Late last week  Presiding Bishop Michael Curry and outgoing House of Deputies President Gay Clark Jennings issued a joint communique that “they would be accepting their design group’s recommendation of a June 6 deadline for submitting resolutions to the 80th General Convention,” in order to give the legislative committees time to complete their work online before the church gathers in person next month in Baltimore, Maryland.

“The final plan for mitigating the threat of COVID-19 transmission will be submitted for approval June 7 by the Joint Standing Committee on Planning and Arrangements and Executive Council. If the plan is backed by those two bodies, the 80th General Convention will be reduced from eight to four days, July 8 to 11.”

Legislative Committee 07, covering Social Justice and International Policy, continued to meet last week in anticipation that the 80th General Convention will find a way to include the resolutions which have come before their Committee for consideration, including several resolutions supported by the Episcopal Peace Fellowship Palestine Israel Network.

One of the ways that the Committee plans to complete their work during the “shorter, smaller, safer” Convention is to place as many of the Resolutions as possible on the Consent Calendar.

The Consent Calendar acts as a sort of omnibus bill for Resolutions where there is general agreement among the Committee members to recommend approval (or non-approval) by the two Houses. Resolutions included in the Consent Calendar are then voted up or down together and not considered individually. This, obviously, is a much faster process, but means that Bishops and Deputies are voting on matters without much chance to educate themselves or have discussion on their House floor.

At last Thursday’s Committee 07 hearing, in addition to taking initial testimony on Resolution B002, which asks The Episcopal Church to underwrite the 3 year salary for an ophthalmologist at the Ras Morbat Eye Clinic in Aden, Yemen, the members heard additional testimony on Resolutions C001, C025, C031, C039, C042.

Several members of the Baltimore Jewish community gave testimony in favor of resolutions C001, which would reaffirm the Episcopal Church’s opposition to antisemitism but constrain future resolutions on Israel and Palestine unless they had the agreement of the Archbishop in Jerusalem. Earlier testimony by EPF PIN members and interfaith friends had argued that the Church’s 1991 Resolution opposing antisemitism had been stronger and included language that distinguished between legitimate criticism of Israeli laws or policies and antisemitism. We had also opposed this Resolution because while we may seek out and consider the advice of the Archbishop in Jerusalem, it should not be the Church’s practice to mute our concerns or voices to any person or institution inside or out of the Anglican community. The Committee apparently agreed with that reasoning and voted unanimously to place the Resolution on the Consent Calendar for no further action.

The Committee also voted to move Resolution C012, with some editorial changes, on to the Consent Calendar for approval. This resolution, along with Resolution C040, condemns the theology of Christian Zionism. The beliefs, while more popular and openly taught in fundamentalist and evangelical circles, can also be found in Episcopal and other mainline churches, especially among the laity. The particular emphasis on last days eschatology and a triumphalist return of Jesus to destroy His enemies is often coupled with the need to unquestioningly support the modern State of Israel regardless of the justness of its actions. [Because of the similar wording of the two resolutions, C040 will be forwarded with a recommendation of no further action being required.]

C013 and C041, the two similar resolutions concerning the Freedom of Speech and the Right of Americans to participate in Boycotts, both received strong support in the Committee’s deliberations and C013 will be placed on the Consent Calendar for approval. For anyone interested in learning more about this ongoing assault on our liberty, we recommend finding a screening of the engaging documentary Boycott from our friends at Just Vision. [As with previous similar resolutions, C041 will be forwarded with a recommendation of no further action required.]

The remaining resolutions concerning Palestine/Israel, Resolutions C025, C031, C039, C042, all dealt with the issue of the State if Israel’s ongoing and increasing discrimination against the Palestinian people both within its current borders and in the territories it continues to occupy in contravention to international law. All of the resolutions use the term Apartheid to describe the practices of Israel’s government, except for C039, which condemns the discrimination without using the “A-word”.

While we at EPF PIN have no problems agreeing with the Israeli NGO B’Tselem, Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International in saying that the State of Israel is practicing its own version of apartheid, some members of the Committee, especially if not exclusively among the House of Bishops, are still reluctant to move one of the three Apartheid resolutions on to the Consent Calendar. Some still question whether Israel meets to criteria for the crime of Apartheid, others are concerned at trying to pass a resolution using the A-word without a fulsome discussion on the floors of the two Houses which the shorter Convention format may not allow. The idea of referring these resolutions forward to the 81st General Convention planned for Louisville in 2024 was discussed, but no decision was taken.

There was strong support from both Deputies and Bishops on the Committee for Resolution C039 which came out of the Diocese Olympia, though there was some discussion about editing of the first part of the resolution for greater clarity.

The Committee will have at least one more session, scheduled for 5PM EDT on June 20th, to discuss these four resolutions prior to the start of General Convention. If you would like to register as an observer, you must do so at least two days beforehand by completing the online request form.

Thanks to EPF IN member Randy Heyn-Lamb for this update.

Occasionally and somewhat unpredictably, readers of PINontheGo emails and followers of the EPF PIN Facebook page will find a message that we have “signed on” to a statement or letter, or endorsed a webinar or other action initiated by another group. Endorsements are upon request from the initiating group and after consideration by our Communications Workgroup or/and the Steering Committee. Endorsements can be important tools in amplifying our message to a wider audience that includes non-Episcopalians. Endorsements also help solidify the connections between EPF PIN and other denominational PINs, and with larger, umbrella religious or secular organizations pursuing justice, reconciliation and peace in Palestine and Israel. 

In late May, for example, the Communications Workgroup, with the support of our Steering Committee,  joined more than 60 other organizations in endorsing a letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken initiated by Representative Cori Bush (1st-MO) and signed by 15 other House members. Her letter asked President Biden’s senior diplomatic officer to press Israel to stop the forcible transfer of over 1,000 Palestinians from their Masafer Yatta homes in the hills south of Hebron. While this and a similar letter initiated by Oregon Senator Jeff Merkley seem to have not had the desired impact, by signing the letter we gave witness to your concerns and let the influential first term Representative Bush know we have her back.

