MCC Palestine Update #125

MCC Palestine Update #125

27 July 2006

Christianity in Palestine: Misrepresentation and Dispossession

An important focus of Mennonite Central Committee’s work across the Middle East is to support the local church. This is very much the case here in Palestine where MCC partners with local organizations such as the Sabeel Ecumenical Liberation Theology Center (http://www.sabeel.org/), specifically in their work supporting local clergy.

MCC also supports the Bethlehem Bible College (http://www.bethlehembiblecollege.edu/) in their “Shepherd’s Society” program, which seeks to aid families by working to fulfill immediate needs, such as food and medical care, as well as working toward longer-term development assistance, such as revolving loans and marketing products and crafts produced locally. “The name ‘Shepherd Society’ is a reference to Jesus, the Good Shepherd, who told his disciple Peter to care for his sheep (John 21:16). This imagery was later used by the apostle Peter to instruct church leaders in caring for the needy when he said, ‘Shepherd the flock of God which is among you’ (1 Peter 5:2-4). Here on the hillsides of Bethlehem, we still see shepherds caring for their flocks, reminding us to continue Peter's mission.”

Another example of MCC’s work with the local church is through MCC’s support of the Latin Patriarchate (Roman Catholic) School in the northern West Bank village of Zebabdeh through MCC’s Global Family program. MCC has also placed two volunteers, Mark and Andrea Stoner-Leaman, in Zebabdeh, serving as English teachers at this school. To learn more about how you can support the Latin Patriarchate School or other Global Family projects, please visit http://www.mcc.org/globalfamily/projects/middleeast/palestine/.

Christianity in the Arab world has had a long and lively history, including in Palestine, where one still finds today communities of faith that stretch back thousands of years to the very beginnings of the church, where Arabic is spoken in liturgies and sermons, and where the church has played an integral role in the development of society, whether in terms of providing leadership in very difficult times or in pioneering valuable social services like education. Today of the roughly 3.9 million Palestinians living in the Occupied Territories, less than two percent are Christians. Of the 1.4 million Palestinians living inside Israel, meanwhile, roughly eight percent belong to Christian communities. Though small, these communities bear witness to two millennia of continuous Christian presence in the land called “holy” by much of the rest of the world.

Palestinian Christians belong to several traditional communities of faith, communities that can be grouped into four broad categories. The first are the traditions of the Eastern Orthodox churches. These would include the Greek Orthodox communities, claiming a continuous presence in the Holy Land since the times of the apostles. The second group is made of up what is sometimes referred to as the “Oriental” Orthodox churches, such as the Syrian, Coptic, and Armenian Orthodox communities. A third category consists of those churches belonging to the Catholic family of churches. In addition to Roman Catholic communities, referred to in the Middle East as the “Latin” church, one finds “Eastern Catholic” or “Eastern Rite Catholic” churches. These churches, though in communion with Rome and recognizing the authority of the pope, have maintained their own distinctive liturgy and traditions. Members of such communities as Greek Catholic or Syrian Catholic outnumber the number of “Latin” Catholics in Palestine and have a long history of involvement in the Palestinian struggle for justice. Finally, there are various Protestant communities, including not only Anglican and Lutheran churches, present since the nineteenth century, but also independent evangelical churches, including Baptist, Pentecostal, and more.

Today in Palestine, Christianity is experiencing what many would consider a crisis. This is not due to the growth of so-called Islamic fundamentalism or the persecution of “believers” by their Muslim neighbors, misrepresentations that are unfortunately used to distract from the realities of occupation. Instead, the plight of the Palestinian Christian is very much connected to that of the Palestinian Muslim in that both, whether in the Occupied Territories or inside Israeli itself, are experiencing daily injustices at the hands of oppressive and discriminatory policies imposed on them by the Israeli government.

Palestinian Christians, like their Muslim brothers and sisters, have experienced a long history of dispossession and have not been immune to Israeli policies of occupation and discrimination. If anything, they have felt more strongly the feelings of forsakenness, knowing full well that many Christians in North America and Europe support without question the state of Israel in its oppression of their people.

Daily experiences of humiliation at checkpoints, of land confiscation to make way for the separation barrier, the illegal occupation and colonization of Palestinian territory, lack of mobility and access to basic services, unemployment, poverty, and no sense of hope for a better future for their children have all contributed to this growing emigration of Palestinian Christians from the historical land of Palestine. As Christians, a basic freedom of religion is denied that prohibits Christians from traveling very short distances to worship in one of the most holy sites in Christianity—the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in the Old City of Jerusalem, where it is believed Jesus was crucified, buried, and rose from the grave.

