Taking Stock, Getting our Bearings
The Palestine Israel Network, Episcopal Peace Fellowship
January, 2013
Friends,
PIN is two years old this month. It’s time to look at what we’ve done, what we’ve learned and to look ahead to where we want to go.
No one would yet describe the Episcopal Church’s witness for a just peace for Palestinians and Israelis as uniformly “robust”, the adjective PIN used to describe its mission. But we’ve provided a focus for those in our church who care deeply about the Palestinian and Israeli people and have been laboring in this vineyard for many years. We’ve provided significant education, widened and deepened the circle of awareness and, with others, advocated for an end to uncritical U.S. support of Israel.
What we’ve done ...
- edited and published the 2011 updated version of IPMN’s Steadfast Hope: The Palestinian Quest for Just Peace, continue to distribute it widely throughout TEC and have used it in study groups in many dioceses;
- provided support for 10 dioceses to pass a resolution calling on the 2012 General Convention to pursue a just peace in the Palestinian/Israeli conflict through education and advocacy;
- met with Bishop Katharine and Alex Baumgarten prior to GC to discuss our differing perspectives on TEC’s role in promoting a just peace;
- provided a strong presence at the GC, distributing copies of Steadfast Hope to all bishops and deputies; with support from the Palestinian Advisory Council, presented 40+ testimonies, including Jewish and Palestinian Christian witnesses, supporting the PIN resolution to the National/International Concerns Legislative Committee;
- joined others at the September, 2012 U.S. Campaign Organizers’ meeting in St Louis in strengthening interfaith and interdenominational collaboration;
- collaborated with interfaith/denominational partners to invite strong grassroots support for the 15 Christian religious leaders’ Letter to Congress asking it hold Israel accountable for human rights violations and violating the U.S. Export Arms Control Act;
- addressed Bishop Katharine in an Open Letter, pointing to existing church policy supporting the content of the Letter to Congress and encouraging her to add her signature;
- contributed to the 15,000+ signatures in support of the 15 religious leaders announced at a November press conference in Washington, DC;
- published a powerful argument for dialogue and advocacy by the former Peace and Justice officer for TEC, Brian Grieves, in an article titled “Balance and Dialogue as a Substitute for Advocacy and Justice?”;
- joined Presbyterian, United Methodist, Quaker, Unitarian Universalist and UCC organizations, FOSNA, JVP, the US Campaign and others supporting a boycott of SodaStream, a popular product manufactured in an illegal Israeli settlement on the West Bank. This call to boycott offers practical action steps building on the April 2010 statement by EPF’s National Executive Council in support of Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions: BDS ‘can inspire a more useful dialogue and negotiation towards a just and lasting peace in the Middle East.’
What we’ve learned ...
- While PIN and Bishop Katharine both strive to see an end to the conflict between Palestinians and Israelis, PIN differs strongly in what is necessary to achieve it. The Presiding Bishop emphasizes interfaith dialogue which, when it includes discussion of the most difficult issues, can be very useful. When it does not, it distracts from the work of justice. The bishop of Jerusalem, somewhat understandably, concentrates mostly on his stewardship of the diocese’s 30+ institutions. Overall Episcopal Church policy is strongly justice oriented as it has developed over the past 33 years, and PIN supports that approach, especially ending the Occupation and advocating for just policies from the U.S. government.
- Strategic education and organizing are necessary if we want to pass robust legislation at a General Convention. Focussed efforts are needed to identify and support bishops who will publicly endorse this legislation. Those who oppose legislation as TEC passed in earlier years are strong and well organized.
- Expanding PIN’s leadership base in all directions, particularly among young adults, is essential.
- While many Episcopalians are aware of the injustice that characterizes the occupation, many more are not - or, if they are, they feel impotent to effect it. Moving people from awareness to advocacy and action remains a challenge. Local organizing is a priority; as is developing more effective communication through social media.
- Working in concert with other faith and secular communities committed to challenging American foreign policy and supporting non-violent resistance to the occupation multiplies our effectiveness.
- The silence largely observed in interfaith dialogue regarding Israeli government policies was effectively broken by the the October, 2012 Letter to Congress from 15 religious leaders, opening new possibilities for advocacy.
- Organizing, educating, motivating for advocacy and action is hard work and the key to achieving PIN’s goal of a robust witness for just peace in the Holy Land. Local leadership needs to be encouraged and supported in every diocese.
- There is a pressing need to advocate for implementing existing church policy such as corporate engagement and the 1991 resolution, reaffirmed at the 2012 GC, requiring the State of Israel “...to account to the Government of the United States for all aid to Israel ...in compliance with the Foreign Assistance Act.”
Where we’re going ...
- We don’t know yet. But we plan to figure it out. We’re drawing together a leadership group of 35 people from across the country in mid-March for two days of planning. From that meeting we expect to set goals and design strategies, widen leadership and involve everyone who is willing. We’ll let you know all about it in early April.
- We finished the year in good financial shape. We want to use some of our resources to make financial assistance available to young adults to attend conferences in this country and take witness trips to Palestine/Israel. We will use our funds to cover EPF administrative costs, for publications, PIN leadership and membership meetings and some travel costs. We will consider making a small grant to a Palestinian organization, symbolizing our support for non-violent resistance to the occupation.
- As we set new goals and strategies for PIN at the March meeting, we will need your continuing financial support. If you have not already, PLEASE renew your 2013 EPF membership with a pledge of monthly support, designating 25% of that pledge to PIN.
Finally, we want to express our thanks for the remarkable support so many have provided in these first two years. To EPF - Jackie Lynn, Sara Filipiak, Linda Gaither, many others - who made it possible for PIN to launch and develop an organization. To the Israel Palestine Mission Network (IPMN - Presbyterian Church, USA) for their generosity in allowing us to edit and publish an Episcopal edition of Steadfast Hope. To so many of you who provided the financial support necessary to edit and publish Steadfast Hope and to administer the organization.
Jackie and Sara have made an almost seamless transition to Allison Liles as interim Executive Director and to Shannon Berndt as membership services director. And Linda Gaither has overseen all this as NEC Chair, providing invaluable support to PIN’s leadership.
This comes with deep gratitude for the many who have educated, advocated, acted boldly over these two years and who share the hope of a just peace for our Palestinian and Israeli brothers and sisters. May 2013 move us - or may we move 2013 - closer to that goal.
PIN Steering Committee: Ann Coburn, Cotton Fite, Linda Gaither, Brian Grieves, Donna Hicks, Ed LaMonte, Allison Liles, Grace Said, Newland Smith, Cabell Tennis, Jessie Vedanti
You all have done a great job of raising awareness. The Episcopal version of Steadfast Hope is a great resource. Unfortunately TEC is stuck in the "ecumenical deal" and shows no sign of change. As with many issues of justice for people of the Middle East, we will probably be late to the party.