About a week earlier  EPF-PIN posted a statement on our Facebook page supporting the Rev. Stephen Sizer, a priest in the Church of England who faced a religious tribunal after accusations of antisemitism made by the Board of Deputies of British Jews. We believe Rev. Dr. Sizer was targeted by the small but influential Board of Deputies because his statements and activities in support for Palestinian human rights and opposing Christian Zionism have been influential in shaping opinions. The Bishop’s Tribunal in the Diocese of Winchester began on May 23 and lasted five days. The verdict may not be known immediately, and Rev. Dr. Sizer is prohibited from commenting on the process until deliberations are complete. But Mick Napier of the Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign provided an enlightening series of daily reports on his Facebook page which can be viewed here.

We signed on to two other late May letters initiated by Friends of Sabeel North America (FOSNA). The first endorsed their renewed campaign entitled FIFA: Suspend Israeli Apartheid. With the Football (Soccer) World Cup scheduled to be played later this year in Qatar, the attention of much of the world will be drawn to the matches. But as the campaign asserts, FIFA is not following its own rules when the Israel Football League (IFL) is concerned. Specifically, IFL matches are a venue for blatantly racist chants (e.g., “Death to Arabs”) and anti-Arab violence. The IFL also allows players and clubs from illegal Israeli settlements to play. At the same time, Israel restricts travel by players and coaches between Gaza, the West Bank, and Jerusalem. Israeli officials also refuse permits to build stadiums and training facilities, fail to release sports equipment from customs, arrest players and tear gas sports events. During the struggle in South Africa, the boycott of rugby proved influential in bringing the Apartheid practices to an end. If you would like to sign FOSNA’s message to FIFA, you can begin by endorsing the campaign here.

The second FOSNA letter we recently endorsed calls on President Biden to raise the issue of access to holy sites in Jerusalem and other locations in Israel and the West Bank. This year, tensions ran high as the observance of Passover occurred at the start of Orthodox Holy Week and the end of Ramadan. Beatings, tear gas and rubber bullets marred Muslim prayers at the Al Aqsa mosque when municipal police escorted Jewish worshippers around the Temple Mount. Christian leaders also protested when strict attendance limits were placed on the number of people who could participate in traditional Easter services. Use the link above if you would also like to sign the letter before the President’s trip to Israel later this month. 

EPF PIN has also used the opportunity provided by the Episcopal News Service (ENS) to publish Press Releases which we can then highlight in PIN on the Go! and our Facebook page as we did twice recently. In mid May the ENS published our press release concerning the killing of Palestinian-American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh outside the Jenin Refugee Camp and the intimidation and violence of the Jerusalem police as her body was being carried to the church for her funeral. In late May ENS also published a PIN press release that was critical of the House of Bishops Pastoral Letter on the Holy City of Jerusalem. While we have not sought endorsements from other denominational PINs, the Releases have been shared by email to wider audiences, 

Of course, not every month offers as many endorsement opportunities as have occurred recently, but we will continue to respond to opportunities which come to us, and share them with you here and on our Facebook page.

Thanks to EPF PIN members Randy Heyn–Lamb and Priscilla Read for keeping up with out endorsements and writing and editing this report.

On May 23, a Bishop’s Disciplinary Tribunal for the Diocese of Winchester in the Church of England will convene to consider a 2018 complaint of antisemitism made against the Reverend Stephen Sizer by the Board of Deputies of British Jews.

The Episcopal Peace Fellowship Palestine Israel Network is aware of, and deeply appreciates the long and powerful witness of Reverend Sizer to the realities of life in Israel and the occupied Palestinian Territories. His criticisms have been recently substantiated by reports from the Israeli NGO B’Tselem and by international organizations including Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International. We also agree with his criticism of the Scriptural interpretation of some fellow Christians who support an exclusive, supremacist, nationalist form of Zionism. His defense of Palestinian human rights is rooted in a profound commitment to truth and justice as the basis for an enduring peace.

In 1991, the Episcopal Church, adopted Resolution D-122, which expresses a forceful condemnation of antisemitism and distinguishes clearly between anti-Jewish prejudice and legitimate criticism of Israeli governmental policies. We believe the charges leveled against the Reverend Sizer to be a similar conflation of legitimate criticism of Israeli laws and policies with antisemitism.

Accusations of antisemitism leveled at those who advocate for Palestinian human rights are used to stifle the free-flow of information and debate and are being concretized in anti-boycott legislation passed in more than thirty American states. We deplore these infringements of our First Amendment, and we ardently support Stephen Sizer’s right to speak the truth, and stand with him as he faces the predictable fall-out.

Thanks to EPF PIN member Lynn W. Huber for this report.

We Are Not Numbers (WANN) is an international organization which matches up professional, published English writers with Gazan youth interested in writing in English themselves. 

Having been to Palestine twice, and having done writing and teaching about the ever-increasing horrors of life there, the moment I learned about the organization, I volunteered. 

The staff interview potential mentors and orient us fully as to what is expected. I have found it an exciting and growth-producing experience, handled in a professional and engaging way.

An irony is that were I physically present in Israel/Palestine I would not even be able to enter Gaza—which is for all intents and purposes held hostage by the Israeli government. But with this program I can do something! I can both learn and teach, and even make a slight positive difference in the isolation of Gazans. And with the blessing of ZOOM I can see and hear my mentées face to face.

One of them, Alalami Hassan (who gave me permission to use his name), is a medical student, and was my first mentée. He wrote a fascinating essay on (of all things) donkey carts. They are used for many purposes, in part necessitated by the partial blockade on gasoline imposed by Israel. Photos and incidents from his essay (not to mention a whole lot more he taught me during our sessions) almost made me feel as if I had actually been there.

Our relationship began during the last bombing war against Gaza, and our calls were often interrupted by the electricity being cut off. It surely gave me a close-up sense of what Gazans were enduring. And I was on line with my friend when part of a building next door to him was blown away, and the resulting rubble covered a group of children caught in the crush.