For the Palestinian Christians of Bethlehem, for example, traveling the six-mile (ten-kilometer) distance to Jerusalem’s Old City is impossible without special permission. Roughly half of Bethlehem’s residents are Christian. Church leaders estimate that over 2,000 Christians have emigrated from the Bethlehem area since September 2000, representing a decline of more than nine percent of Bethlehem’s total Christian population. (For more on these conditions in Bethlehem, see the report from the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and the Office of the Special Coordinator for the Peace Process in the Middle East (UNSCO), “Costs of Conflict: The Changing Face of Bethlehem” (December 2004); online at: http://www.mofa.gov.ps/articals/pdf_files/21-12-04.pdf).

Rev. Alex Awad, Palestinian pastor of the East Jerusalem Baptist Church, reminds us that “Palestinian Christians have existed in the Holy Land since the day of Pentecost and have kept the torch of Christianity burning faithfully for the past two thousand years.” The erosion of Christianity in her birthplace, he poignantly observes “is a loss for the body of Christ everywhere. Can we imagine the Holy Land devoid of the Christian presence and a church which has been a faithful witness for Christ since the day the church was born?” (See Rev. Awad’s article in “Christian Zionism and Peace in the Holy Land,” MCC Peace Office Newsletter 35/3 (July-September 2005); online at: http://mcc.org/peace/pon/PON_2005-03.pdf).

Unfortunately, various reportings of this phenomenon has revealed stereotypes in North America and Europe that continue to see the root socio-economic problem for Palestinian Christians as their Muslim neighbors. It is disconcerting that the portrayal of the Christian absence in Palestine, for example, is often played off as the fault of Muslims and not of the illegal Israeli occupation, as if Muslims are oppressing Christians and that this is the root of the problem for Palestinians. It is the occupation that has made life so difficult that many Christians have moved from Palestine. This continues to be a serious problem, ignored especially by “Christian” tour groups who while visiting the “Holy Land” seldom bother to even come to Bethlehem to see these ancient sites, let alone see these Christian communities and recognize their existence.

These attempts to frame this conflict in such anti-Muslim ways only distracts (often intentionally) from the burden of responsibility that sits squarely on the shoulders of the state of Israel and its intentional violation of international law and the U.S. for its 100 billion dollar financing of this structure of violence and death.

An example of this is a resolution that is currently being circulated around the U.S. House of Representatives claiming to be concerned about the plight of Palestinian Christians and their diminishing presence in Palestine. Yet this resolution makes no mention of the root causes of this conflict but instead blames Palestinians themselves for their own victimhood, grossly misrepresenting this situation and the Palestinian people.

Only recently, while the world watches the unfolding assault on Lebanon and Gaza and the Israeli-caused humanitarian disaster for the millions of people living there, the Israeli military has begun uprooting ancient olive trees in Bethlehem’s Cremisan area, marking out the path of the Separation Wall to be built through one of the regions most valuable heritage sites.

The Cremisan area is of significant heritage value, home to the only winery in Palestine and two monasteries. Some of the finest examples of the regions ancient terraced landscape can be found here. The Wall will carve through these terraces destroying agricultural landscapes that have survived for centuries. When the Wall is completed, Beit Jala district of the Bethlehem area will have lost access to two-thirds of its land.

It is not the Palestinian Muslim population that is responsible for the expropriation of more land for the construction of this 430-mile / 700-kilometer separation barrier. It is not the Palestinian Muslim population that is responsible for the expansion of illegal settlements and the creation of “Greater Jerusalem” depopulated of its Palestinian citizens. It is not the Palestinian Muslim population that is responsible for the checkpoints that obstruct mobility, nor the demolition of homes and other forms of collective punishment. It is not the Palestinian Muslim population that is responsible for the “one big prison” status of Gaza. It is not the Palestinian Muslim population that is responsible for this separation barrier that will become the de facto border of a “Palestinian State” composed of several isolated islands of land on roughly 40 to 50 percent of the West Bank. It is not the Palestinian Muslim population that will be responsible for, absent a viable, contiguous Palestinians state, the “reservation” life that will parallel the Native North American experience in the United States. No, it is the ongoing Israeli structure of occupation and dispossession that continues to devastate Palestinian livelihood.

