This year’s Kairos Palestine Easter Alert (see link in article that follows) observes that the land of Palestine, the “cradle of Christianity,” has been called the “Fifth Gospel.” Its geography undergirds and is inseparable from the narratives about Jesus. Indeed, as we just experienced again, the Holy Week drama of Jesus’ arrest, torturous suffering, crucifixion, and burial is, for one example, site-specific: Jerusalem, the Mount of Olives, Golgotha, the Garden of Gethsemane. Palestine is a land with a people that, through the centuries, has endured its own suffering, its own crucifixions: “invasions, empires, colonization and military occupations.”

And the suffering continues, inflicted as a matter of policy by Israel’s apartheid government, in what was, and is still, a Nakba, ongoing since 1948. The fig leaf of Israel’s claims to be a democracy is gone. There are no equal rights for Palestinians whether inside Israel or in the occupied territories. There is only shrinking land, shrinking space (see article about this in Breaking the Stories), more expulsions, and escalating violence. Instances of Israeli settler violence against Palestinians have increased by almost 200% from 2017-2022. 

The presence now of Israeli settlers, Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezeval Smotrich for two examples, as ministers in Netayahu’s religious extremist cabinet is further fanning the flames of this violence. In an April 4^th interview with Israeli Channel 12, Ben-Gvir made this incendiary and provocative appeal: “Jews should storm the Temple Mount [al-Aqsa Mosque], because it is not only for Arabs; I call on Jews to storm the Temple Mount.” And to no one’s surprise, Israeli police did just that, conducting raids on the al-Aqsa compound during Ramadan, beating worshippers and arresting hundreds of them. For more details about these vicious attacks and the cycle of violence unleased, see news reports in Breaking the Stories. 

These are volatile times. They portend more violence, yes, and that is cause for concern. But such shameless attacks on, and ongoing injustices against, Palestinians must animate our solidarity work with even greater intensity. The stones are crying out for us to step up our advocacy for justice, to escalate our defense of human rights, and to amplify nonviolent resistance. 

What might that look like? What further steps might we take? For one example, our UCC PIN steering committee has taken the step of joining the Apartheid-Free Congregations initiative. We have pledged to become an Apartheid-Free organization (see article that follows).  This is a step that all UCC congregations and entities can take. We urge you to engage your congregations in studying and adopting the pledge. For another example, read the story below about the Justice & Peace Team of Edgewood UCC engaging fellow parishioners in advocacy for holding Israel to account.