It is so easy for us to sit in our termperature-controlled, bomb-free homes, read a headline, say a compassionate “tsk, tsk”, and flip the page. Being present, even in this strange way, made it come alive for me and be utterly real.

If you are intrigued to know more (and perhaps even to volunteer for the program), have a peek at some of the essays on the WANN website and contact them there.

Thanks to EPF PIN member Cliff Cutler for offering another perspective on Christian Zionism as we prepare for our work in supporting resolutions on Christian Zionism.

Susan Brogden, a lifelong member of Disciples of Christ congregations and currently Regional Coordinator for Churches for Middle East Peace, wrote an essay, part of a series in christianzionism.org entitled “Why I Am Not a Christian Zionist.” Her essay was shared by Christians for Middle East Peace (CMEP) Prayers4Peace on April 20, 2022. 

Susan belongs to a mainline denomination whose identity in part is a “movement for wholeness in a fragmented world.” Therefore her essay does not directly address the two resolutions on Christian Zionism submitted to General Convention. Resolution C012, submitted by the Diocese of Chicago, rejects as inherently antisemitic the fundamentalist, dispensational theology promulgated by the Rev. John Hagee and his 8-million-member Christians United for Palestine (CUFI). It is a major player in Washington’s pro-Israel lobby. The essay also does not directly address Resolution C040 submitted by the Diocese of Washington that rejects the nationalistic theology of fundamentalist Christian Zionism and the political policy positions that follow from it. This resolution explains, “Christian Zionism has been used to support the State of Israel’s continued annexation of the entire land of Palestine-Israel, and the displacement and oppression of the indigenous Palestinian people, including our Christian and Muslim brothers and sisters.”

Instead, Ms. Brogden’s essay asks us to look a bit closer to home. Her story may mirror many of our own, born in a post-Holocaust world, raised in a conservative congregation and home, inspired by the Six-Day War in 1967, it took a trip to Israel to discover the fissure between what she describes as her admiration for Judaism and the policies of the modern State of Israel. Hers is what Don Wagner, former director of Friends of Sabeel North America and retired professor of Middle East studies, calls “mainline Protestant and Roman Catholic Christian Zionism.” This is a concern within the mainline church that “supports the zionist movement and views modern Israel as the answer to the Nazi Holocaust and antisemitism thus guaranteeing the Jewish people an independent Jewish state in historic Palestine with unconditional political, moral, and religious support.”

Clearly it is important for the Episcopal Church to reject the fundamentalist, dispensational, nationalistic brand of Christian Zionism as reflected in the Resolutions submitted to General Convention. But equally important is the courage to examine ourselves in our own church that is not fundamentalist. Perhaps you will see in Susan Brogden’s story a part of your own.

Last Friday, the Legislative Committee on Social Justice and International Policy met via Zoom to receive testimony for a second time. Six resolutions concerning Palestine/Israel were on the agenda. Two diocesan resolutions ask General Convention members to reject Christian Zionism, while three others ask the Church to name Israel’s rule over Palestinians as a form of apartheid.

The remaining resolution, C001, Regarding Anti-Semitism and Palestinian Christians, submitted by three priests from the Diocese of Maryland, asks the Church to acknowledge our 2018 General Convention actions about Israel are perceived as antisemitic in the Jewish community. The resolution further asks the American Church to defer to the judgment of the Episcopal Archbishop in Jerusalem before addressing matters regarding Israel and Palestine.

With more than 50 persons registered to testify to the six resolutions, the Committee limited testimony to two minutes in length. The Committee had allowed three minutes during the previous round of testimonies. 

One author of C001 registered to testify in favor of the resolution. His testimony was followed by nine opposition speakers from the dioceses of California, Chicago, East Tennessee, Los Angeles, Olympia, Vermont, and West Texas. Jewish allies, including two rabbis, a university professor and a JVP activist offered additional testimony opposing the resolution. The Reverend Leyla King and Dr. Jonathan Kuttab of FOSNA shared their concerns as Palestinian Americans that this resolution would reinforce the ongoing suppression of Palestinian concerns in our Church. 

Several EPF-PIN friends complained of the vague antisemitism accusations and the absence of evidence that the archbishop or any interfaith relationships had been harmed by our Convention deliberations. Our Jewish friends argued that criticism of unjust Israeli laws or actions should not be considered antisemitic and pointed out that not all Jews share the opinions expressed in the resolution.  Episcopalians bristled at the irresponsibility of surrendering our right to speak to matters where our government, tax dollars and investments are involved. Some questioned whether the archbishop would prefer or need to limit his public statements, while others doubted he would want responsibility for decisions by the U.S. Church. A few questioned the assumption that the archbishop was unaware of our resolutions.

With no questions or comments coming from Committee 07 members, the hearing continued with testimony about C012, Confronting Christian Zionism submitted by the Chicago Diocese. Testimony on C040, On Confronting Christian Zionism from the Diocese of Washington (DC) came later. Both resolutions reject Christian Zionism as a nationalistic theology which influences U.S. policy on Palestine/Israel in ways which support Israel’s expansion of settlements in the West Bank and the consequent displacement of Palestinians. 

Chicago’s Resolution C012 also included a section which noted the ways in which the liturgy, including the lectionary, prayers and hymns may add to parishioners’ confusion between Biblical Israel and the Israelites with present-day Israel and Israelis, and unintentionally reinforces the deceptive theology of Christian Zionism. In response, the authors asked that “the Episcopal Church commit to making clear in liturgy and in teaching the clear distinction between the current political situation and the Biblical past.”