At a time when the U.S. Congress is considering the plight of Palestinian Christians, they are witnessing the destruction of their community’s land, heritage and livelihood. The people of Bethlehem have been very clear in their message to the international community, “If you want to help us, stop the construction of Israel’s Wall.”

Anyone who lives in this society long enough is aware of tensions that might exist between Christians and Muslims. Palestinians society like any other society in the world is dealing with its own problems. But to focus on this internal tension to the exclusion of other factors is missing the mark and emptying this issue of its context.

It is indeed hard to be Palestinian Christian these days. But it is also hard being a Palestinian Muslim. The fact of the matter is that it is hard simply being a Palestinian.

Attached below is an action alert sent out by MCC’s Washington Office outlining this potential U.S. legislation and providing suggestions for actions on how to respond (which can also be found online at http://www.mcc.org/us/washington/issues/middleeast/index.html). Following this alert is also a list of links for further reading on this issue as well as a list of Church Related Organizations and their websites either working in Palestine or dealing with these issues.

In the midst of such pain and despair, we would ask that you continue to pray for all of the people of this land and that your prayers would lead you to actions of solidarity on their behalf in your home communities.


Peace,

Timothy Seidel
Peace Development Worker
Mennonite Central Committee – Palestine


Attachments and Links:

· MCC Washington Office Action Alert: “Misleading Resolution about Palestinian Christians,” 26 June 2006
· Additional Background Reading
· Additional Information on Christian or Church Related Organizations working in Palestine and the Middle East

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TO: MCC Middle East Advocates
FROM: J. Daryl Byler (MCC Washington Office)
Timothy Seidel (MCC Palestine)
RE: Misleading resolution about Palestinian Christians
DATE: June 26, 2006

Issue
Rep. Joseph Crowley (D-NY) and Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX) have been circulating a “dear colleague” letter in the House of Representatives, seeking co-sponsors for a resolution that purports to be concerned about the plight of Palestinian Christians, but ignores the real causes of their suffering. This misleading bill has not yet been introduced in the House, but already has a number of co-sponsors.

Background
The resolution http://www.cmep.org/documents/
PA_Persecution_of_Christians_Resolution.pdf is based on research by Justus Weiner, an American/Israeli academic at the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs in Israel. It includes many factual inaccuracies and reflects little or no input from local indigenous Palestinian Christians, who do not support the bill.

Rather than focusing on the real reasons that Palestinian Christians (and Muslims) are emigrating -- e.g. daily hardships of living under Israeli occupation; Israel’s separation wall/barrier and expanding settlements, which make it difficult for Palestinians to reach schools, health care facilities, jobs and places of worship -- the resolution accuses the Palestinian Authority of systematically persecuting Palestinian Christians and claims that this is the main reason they are leaving the Holy Land. While the Palestinian Authority does not have an exemplary human rights record, it does not specifically persecute Christians.

The resolution appears to be an attempt to build on the current anti-Palestinian Authority fervor in the U.S. Congress, after Hamas won a majority of seats in Palestinian Legislative Council earlier this year. The House has overwhelmingly passed H.R.4681 – a bill that would avoid contact with and financial support for a Hamas-controlled Palestinian Authority until Hamas meets a long list of conditions. On June 23, the Senate passed a somewhat improved version of the House bill, but MCC still does not view the Senate bill (S.2370) as balanced or helpful. For further details on H.R.4681 and S.2370 visit http://thomas.loc.gov/ and type in the bill number.

Faith reflection
In her book, What is Palestine/Israel?, Sonia K. Weaver quotes Zoughbi Zoughbi, a Palestinian Christian who lives in Bethlehem. Palestinian Christians are “Christians of the cross, awaiting resurrection,” says Zoughbi. He calls for security that comes, not through vengeance, but through a future of peace and justice for Palestinians and Israelis alike.

When Jesus wept over Jerusalem, he lamented that the people did not recognize the things that make for peace (Luke 19:42). In a similar way, bills like H.R. 4681, S.2370 and the Crawley-McCaul resolution do not address root causes of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and therefore will not lead to a just and lasting peace. They will not breathe new life and hope into the Palestinian community, but will only add to its suffering.

