuscate the truth the judges came up with new, unprecedented ways to impose limitations on Muhammad and deny him the opportunity to receive a true, unbiased, and fair trial.
Take Action!
Congress: It's time to dump AIPAC
(JVP Action) In recent years, more and more lawmakers have been willing to speak out against Israeli apartheid, thanks to the growing power of the movement for Palestinian liberation. AIPAC is seeing their grip on the Democratic party weaken — and we’re watching as they throw millions of dollars behind ultra-right-wing politicians in a desperate bid to pin down support for apartheid Israel. Join us in telling Congress: Stand up for justice and dump AIPAC!
Apartheid-Free Communities
For decades, the Palestinian people have faced Israeli occupation and systematic human rights abuses that constitute apartheid. Inspired by the anti-Apartheid movement that toppled the Apartheid regime in South Africa, we are building an anti-apartheid movement in North America and encourage our faith communities and all communities of conscience to step away from any and all support to Israeli apartheid, occupation, and settler colonialism.
This Tuesday, on the anniversary of the 1967 Israeli occupation of the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, the Apartheid-Free Communities campaign officially launched. We invite faith communities, congregations, and organizations as well as other communities of conscience to join us by signing the pledge to dismantle apartheid. If you are an individual, organize within your community to take collective action against apartheid.
Get Involved!
We invite you to join us in the following events and activities:
June 18: Online
VFHL Film Salon: The First 54 Years: An Abbreviated Manual for Military Occupation
What are the circumstances, logic, and day-to-day processes that allow the normalization of the Israeli military occupation?
Almost 3 million Palestinians live under military occupation on land captured by Israel in the ’67 war, plus another 2 million in Gaza. What does “military occupation” mean for people living under it? Witness first-hand testimonies from former IDF soldiers and historical film clips that show the devastating results not only on the occupied Palestinians, but also on Israeli youth conscripted to enforce it. In The First 54 Years: An Abbreviated Manual for Military Occupation, Director Avi Mograbi hosts the viewers in his living room and provides insights to how a colonialist occupation works–the logic behind its brutal practices and the different modes of thought needed to sustain it despite international condemnation.
June 21: Online
Wadi Foquin: A Microcosm of the Critical Moment in Palestine
A Conversation with Rev. Don Wagner and Janet Lahr Lewis
Rev. Dr. Don Wagner is an ordained Presbyterian clergy and longtime Palestinian rights activist, scholar, and author. His recent memoir: “GLORY TO GOD IN THE LOWEST: JOURNEYS TO THE UNHOLYLAND” recounts his spiritual journey from conservative Christianity to solidarity with the poor, & anti-war, anti-racism, and Palestinian rights activism.
Janet Lahr Lewis lived and served in Palestine and Israel from 1994 to 2014. From 2001 to 2018 she was a United Methodist missionary and the United Methodist Liaison in Palestine and Israel from 2006 to 2014. Upon her return to the U.S. in 2014, she served as Advocacy Coordinator for the Middle East with the General Board of Church and Society in Washington D.C. until her retirement in 2018.
June 21, 2023
5:30 p.m. Pacific/8:30 p.m. Eastern
Pre-Registration Required
Book Launch
Our Executive Director Jonathan Kuttab is launching his new book, The Truth Shall Set You Free: The Story of a Palestinian Human Rights Lawyer Working for Peace & Justice in Palestine/Israel.
Join us on Zoom Wednesday, June 28th at 5:00pm PT/8:00pm ET!
July 8 - 17: Palestine
FOSNA Witness Trip
We are hosting a witness trip with Sabeel led by Nyle Fort and Jonathan Kuttab this July! For 9 days, our delegation will be traveling across Palestine experiencing the reality of joy, resistance, and struggle of the Palestinian community.
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! June 18 to 24: Week 25 - Palestinian Refugees Kumi Now is an online gathering every Tuesday (6pm Palestine) with a guest speaking on the weekly topic. Register here.
Palestinians who were either forced from or fled their homes in 1948 and 1967 hoped for a quick return to their houses and land. Few would have foreseen that, decades later, they and their descendants would be living as refugees or internally displaced Palestinians. As the United Nations celebrates June 20 as World Refugee Day,1 we want to work to restore hope to those original Palestinian refugees and their descendants. Here is what you should know about Palestinian refugees and what you can do so that together we can rise up.