A similar number of opponents to these resolutions registered to testify, including several who identified themselves as educators and the President of the Shalom Hartman Institute. Their opposition centered more on the impact of the resolutions on interfaith relationships than supporting Christian Zionist theology. Several lay Episcopal opponents argued that because they were Christians and supported Jews returning to Israel, they must be Christian Zionists. It seems clear that additional education is needed. Here is a brief overview of our opposition to Christian Zionism:

Christian Zionism grew out of 19^th Century dispensational theology¹ and is popular today among many evangelical churches.  Applying a literal Biblical interpretation, events such as Israel’s capture of Jerusalem in 1967 is seen as a fulfillment of Biblical prophecy and a herald of Jesus’ imminent return. Taken to its logical conclusion, such a theology ignores, or even calls for, the ethnic cleansing of the indigenous Palestinian population. Conflating Biblical Israel with the modern state, Christian Zionists give direct financial aid to fund Israeli settlement construction, support U.S. military aid, and defend Israel against all criticism. Evangelical Zionists have had easy access to the White House over multiple U.S. administrations. This reached a peak during the Trump years with both VP Mike Pence and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo claiming alignment with Christian Zionist views on Israel. In contrast, we would argue that the land was never a divinely given commodity, but remained God’s, whose dwellers were merely “tenants” (Leviticus 25: 23). We would also note that as a matter of history the land always contained non-Jews.

Christian Zionists also ground their position on a particular interpretation of God’s covenant with Abraham. The words of God reported in Genesis 12:3, “I will bless those who bless you” are taken to mean that unequivocal support for the modern State of Israel is required by God. This is a theology of privilege that “curses” any who might call it to account. Deviation from this understanding of the Abrahamic covenant is labelled as replacement theology (Jewish claims of being chosen replaced by Christian ones) and labeled antisemitic. Again, this view ignores that Abraham was also the father to Ishmael, and the verse continues, “…all people on earth will be blessed by you”.

Unfortunately, another form of Christian Zionism can be found in many mainline Protestant and Roman Catholic churches. Professor Marc Ellis described this phenomenon over 30 years ago as “what one might call the ecumenical deal: eternal repentance for Christian anti-Jewishness [by refusing to make] any substantive criticism of Israel.” Some of the resolutions’ critics seemed to identify with this, preferring that we not criticize Israel’s actions to avoid accusations of antisemitism. They seem to ignore our critique of a biblical interpretation which supports Israel’s expansion into the whole of historic Palestine, with the consequent erasure of Palestinian Muslims and Christians as a divine mandate necessary to the second coming of Christ. This nationalistic (and some would argue antisemitic²) theology also influences U.S. policy toward Israel. President Joe Biden is a practicing Catholic but proudly proclaims his support for Zionism. 

Lastly, the April 8^th hearing turned its attention to resolutions submitted by the Dioceses of Vermont (C025), Chicago (C031), and Washington (C042) which ask General Convention to recognize that Israeli treatment of Palestinians constitutes apartheid under international law³. 

Again, EPF PIN assembled a diverse and intergenerational team of Episcopalians, denominational and interfaith community activists, including Palestinian Americans, African Americans, rabbis and members of Jewish Voice for Peace. Although resolution opponents tried to defend Israel’s record, our witnesses repeatedly pointed to reports by B’Tselem, Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International as evidence of an Israeli version of apartheid. Supporters also referenced recent comments by the UN Special Rapporteur and the joint report by Addameer/International Human Rights Clinic of Harvard Law School.

They drew special attention to Israel’s 2018 Nation State Law and more than fifty laws which discriminate against Palestinian citizens of Israel. They described life in the occupied West Bank, where Israeli settlers live under Israeli civil law while indigenous Palestinians are subject to an oppressive military regime, and where Gaza is an open-air prison. They reminded Committee members that Archbishop Desmond Tutu frequently called out Israeli apartheid and how Black Lives Matter activists have connected the struggle for racial equality in the U.S.to the struggle for Palestinian human rights. 

The former director of an NGO in the Occupied Territories recounted arriving at the scene of the home demolition of a family of seven in Hebron: “The Caterpillar was smashing the last of four corners of the home. It collapsed to the screams of the mother…The younger children frantically scrambled to rescue what toys and schoolbooks they could from the rubble…Heavily armed soldiers were killing a sheep and throwing it into the ancient sweet-water well.” 

Episcopal clergy spoke forcefully that “we are called to be truth-tellers,” to name evil, and to advocate for “the restoration of dignity for both the oppressed and oppressor.” One witness quoted Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., who reproved church leaders “more devoted to order than to justice.” An EPF-PIN member testified, “As a nurse…, I can say that naming the illness is the first necessary step to curing the patient.”  

Alternating between our supporting arguments, our opponents’ testimonies made predictable claims against the resolutions. Several speakers asserted that the resolutions “would hinder Christian efforts at peacemaking”, though they offered no examples. Some condemned using the word apartheid as inflammatory and alienating, damaging relationships with Jewish neighbors and fueling anti-Jewish prejudice, even comparing a resolution to a “lynch mob against Israel.” Unstated accusations of antisemitism hovered in assertions that the resolutions “de-legitimized” Jewish connections to the land and “demonized” Jews.

Some audaciously disputed the reality of apartheid, as if the presence of Palestinians in the Israeli government somehow negated the systemic discrimination, or that Palestinian “terrorism” justified Israeli denial of basic human rights. There was no acknowledgment of the institutionalized state violence of occupation, the legal discrimination, or that the vast majority of Palestinians lead lives of daily nonviolent resistance. 

In response, three of our group used the hearing occurring just as Easter, Passover, and Ramadan converge to contrast the religious experiences of Christians, Jews, and Muslims in the Holy Land. One Palestinian explained that his god-sister in Bethlehem had little hope of getting a permit for Easter prayers at the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem, yet a Jew arriving from anywhere on the globe could immediately receive citizenship. “If this is not apartheid,” he asked, “what is?” Similarly, a young Palestinian-American high school student lamented that her cousins in the West Bank could not join the Palm Sunday procession down the Mount of Olives scheduled two days later. The last speaker, a Chicago rabbi and Israeli Jew, described his memory of Yom Kippur in Israel saying, “a quiet reverence descends on the land. The Israeli army seals off the West Bank, blocking out the Palestinians: out of sight, out of mind.” Whereas, he ruefully continued, his Muslim friend in the West Bank, at first elated to get a permit to attend Ramadan prayers at Al-Aqsa Mosque, found her joy utterly deflated by omnipresent Israeli soldiers. “This”, he concluded, “is Israel’s religious apartheid.”  