Action
Write to your Representative and Senators. Urge them not to co-sponsor the Crowley-McCaul “dear colleague” letter http://www.cmep.org/documents/McCaul-Crowley_Dear_Colleague.htm or any similar version that crops up in the Senate. You may wish to make the following points:

• Any bill that claims to be concerned for the well-being of Palestinian Christians should include the voices of Palestinian Christians.
• Urge members of Congress to take fact-finding trips to the Occupied Territories and meet with Palestinian Christians in their local churches. (Many Palestinian Christians are calling for such trips.)
• Remind them that bills like HR 4681 and S.2370 are likely to have a harmful impact on Palestinian Christians and Muslims.
• Urge members of Congress to call upon both the Israeli government and the Palestinian Authority to uphold human rights and to comply with long-standing U.N. resolutions aimed at transforming the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Visits, e-mails, phone calls, faxes and letters are all good ways to contact your legislators. E-mails, phone calls and faxes are good for time-sensitive issues. Postal mail travels slowly in the Capitol, but letters have long-term impact. Be sure to include your mailing address in all correspondence to confirm your residency in a particular district and state.

For elected officials’ contact information, including the option of sending e-mails, visit the C-SPAN Directory (http://capwiz.com/c-span/dbq/officials).

Visit http://thomas.loc.gov/ for information about any legislation by number (H.R.____/S. ____) or name. Check the Washington Office Voting Record to find your legislators’ votes on key issues. Read the Washington Office Advocacy Handbook for advocacy tips.

We at the Washington Office would be grateful for copies of your correspondence and any responses you receive!

Senator _____
United States Senate Washington, DC 20510
(202) 224-3121
www.senate.gov

Representative _____
House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515
(202) 224-3121
www.house.gov

President _____
The White House
Washington, DC 20500
(202) 456-1111 (202) 456-1414 FAX
file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/Tim/Local%20Settings/Temp/notes34BEBC/president@whitehouse.gov

________________________________


Additional Background Reading

The text of some frequently asked questions or "FAQs on the McCaul/Crowley Resolution and the Situation of Christians in the Holy Land," that clarify somewhat the problems with this resolution, can be found online at: http://www.cmep.org/documents/FAQs_McCaul-Crowley_Resolution_Holy_Land_Christians.pdf.

An update on this legislation as well as the text of a letter from the Patriarchs and Heads of Churches in Jerusalem condemning this resolution and encouraging Congressional leaders to visit the “Holy Land” for themselves can be found online at: http://www.cmep.org/Alerts/2006July6.htm.

The text of a letter from the Network of Christian Organizations in Bethlehem (NCOB, a coalition of 19 Christian organizations, based in Bethlehem, working in different developmental areas and service in and represents different denominations) condemning this resolution can be found online at: http://www.jai-pal.org/content.php?page=331.

The text of an alert sent out by local organization Open Bethlehem can be found online at: http://www.openbethlehem.org/pages/content/index.asp?PageID=58. The text of a letter sent by Leila Sansour, director of Open Bethlehem, to Congressmen McCaul and Crowley, asking them to reconsider this resolution and inviting them to see the situation here in Bethlehem for themselves can also be found online at: http://www.jai-pal.org/content.php?page=328.

The text of a letter from Rev. Michael H. Sellors on behalf of the Patriarchs and Heads of Churches in Jerusalem condemning this resolution can be found online at: http://www.hcef.org/hcef/index.cfm/mod/news/ID/16/
SubMod/NewsView/NewsID/1548.cfm

The text of a response by Salim Munayer (Academic Dean at Bethlehem Bible College and director of the organization Musalaha) on behalf of the "Local Council of Evangelical Churches in the Holy Land" (A grouping of various Evangelical churches including Baptist, Presbyterian, Pentecostal, Church of God and others) to Justus Weiner's book Human Rights of Christians in the Palestinian Society can be found online at: http://www.cmep.org/documents/
Weiner_Response_Munayer_2006.pdf.

The text of an article by Robert Novak titled “Who Harms Holy Land Christians?,” (Washington Post, 3 July 2006), can be found online at: http://www.cmep.org/documents/
Who_Harms_Holy_Land_Christians.htm.

The text of an article titled “HCEF President Sir Rateb Rabie, KCHC response to Reps. McCaul and Crowley,” (HCEF, 28 June 2006), can be found online at: http://www.hcef.org/hcef/index.cfm/mod/news/ID/16/
SubMod/NewsView/NewsID/1550.cfm.

