The EPF-PIN Communications Workgroup is empowered by our Steering Committee to endorse and promote events and campaigns launched by other organizations similarly committed to Palestinian human rights. Allying with like-minded advocates expands our reach and promotes our goals. Solidarity refreshes spirits. It also allows us to reciprocate the contributions of individuals and organizations that have supported our efforts. For instance, a number testified before legislative committees prior to this summer’s General Convention to support our resolutions defending freedom of speech and the right to boycott and opposing Christian Zionism and Israeli apartheid.
At the end of June, PIN signed onto a petition initiated by Jews for Palestinian Right of Return , which condemned the Anti-Defamation League’s attack on the movement for Palestinian liberation. Repeating the tired argument that “anti-Zionism is antisemitism,” the ADL threatened to use its influence to force lawmakers to criminalize such speech. As early as 1991, with the adoption of Resolution D122, The Episcopal Church affirmed that legitimate criticism of lsraeli government policies and actions is not antisemitic. Furthermore, in July of this year, General Convention approved Resolution C013, Freedom of Speech and the Right to Boycott, which stated: “The accusation of antisemitism is used to censor debate. It conflates criticism of state policies with discrimination against a people and deflects attention from genuine concerns with rising antisemitism fueled by right-wing extremism.”
In mid-August, your PIN signed a letter from Al-Haq and Just Peace Advocates to the UN Office of Human Rights requesting that it add WSP, a multinational engineering and design firm, to the UN Database of Businesses Involved in Israel’s Illegal Settlement Enterprise. WSP has taken on engineering coordination for the discriminatory Jerusalem Light Rail that connects to illegal settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT). Israeli settlements and business ventures that support them are illegal under international laws governing occupation and human rights.
Our support for this document was based on the 2018 General Convention’s adoption of Resolution B016, Adopt ELCA Action on Israel, which directed the Committee on Corporate Responsibility to develop an investment screen based on human rights.
Before the end of August, we also endorsed Just Peace Advocates’ call to support the Uruguayan cultural boycott campaign, URUGUAY, NO VAYAS (Uruguay, Don’t Go), urging their national soccer team not to play a “friendly” match in apartheid Israel.
Also in August, PIN joined 250 other U.S. faith-based, social justice, and human rights organizations in signing an open letter to President Biden entitled Stop Israeli Government Attacks on Palestinian Civil Society. Initiated by the Center for Constitutional Rights and forwarded to us by Defense for Children International, it came in response to armed attacks by Israeli soldiers on six Palestinian human rights and civil society organizations on August 18. These attacks and an assault on St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church in Ramallah were detailed in the September 7 edition of PIN on the GO. The letter argued that the Biden Administration’s failure publicly to protest the Israeli raids was putting the security of Palestinian human rights defenders at grave risk. The letter also called on the President to condemn the attacks, reject the accusations of terrorism, take measures to protect Palestinian civil society, and stop military funding and diplomatic support that enable Israeli violations of human rights.
Representatives of EPF-PIN participate in the monthly meetings of a coalition of denominational PINs spear-headed by Friends of Sabeel North America (FOSNA) that includes international participation from Kairos Palestine and Global Kairos for Justice. At the August meeting following the Israeli attacks, we heard moving testimony by Omar Haramy, director of Sabeel Jerusalem, about the pernicious effects of those raids. In response FOSNA and Sabeel organized a September 9 webinar entitled Palestinian Liberation Theology in Action! that PIN agreed to co-sponsor and promote. The webinar focused on how Palestinian Christians are standing up for the oppressed, working for justice, and engaging in peacebuilding and how we outside Palestine can demonstrate solidarity. Listening to our partners on the ground is very important to your EPF PIN.
In early September, PIN agreed to promote the screening of Just Vision’s documentary BOYCOTT in an online film salon launched by Voices from the Holy Land and supported by United Methodist Kairos Response and many other organizations.. BOYCOTT addresses growing efforts in the United States to enact legislation that penalizes or criminalizes support for nonviolent boycotts such as the international, nonviolent Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions campaign (BDS) against Israeli apartheid and outlines how such bills undermine First Amendment rights. The film will be available for viewing by registrants beginning October 5 and ending with a discussion and Q&A at 4 p.m. EDT on October 9. Again, our endorsement of this event is a follow-up to the approval in July by General Convention of Resolution C013, Freedom of Speech and the Right to Boycott, cited above. There is still time to register for this online film salon.
Most recently, we agreed to endorse and promote an internet conference organized by the LA/Orange County of FOSNA with the title Christian Support for the State of Israel: Is It Biblical? scheduled for October 1. The organizers explain that “The target audience includes both evangelical Christian supporters of Israel and liberal Christians who either don’t feel comfortable challenging their conservative friends and family, or those who have bought into the ‘ecumenical deal’ and are afraid to criticize Israel.” Our support for this conference follows up two resolutions, C012 and C040, opposing Christian Zionism that EPF-PIN supported at this year’s General Convention but that were deferred for further discussion at GC 2024. For more information about speakers and to register for this virtual conference check out this link.
As part of our on-going coverage of PIN activities, we will continue to share information about endorsement opportunities.