This ended the Committee hearing. No further testimony sessions are planned until General Convention. Deliberations on the testimony already given will continue at 12 noon (EDT) on April 28^th. If you wish to register as an Observer for that or subsequent Committee sessions, you can use this link. 

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¹ Dispensational theology divides world history and the future into several dispensations, or periods of time when God supposedly relates to humans differently. The period from Adam to Noah, or Noah to Abraham are different dispensations. From Abraham to Moses is another, and from Moses to Christ. It should be noted that Dispensational theology also envisions an end-time for the current dispensation with a small percentage of Jews converting to Christianity and the remainder being annihilated.

² The unholy marriage of Christian Zionism and antisemitism can be seen in proponents who, like Lord Balfour, supported the formation of a Jewish State but blocked Russian Jewish refugees from entering Britain. Similarly, some US Christian nationalist groups support the state of Israel as a place for Jews, with the supposed added benefit of hastening the end times.

³ Article II of the International Convention on the Suppression and Punishment of the Crime of Apartheid defines it as: “an institutionalized regime of systematic oppression and domination by one racial group over any other racial group or groups and committed with the intention of maintaining that regime.”  

A Pastoral Letter on Jerusalem

At their March retreat, the House of Bishops issued a pastoral letter on the status of Jerusalem. That letter was issued to comply with General Convention 2018’s Resolution B003 stipulation that the House of Bishops “…disseminate as soon as is practicable a Pastoral Letter supporting Jerusalem’s prophetic identity as the Holy City of Peace.” Disappointed by the pastoral letter, the Steering Committee of EPF PIN wrote a statement of response, published as a press release by Episcopal News Service on April 4

Preparing for the 2022 General Convention: A Round of Testimonies on Resolutions Relating to Palestine

This past Thursday, Committee 07, responsible for addressing resolutions on Social Justice & International Policy prior to the July General Convention in Baltimore, met virtually to receive testimony on three resolutions. Each person who registered to testify was given three minutes to present their argument, and Committee members were free to respond with questions.

The first to be considered was Resolution C041, entitled On Defending the Right to Boycott. The Resolution calls on the President and Congress to “oppose legislation penalizing or criminalizing support for nonviolent boycotts, divestment and/or sanctions on behalf of Palestinian human rights.”

According to information available from Palestine Legal, more than 30 statehouses have passed legislation restricting citizen’s rights to participate in a boycott of Israel. Four of those laws have been found to be unconstitutional at the district court level but winning in court can be a long and expensive process. Similar legislation has been introduced into the current Senate session, but remains in Committee because of concerns over freedom of speech restrictions.

 Two individuals offered testimony on the resolution, which had been submitted by the Diocese of Washington (DC), with one speaking in favor of the Resolution while another opposed it. After the statements had been made, a Committee member suggested expanding the Resolution’s language to include urging state legislators to oppose such legislation, and the person testifying in support of the resolution agreed.

The second item considered was Resolution C013, Freedom of Speech and the Right to Boycott, put forward by the Diocese of Chicago. Similar in wording to the previous resolution, it was supported by a broad coalition of speakers, including Episcopalians from Washington, Vermont, and Los Angeles. Presbyterian and Jewish partners who worked with activists in the Diocese offered their support, and Palestinian-Americans shared stories of Nakba displacement with the Committee. No one had registered to speak against the Resolution.

Resolution C039, with the title of Justice and Peace in the Holy Land – Our Call to Action, was the last to be considered during this first round of testimony. Sponsored by the Diocese of Olympia in the Pacific Northwest, the resolution had a dozen people registered to testify, all in support, with half coming from Olympia and others from Los Angeles, Pennsylvania, Vermont and Washington. Jonathan Kuttab, the Executive Director of Friends of Sabeel North America, was one of two Palestinian voices who gave testimony to the Resolution which, if approved at Convention, would condemn “the continued occupation, segregation and oppression of the Palestinian people;” and urge the President and Congress to “take action to oppose Israeli laws and practices that result in unequal rights for two peoples.”

There was some concern raised among the Committee members about the impact that this resolution might have on the work of the Diocese of Jerusalem, and Bishop Gutierrez, a member of the Board of the American Friends of the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem, said he would make sure Archbishop Hosam was aware of the resolutions which had been proposed. This will complement the information that EPF PIN leadership had shared with Archbishop Hosam early in February.

The Committee will now consider these resolutions prior to the start of General Convention in separate sessions which are open to registered observers. An additional hearing is planned for tomorrow, April 8^th, when testimony will be taken on Resolutions C012 and C40, which address concerns about Christian Zionism. The Committee will also take testimony on Resolutions C025, C031, and C042, on the subject of Israeli Apartheid. EPF PIN supports all of these resolutions.  

We oppose Resolution C001, entitled Regarding Antisemitism and Palestinian Christians. EPF PIN condemns antisemitism in the strongest terms possible, but believes the resolution conflates antisemitism with legitimate and necessary criticism of Israeli laws and policies which oppress Palestinian Christians, Muslims, Druze and other minorities within Israel, Jerusalem, the West Bank, Gaza Strip, and the Palestinian diaspora around the world. 

Following virtual deliberations and testimony and in-person testimony and discussion at General Convention, the committee will take decisions on forwarding the resolutions to the House of Bishops or House of Deputies for debate on passage.

Episcopalians in the Diocese of Washington voted big against Israel’s treatment of Palestinians on 29 January, adopting resolutions to “oppose Israel’s apartheid” (by 73%), to “confront Christian Zionism” (by 76%), and to “defend the right to boycott” (by 80%), which is under assault from anti-BDS laws enacted in dozens of states and championed in Congress. The latest church action followed the passing of similar resolutions by Episcopalians in the Dioceses of Chicago and Vermont. Resolutions supporting the right to boycott and condemning the ongoing Israeli occupation, segregation, and oppression of the Palestinian people have been passed by the Episcopal Dioceses of Rochester and of Olympia, respectively. All of this is aimed at the denomination’s General Convention in Baltimore in July.