The text of an article titled “Nobody Speaks for Palestinian Christians except Palestinian Christians,” (Media Monitors Network, 28 June 2006), can be found online at: http://usa.mediamonitors.net/content/view/full/31884

The text of an article titled “Fight Erupts in D.C. Over Plight of Palestinian Christians,” (Forward, 23 June 2006), can be found online at: http://www.forward.com/articles/8003.

The text of an article by James Zogby titled “Maybe Congress Should Go Home,” (Jordan Times, 20 June 2006), can be found online at:
http://miftah.org/Display.cfm?DocId=10599&CategoryId=5.

The text of a statement by Naim Ateek, director of the Sabeel Liberation Theology Center in Jerusalem titled "Palestinian Elections: A Christian Perspective" (written for the Joint Advocacy Initiative Magazine of East Jerusalem YMCA and YWCA of Palestine) can be found online at: http://www.sabeel.org/etemplate.php?id=24.

The text of a statement by the Patriarchs and Heads of the Churches in Jerusalem on the Palestinian Elections can be found online at: http://www.jai-pal.org/content.php?page=176.

The text of the 2006 Easter Message by the Patriarchs and Heads of the Churches in Jerusalem can be found online at: http://www.hcef.org/hcef/index.cfm/mod/news/ID/16/
SubMod/NewsView/NewsID/1481.cfm.

The text of an article by Dr. Bernard Sabella titled "Palestinian Christians: Challenges and Hopes" can be found online at: http://www.al-bushra.org/holyland/sabella.htm.

The text of an article by Raja G. Mattar titled "Arab Christians are Arabs" can be found online at: http://www.miftah.org/Display.cfm?DocId=8057&CategoryId=5.

The texts of two article by Robert Novak, the first titled "A Plea for Palestinian Christians" can be found online at: http://www.cmep.org/Alerts/2006May25.htm, and the second titled "Palestinian Christians Suffer Too" can be found online at: http://www.openbethlehem.org/pages/content/index.asp?PageID=55.

The text of an MCC Peace Office Newsletter titled "Christian Zionism and Peace in the Holy Land," dealing with Christian theologies that, from the perspective of Palestinian Christians, are not life-giving but in fact quite the opposite as they nullify and invalidate their very existence in their homeland: http://mcc.org/peace/pon/PON_2005-03.pdf.

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Additional Information on Christian or Church Related Organizations working in Palestine and the Middle East

Sabeel Ecumenical Liberation Theology Center - http://www.sabeel.org/: "Sabeel is an ecumenical grassroots liberation theology movement among Palestinian Christians. Inspired by the life and teaching of Jesus Christ, this liberation theology seeks to deepen the faith of Palestinian Christians, to promote unity among them toward social action. Sabeel strives to develop a spirituality based on love, justice, peace, nonviolence, liberation and reconciliation for the different national and faith communities. The word "Sabeel" is Arabic for ‘the way‘ and also a ‘channel‘ or ‘spring‘ of life-giving water."

Wi'am Palestinian Conflict Resolution Center - http://www.planet.edu/~alaslah/: "Wi'am as a grassroots organization, strives alongside other democratic forces present in the larger Bethlehem community to build a democratic and just society. The Center aims to improve the quality of relationships by: addressing injustices rather than avenging them; dignifying persons on both sides of the conflict; promoting human rights and advocating for peace among all people."

Bethlehem Bible College - http://www.bethlehembiblecollege.edu/: "Bethlehem Bible College is an interdenominational Christian Bible college, located in Bethlehem, Palestine. Bethlehem Bible College seeks to train and prepare Christian servant-leaders for the churches and society within an Arab context who model Christ centeredness, Godly humility, biblical wholeness, creative mercy and justice in their jobs and ministries as life-long learners."

International Center of Bethlehem (ICB) - http://www.annadwa.org/: "The ICB is a Lutheran-based, ecumenically-oriented institution serving the whole Palestinian community. The programs of the Center serve the entire community from “the womb to the tomb”, with an emphasis on children, youth and women. Equipping the local community to assume a proactive role in shaping their future is at the heart of the ICB’s mission. Through empowering the local community, developing human resources, cultivating artistic talents, and facilitating intercultural encounters, the ICB actively promotes the building of Palestinian civil society."

Open Bethlehem - http://www.openbethlehem.org/: "Open Bethlehem is an international project created to save the city of Bethlehem. With headquarters inside Bethlehem University, offices in London and Washington, and working hand-in-hand with all Bethlehem civil institutions, Open Bethlehem is well-placed to keep the city at the forefront of world attention. The city came to world prominence with a message of hope and peace, and brought this message to life by opening their arms to visitors for almost two millennia. In the Twenty-first century, the people of Bethlehem will not live in the shadow of a man-made wall: they will continue to be a beacon of hope."

Holy Land Christian Ecumenical Foundation - http://www.hcef.org/hcef/index.cfm/ID/2.cfm: "Founded in 1999 by an ecumenical group of American Christians to inform American Christians of the plight of Palestinian Christians. It is an organization which 'We seek to replace despair with hope, fear with security, and humiliation with human dignity'"

Middle East Council of Churches - http://www.mec-churches.org/: “The Middle East Council of Churches is a fellowship of churches relating itself to the main stream of the modern ecumenical movement, the same which gave birth to the World Council and other regional ecumenical councils throughout the world. The twelve to fourteen million souls who claim Christ’s name in the Middle East are few in number when compared to the constituents of similar ecumenical associations elsewhere. But being small means that people know each other, and there is a bond of kinship that is rather special. It is no accident, therefore, that the Council chose to organize itself as a family of families—the Eastern Orthodox, the Oriental Orthodox, the Catholic and Protestant families. Each makes its contribution to the witness of all.”

Ecumenical Accompaniment Program in Palestine and Israel (EAPPI) - http://www.eappi.org/: “The EAPPI is an initiative of the World Council of Churches. Its mission is to accompany Palestinians and Israelis in their non-violent actions and concerted advocacy efforts to end the occupation. Participants of the programme are monitoring and reporting violations of human rights and international humanitarian law, supporting acts of non-violent resistance alongside local Christian and Muslim Palestinians and Israeli peace activists, offering protection through non-violent presence, engaging in public policy advocacy and, in general, standing in solidarity with the churches and all those struggling against the occupation.”

Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) - http://www.cmep.org/index.html: "CMEP is a coalition of 21 public policy offices of national churches and agencies -- Orthodox, Catholic and Protestant. CMEP began its work in 1984 out of the conviction that the policy perspectives and long Middle East experience of our member bodies should be more widely known in the public policy arena. We therefore seek to maintain an on-going dialogue with Congress, the Administration and the diplomatic community, to advance such concerns, assessments, and advocacy positions. The work of Churches for Middle East Peace focuses on Washington in the knowledge that sound United States policy is crucial to achieving and maintaining just and stable relationships throughout the Middle East."

Catholic Near East Welfare Association (CNEWA) - http://www.cnewa.org/home-us.aspx: "Founded in 1926 by Pope Pius XI, CNEWA’s mandate is: to support the pastoral mission and institutions of the Eastern Catholic churches; to provide humanitarian assistance to those in need without regard to nationality or creed; to promote Christian unity and interreligious understanding and collaboration; to educate people in the West about the history, cultures, peoples and churches of the East." They have a great survey of Eastern Churches online at http://www.cnewa.org/generalpg-verus.aspx?pageID=182.

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MCC Palestine Prayer Request - 19 July 2006

MCC Palestine Prayer Request

19 July 2006

Dear Friends,

It is another sad morning in this part of the world. To date over 230 Lebanese and 25 Israelis have been killed since the Israeli offensive into Lebanon began last week after two Israeli soldiers were captured by Hizbollah forces and over 100 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since the Israeli offensive into Gaza began three weeks ago after an Israeli soldier was captured on the Gaza-Israel border. This is not to mention the thousands of people injured, traumatized, left homeless or stranded with no place to go, or without adequate water, food, or medical services due to the targeting and destruction of civilian infrastructure.

Below is a personal account from a Lebanese family in southern Lebanon--where Israel has focused the majority of its military attacks and where the people have experienced the most hardship. His name is Bassam and he is has been working with MCC's Lebanon program for over 20 years. All of us in MCC Palestine have gotten to know Bassam on several different occasions over the past years. He always has a smile on his face, always laughing at the jokes we all share with each other.