Tom Getman and Sari Ateek are persons who have labored long and hard in their own ways in Palestine advocacy over the years.  They stepped forward at the Diocese of Washington’s annual convention to shepherd two resolutions through to passage.

The legacy and spirit of one of South Africa’s greatest prophets of liberation, Desmond Tutu, inspired the annual convention of women and men who belong to the same Anglican communion of which he was an archbishop. When Tom Getman of St. Mark’s Capitol Hill introduced the anti-apartheid resolution — in effect inviting the convention to cross the Rubicon into fundamental opposition to Israel’s apartheid system — he flashed back to the day in 1980 when the then “little-known African leader” showed up unannounced at Getman’s desk in the office of then-Senator Mark Hatfield (R-OR). The young aide was instantly entranced by Tutu’s soon-to-be-famous joyful if burning rhetoric of holy liberation. 

A decade of South African liberation struggle later, Getman recounted, during which he had helped his senator fight against apartheid, “the Arch,” as he was known, suddenly turned the young man in a new direction, telling him, “If you really want to prove your human rights bona fides, you must turn your eyes to the Palestinians.” After three decades of solidarity work, including humanitarian and human rights work in Israel-Palestine and constant efforts to awaken his fellow Christians, the moment had finally come, Getman said, when Tutu’s Church also had to turn its eyes to Palestine and, in Tutu’s words, “liberate the Israelis themselves, as well as the Palestinians, from the traumatic burden of apartheid.”

Moments later, the convention adopted the resolution Getman presented, which “condemns Israel’s apartheid system as antithetical to the Gospel message and to our Baptismal Covenant to ‘strive for justice and peace among all people and respect the dignity of every human being” and goes on to recognize “the complicity of the U.S. government in supporting and protecting Israel in its apartheid practices against the Palestinians, deems that support antithetical to America’s fundamental values, and calls on the President and Congress to condemn and oppose Israel’s apartheid [including by halting military aid to Israel.]”

Further evidence that a tipping point has been reached in Palestinians’ long struggle to become politically visible to Americans and have their rights taken seriously came when Rev. Sari Ateek, rector of St. John’s Church Norwood, introduced a resolution “Confronting Christian Zionism.” Ateek, a Palestinian-American, has quietly educated parishioners about his homeland and led several pilgrimages to the Holy Land but had always kept activists at a friendly arm’s length. Thus, his  appearance before the convention as the lead sponsor of one of the resolutions, told the delegates that things are changing. The resolution he presented “rejects the theology of Christian Zionism … [and] condemns the political policy positions promoted by such a theology.”  

When Rev. David Wacaster, rector of Good Shepherd Silver Spring presented the third resolution — which condemns dozens of laws and executive orders around the country that unconstitutionally seek to punish Americans for supporting BDS — the convention waived it through with an 80 percent majority after almost no debate.

What happened at the convention confirms an awakening to Israel’s long-festering human rights problem within the liberal U.S. “elite,” to which the clergy and lay leaders of mainline denominations largely belong. Nonetheless, the solidarity movement still has challenges to overcome before the Churches can rightly be seen as opposing Israel’s apartheid as strongly as they did the apartheid in South Africa.

The breakthrough in DC was of a pattern with similar votes in 2021 in other mainline denominations — such as the Presbyterian Church and the United Church of Christ — which are moving in the same direction.  So, in DC, as elsewhere, debate on the Palestinian solidarity resolutions included the following features:

• No one mounted a defense of Israel’s harsh treatment of the Palestinians as justifiable or unavoidable.
• No one suggested that the resolutions or their proponents are antisemitic.
• No visible interfaith pushback surfaced from Jewish leaders.
• No visible opposition surfaced from the pro-Israel Lobby.
• Proponents strongly asserted that the dismantling of Israel’s apartheid was in fact in the long-term best interest of Israeli Jews, and they avoided expressing stinging, visceral criticism of Israel and its supporters. 
• An evidently greater realism about Israel’s injustice toward Palestinians could not have come mainly from grassroots work by activists to educate their fellow churchgoers, since the activists lacked the personnel or resources to do such work. Thus, the awakening showed how information is getting to the public from other sources, — mainstream, as well as social media – and a growing immunity to disinformation and smears aimed at maintaining the myth of Israel’s innocence.

All these elements are evidence that, at least among a somewhat elite population, the Israel-Palestine conflict has moved from being seen as a national or diplomatic problem of political conflict to being seen as a critical human rights problem. Big gains for Palestinians are further evident in activists’ perfect won-lost record on church resolutions — five wins in five tries in the Episcopal Church, for example.

Texts of the resolutions can be found at these links:

Confronting Christian Zionism

Opposing Israel’s Apartheid

Defending the Right to Boycott

Thanks to EPF PIN member Steve France for his reporting.

One of PIN’s three working groups (the others being Education and Communications with Allies and Friends) is Local Organizing in Parishes and Dioceses.  Our members are based in the Dioceses of Washington, Vermont, Connecticut, Central New York, and Rochester.  As the name suggests, Local Organizing’s mission is to engage, initiate, facilitate, and disseminate the broad spectrum of ways in which Episcopalians can and are advocating for Palestine at the local level.  Whereas the Communication work group’s focus is largely outside of our Church, Local Organizing seeks to address and to grow an audience within the Church, with a view toward expanding awareness of the struggle for Palestinian self-determination, grounding our work in the Gospel mandate, educating our Church on existing Episcopal Church policy on Palestine – Israel, expanding that policy through resolutions presented to diocesan conventions, spreading the word on examples of creative advocacy, and getting tools for education and activism into the hands of Episcopalians around the country.

As has been true since our formation in 2019, an emphasis for Local Organizing in 2021 continued to be the creation and dissemination of diocesan resolutions on matters relevant to Palestine advocacy.  Our experience tells us that organizing around these resolutions serves several purposes: they provide a focus for gathering people within and among parishes around a specific, well-defined goal and thus may facilitate EPF chapter creation; the content of the resolutions brings Palestine to the attention of bishops, clergy, diocesan deputies, and laity; and resolutions passed at the diocesan level may be forwarded to the Church’s General Convention, where they have the opportunity to inform and expand official policy of the Episcopal Church.  