For those of you in the U.S., please consider calling the White House Comment Line at (202) 456-1111, or for those in Canada, emailing the Prime Minister at pm@pm.gc.ca, to urge the President and Prime Minister to: 1) to cooperate with international diplomatic intervention efforts, calling for an immediate cease fire and using his influence to promote direct talks between Israel and Hamas and Israel and Hezbollah; 2) to work with the Israeli government to restrain their use of military force, which has resulted in civilian deaths and destruction of infrastructure in Lebanon and Gaza that has been disproportionate, creating a humanitarian disaster, and only weakening the Lebanese and Palestinian governments and discouraging hopes for peace in the region; 3) to take an even-handed approach to the conflict--while Israel has been a long-term U.S. ally, it is not helpful to place all the blame on Hezbollah and Hamas. The United States and Israel may label Hezbollah and Hamas as terrorist groups, but many in the region receive social services from these organizations and see them as legitimate resistance movements to Israel’s occupation. For more on how to advocate, please visit http://www.mcc.org/us/washington/issues/middleeast/index.html.

For more information about MCC's response, please visit:

Podcast Interview: Bassam Chamoun from his home in Lebanon
Posted on Monday, July 17, 2006
http://www.dnnradio.com/mcc/archive/32/

Podcast Interview: Ken Seitz on crisis in Lebanon
Posted on Friday, July 14, 2006
http://www.dnnradio.com/mcc/archive/31/

Podcast Interview: Alain Epp Weaver on events in Gaza
Posted on Friday, July 14 2006
http://www.dnnradio.com/mcc/archive/28/

MCC workers in Lebanon prepare for evacuation
July 17, 2006
http://www.mcc.org/news/news/2006/2006-07-17_bassamchamoun.html

Helping Palestinian children and families cope with trauma
July 13, 2006
http://www.mcc.org/news/news/2006/2006-07-13_gaza.html

Please keep Bassam, his wife and their three children and all of those suffering from violence and fear in Lebanon, Gaza and the West Bank, and Israel in your prayers today. Specifically, please pray: for an end to the violence; for safety and protection for all people; for open access to needed services--food, water and medicine; for strength, courage and persistence for peacemakers; for wisdom, courage and compassion on the part of world leaders; and for attention to the deeper systemic causes of the violence.

Pray that all the people of this land would know a peace born of justice and security and that we all would seek "the things that make for peace" (Luke 19:42).


Peace

_______________________________
Christi and Timothy Seidel
Peace Development Workers
Mennonite Central Committee - Palestine


http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/5188732.stm

Lebanese residents 'scared to go'

Bassam Shamoun is a charity worker living with his wife and three children in southern Lebanon.

His village, Ansar, is 12km west of the town of Nabatiyeh, in an area which has been targeted in Israeli bombing raids. Here he describes the conditions:

Life here is miserable, especially for the families who have kids. They were just starting their summer holidays - and now life has changed dramatically.

We're all going through a lot of stress, fear and uncertainty.

Nothing has been hit in our village yet, but the village next to us has been hit. Right now I can hear the planes and the bombs, really loud. It's very scary for the children.

Afraid

We are isolated, we can't get to Sidon, Tyre or Beirut. We can't even get to Nabatiyeh - the road was hit yesterday.

Today we were thinking about leaving for Beirut. We started to pack, but then we heard about some cars that had been attacked on the road to Beirut, so we decided not to go.

The roads are so dangerous, many people have lost their lives on them. People are afraid to travel - but they are also afraid if they stay in their houses.

For me this is difficult because I lost my brother on the road in 1984, during the civil war, when he was trying to escape from one place to another. His car was hit and he was killed.

I have three children, aged 18, 15 and 12. I can see the stress in them.

Last night none of us could sleep. We just stay in the house.

When we see what those bombs are doing we don't think there's anywhere that's safe. This area is not prepared for bombings, there are no bomb shelters.

We feel there's nothing we can do. We feel hopeless.

Tranquilisers

We have had no power for the last few days, which is very unusual here. There is no landline or e-mail access, though we still have cell phones operating.

We are able to get food at the moment - bread comes from another village, but you don't know how long food supplies will last.

Everybody's nervous and afraid. Today I saw one of the local doctors, he said most people in the village are taking tranquilisers.

During the day we try to be with our neighbours, who have children of the same age, so that the children can be away from the pressure.

At this moment my 12-year-old son is playing outside on his bicycle. But he has a small radio on his bike and he won't stop listening to what's happening, even if I tell him to turn it off.

The adults are following the news on television, but sometimes we get so depressed we can't watch anymore, so we just sit and talk.