Dioceses that played a pioneering role in this effort were those of Chicago and Vermont, which, even before Local Organizing was formed, had passed resolutions on Christian Zionism, the right to boycott in support of Palestinian human rights, and application of the Leahy Law to Israel.  Local Organizing served as a network through which these initial successful resolutions were propagated to other PIN activists, thereby enabling the initial resolutions to serve as models.  The importance of this cannot be overstated.  By offering examples and demonstrating the feasibility of negotiating diocesan rules and procedures, others were inspired to act.  For example, using Vermont’s 2018 resolution on the right to boycott as a model, the Diocese of Rochester passed a similar resolution in 2019.  Chicago and Vermont continue to lead and inspire, with resolutions passed at their fall 2021 conventions naming as apartheid Zionist policies in occupied Palestine.  In these instances, Local Organizing worked “from the bottom up” to disseminate local initiatives.

We worked from “top down”, as well, informing local PIN activists of the language necessary to ensure that resolutions would be forwarded to the General Convention Office.  As Local Organizing and PIN generally gained more experience with diocesan resolutions, we were better able to assist activists in dioceses that had no or very limited experience in crafting and submitting resolutions.  In consultation with Local Organizing, members of the Bishop’s Committee for Justice and Peace in the Holy Land in the Diocese of Olympia were successful in passing a resolution calling for equal rights for all people in the Holy Land at their fall, 2021 convention.  At the time of this writing, resolutions on apartheid, Christian Zionism, and the Right to Boycott have been submitted to the late January convention of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington.

A critical tool for Local Organizing’s communication among Episcopalians interested in working toward a just peace in Palestine is our monthly electronic newsletter, PIN Bulletin for Local Organizers, the 30th edition of which was published in December 2021.  In addition to telling the stories of successful local advocacy throughout the PIN network, the Bulletin publicizes actions and opportunities launched by other denominations, informs readers of online High Holy Day services streaming from Palestine, reports on initiatives of the Episcopal Church that have been determined by acts of the General Convention, and draws attention to resources available at the PIN website, where all issues of the Bulletin are archived.

As PIN turns its attention to General Convention 2022, the Bulletin will keep readers informed on our plans for an effective witness, including gathering support for resolutions.  In the immediate near future, our focus is on organizing testimony in support of the diocesan resolutions, which will be heard by legislative committees during online hearings beginning in late February.  Closely coupled with this is an effort to reach out to and engage Convention deputies and bishops on the urgent matters addressed in the various resolutions.

There are few situations in the world as surrounded by misunderstanding and confused by half-truths as that of the state of Israel and and the indigenous people of the traditional Palestinian homeland. It is at the heart of today’s Holy Land, which makes it important for followers of Jesus. This is the reason for and the driving force behind the work of the education working group of EPF’s Palestine Israel Network.

It is not difficult to discern the reasons for the confusion and widely held false beliefs. Indeed, even the commonly used description, “the Israeli-Palestinian conflict” is a misnomer. For the story of today’s Holy Land is not one of conflict in the usual sense; it is one of a disproportionately powerful state entity using military occupation and colonization to acquire the lands of an impoverished, dispossessed, stateless people without diplomatic recourse. It is in short settler-colonialism. The common misunderstandings – that this is a religious dispute or a matter of terrorism or a diplomatic “disagreement” – are aided immeasurably by media bias. Bias in favor of Israel in newspaper reporting has been objectively demonstrated. The same biases have been reported even in an academic medical journal, and the recent book, “Mythologies Without End”, whose title says it all, exposes in depth the various reasons behind this massive deception: geopolitical, religious, personal partisanship, and not least, influence of the extremely lucrative weapon and militarization industries.

Against this daunting background, the PIN education working group strives to find creative ways to help members of the church better understand conditions in Palestine and Israel. Probably the best way to understand the truth about what is happening in Palestine is to Go and See. But unfortunately, the coronavirus pandemic has stymied travel opportunities. The PIN education group took the opportunity to create new travel resources for the time when pilgrimages and tourism can begin again. The new travel page of our website found here and hard-copy brochures available on request are full of suggestions and resources to help travelers enjoy responsible and conscientious visits to the Holy Land. And in the meantime, the group also curates a list of films and books that bring the story of Palestine to members of the church in easily accessible ways.

Much of the education group’s effort in 2021 was directed toward preparation for General Convention in July. We helped our PIN local organizing working group develop resources for bishops and deputies who will consider resolutions about Palestine/Israel that come before the Convention. And we are eager to welcome visitors to the exhibit hall booth where we will feature videos, digital educational materials, and “brown-bag lunches” to inform and educate those who stop by.

One of the new products we developed in 2021 is part of our new emphasis on highlighting the culture of Palestine and Palestinians. We will be continuing to develop this theme throughout 2022. Our first product offers recipes of some of the best Palestinian food dishes along with an educational component. Our goal in these cultural endeavors is to introduce members of the church to the ancient, rich, varied culture of a people who are often misrepresented by the media or more commonly not represented at all. We hope to help fill some of that gap in our activities during 2022.

The education group realizes that education is much more than recipe cards, brochures, and videos. We take “education” to be part of our mission in carrying out our baptismal covenant and faithfully following Jesus’ ministry. Importantly, we try to always look to and follow the guidance of our Palestinian brothers and sisters. We are constantly inspired and motivated by their continuing to resist, refusing to submit, and unceasingly pursuing justice.

If you would like to learn more about the work of PIN and the education group, or if you would like to join us, send an email to epfmemberservices@gmail.com.

Thanks to EPF PIN member Harry Gunkel for this report.

PINontheGo: EPF PIN Acts for Justice in 2021

9 December 2021

Let’s face facts. EPF’s Palestine Israel Network is a small organization with limited resources. And we are still testing our vocal strength when calling The Episcopal Church to speak and act prophetically against injustice in Israel & Palestine or the ways we and our government sustain structures of oppression.

But that picture may be changing. In last week’s PIN on the Go! we reported details of three dioceses, Olympia, Vermont and Chicago, which had recently approved resolutions calling out the unequal treatment afforded Palestinian citizens of Israel as well as residents of occupied east Jerusalem, the west bank of the Jordan River, and the besieged Gaza Strip. Two of those dioceses followed the human rights organizations B’Tselem and Human Rights Watch, in using the “A” word, apartheid, to describe current Israeli governance “from the river to the sea”. In each diocese, members or friends of EPF PIN were in the vanguard seeing these resolutions passed.

An article by EPF PIN member Steve France, covered much the same territory for Mondoweiss, and hinted of similar resolutions to come in late January when the Diocese of Washington (DC) meets in convention.

There are other ways PIN is seeking to amplify its voice in the Episcopal community, to other ecumenical PINs, and on the (inter)national stage. One way is to endorse the actions of larger and better-known and -funded partners, adding our organizational name and reputation to actions they are sponsoring.

Why are endorsements important? Endorsing the actions of like-minded groups strengthens our bonds for a common purpose. Endorsement encourages those who benefit from the action to know they are not alone in their struggle for justice. And endorsements, especially when offered by multiple organizations, add weight to a request or demand to an elected official.

Requests for endorsement are handled by the PIN Communications with Allies and Friends workgroup. For obvious reasons, this moniker usually gets abbreviated to “the CAF”. The CAF is one of three workgroups, including Education and Local Organizing, where the bulk of PIN’s work is done.

CAF members receive requests for endorsement, either directly from the sponsoring organization or by referral from a PIN member. The request is reviewed for scope, relevance to our mission, and consistency with our values. If the CAF finds the action appropriate, the Convenor forwards an endorsement recommendation to the Steering Committee and signs on behalf of the PIN.

Once PIN endorses another group’s initiative, we publish our support for it on our website, in email communications like this one, and on our Facebook page. If we had additional volunteer support, we would love to expand our presence on Twitter and Instagram. Since this process was established earlier this year, PIN has endorsed more than a dozen actions by other organizations.

Here is a partial list of the resolutions, actions, requests and demands EPF PIN has endorsed in 2021…

In March, a PIN Steering Committee member suggested we join 40 organizations in a letter opposing a series of anti-boycott bills before the NY State Legislature. If enacted, these laws would stifle and punish boycott as a constitutionally protected form of speech. Sadly, at the 2018 Episcopal General Convention in Austin, the House of Deputies defeated a resolution which affirmed your right to boycott! PIN, on the other hand, supports you right to call for nonviolent social change in Israel and Palestine and will support another resolution next year in Baltimore.

In April 2021 we took the opportunity to demonstrate some intersectional love by joining the US Campaign for Palestinian Rights’ call to oppose the further militarization of police. State-sanctioned violence is a problem in black and brown communities of the US as well as in Palestine. And unfortunately, the US and Israel share a history of national security cooperation which includes mass surveillance, racial profiling, and violent suppression of dissent.

We also joined our national church, together with surprising partners like JStreet and Americans for Peace Now in endorsing Rep. Betty McCollum’s bill, HR 2590. The bill, would expand previously proposed legislation by adding monetary penalties to military support for Israel if such funding was used to detain Palestinian Children. HR2590 now has more than 30 co-sponsors.

Our endorsement activity increased in May as we joined other denominational PINs, interfaith partners, and secular organizations in a letter to President Biden opposing planned evictions in predominantly Palestinian neighborhoods of eastern Jerusalem.

In response to the Israeli police attacks at the Al Aqsa Mosque compound, the rockets out of Gaza and the disproportionate retaliation by the Israeli military, we lent our name as one of 122 faith-based organizations signing an Interfaith Call to Action and called on PIN members and friends in Washington, DC area to participate in the national March for Palestine.

We were among more than 100 faith-based and secular organizations such as Churches for Middle East Peace, JVP Action, DCI – Palestine, and Indivisible in a letter urging President Biden to block delivery of an unnecessary, unrequested $735 million in military aid to Israel.

One of the more emotionally wrenching requests for endorsement came in July after Husam El-Qoulaq met several Members of Congress and their staff. Twenty-two members of Husam’s family were killed in Israel’s May attack on Gaza. Rep. Hank Johnson agreed to lead aHouse letter to Secretary of State Blinken calling for an investigation into whether Israel’s use of US weapons to attack the Gaza Strip was a violation of US law.

In mid September we learned that Representatives Tlaib, Ocasio-Cortez and Pocan were going to introduce anAmendment to the 2022 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) which would block the $735 Billion arms sale which we had petitioned the President to rescind. We were quick to show we continued to oppose this action and supported their initiative.

In late October we joined the Adalah Justice Project, AJP Action, the Center for Constitutional Rights and Progressive Democrats of America (among many others) in endorsing Rep. Betty McCollum’s House Resolution 751 condemning the Israeli government’s criminalization of six Palestinian human rights organizations.

We also joined with some of these and other organizations, sending a letter to Secretaryof State Blinken, asking him to demand that Israel rescind their false designation of these NGOs.

In November, we endorsed a letter organized by FCNL, J Street, and Democracy for the Arab World Now (DAWN) in support of SenSanders’ amendment to the FY22 NDAA which would require a report on the humanitarian impact of severe restrictions on movement, access, and goods in and out of Gaza as well as possible solutions to the crisis.

The latest PIN endorsement came in response to a November request from the Friends of Sabeel, North America (FOSNA), to support a petition calling on all parties to release the bodies of those killed. Currently, 4 Israeli soldiers bodies are somewhere in Gaza and 335 Palestinian bodies are being held by Israel. A Declaration Regarding Respect forthe Bodies of the Deceased asks faith leaders (like you!) to sign their petition to return these bodies to their families for burial.

Do these endorsements accomplish their goal? It is true that our cries sometimes seem to fall on deaf ears. But we think standing with the oppressed and for justice is the right thing to do, Could we do more? Sure! And perhaps with your financial and volunteer support we will.

Thanks to Randy Heyn-Lamb for bringing this together.