But the main topic is the situation - trying to analyse what will happen. We try to avoid it but we can't.

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/middle_east/5188732.stm

Published: 2006/07/17 16:29:38 GMT


***

MCC Palestine Update #124

MCC Palestine Update #124

14 July 2006

Dear Friends,

The situation in Gaza continues to deteriorate as Israeli forces escalate their offensive against the Palestinian people. Only the night before last, Israeli military shelling led to the destruction of the facilities of the Palestinian Authority foreign ministry as well as the home of a Palestinian family in Gaza City leading to the deaths of nine Palestinians, including seven children, all from the same family. MCC continues to monitor the situation and maintain contact with our partners in Gaza. We continue to hear from our friends there that this recent campaign by the Israeli military is having devastating effects across the Gaza Strip. Within the past week, the Israeli military began another phase of their offensive, moving into the regions of southern Gaza, where MCC partner the Culture and Free Thought Association (CFTA; http://www.palnet.com/~cfta/) operates, positioning itself in central Gaza in a manner that cuts the Gaza Strip in half. And early yesterday morning, following the capture of two Israeli soldiers by the Lebanese group Hezbollah, Israeli forces have imposed a sea and air blockade on Lebanon, fired on the airport in Beirut and the main road leading to Damascus, and shelled targets in southern Lebanon that has already led to the deaths of over sixty Lebanese civilians.

The targeting of Gaza’s civilian infrastructure (electricity, water, etc.) only hurts the civilian population and is a completely unacceptable response by the state of Israel. With much of the water supply and sewage system dependent on electricity, this damage to civilian infrastructure raises serious medical concerns and unmasks this campaign of collective punishment of the Palestinian people—actions clearly in violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention, to which Israeli is a signatory—as a predictable and uncreative display of Israeli military might over and against 1.5 million poor Palestinians (eighty percent of whom live in poverty). And with some eighty Palestinians killed, Gaza's children severely traumatized, and half of Gaza's population without reliable electricity since Operation “Summer Rain” began two and a half weeks ago, the disproportionality of the Israeli military response only underscores its unacceptability.

The main reason that the humanitarian situation in Gaza is such an issue is because the people there live as prisoners in what is essentially the world's largest open-air prison. Since Israel’s “disengagement” last year, the Palestinian people have had no control over movement in and out of Gaza, no control over borders (land, sea, or air), no open access to needed services and viable economic opportunity, and live constantly under the threat of Israeli military incursions, shelling, and “targeted assassinations” that leave entire Palestinian families murdered in the streets. As the occupying power, Israel has certain obligations under international law in regards to the Palestinian people. Israel has completely shirked this responsibility and left the burden of responding to the needs of one of the most densely populated areas on earth—the great majority of whom being refugees—to the international community, creating a situation that does not provide the opportunity for a prosperous future but only just prevents Gaza from slipping into humanitarian disaster on a daily basis. With the reality of this context in mind, one can begin to understand why Gaza was in such a devastated state immediately after the Israeli military began its offensive and why humanitarian access is critical at this point.

Here are some recent MCC news releases on the unfolding situation (for the most part, these links can also be found on MCC’s Palestine website at http://www.mcc.org/palestine/ along with links to other resources; the link below to a report by aid agencies in the OPT includes a statement to which MCC signed):

Helping Palestinian children and families cope with trauma
Tim Shenk
July 13, 2006
http://www.mcc.org/news/news/2006/2006-07-13_gaza.html

Aid organizations call for access to Gaza civilians
July 12, 2006
http://www.mcc.org/news/news/2006/2006-07-12_gazaaccess.html

Aid Agencies in OPT: Civilians in Gaza in Need of Protection
July 7, 2006
http://english.wafa.ps/body.asp?id=6796

MCC monitoring situation in Lebanon, workers safe
July 12, 2006
http://www.mcc.org/news/news/2006/2006-07-12_lebanon.html

MCC monitoring deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza
Gladys Terichow
June 30, 2006
http://www.mcc.org/news/news/2006/2006-06-30_gaza.html

Prayer for Gaza
Esther Epp-Thiessen
July 5, 2006
http://www.mcc.org/news/news/2006/2006-07-05_gazaprayer.html

In Canada - Letter to the Prime Minister
July 5, 2006
http://www.mcc.org/news/news/2006/2006-07-05_lettertoPM.html

Also, here is one opportunity to offer your support. It is one of MCC’s Global Family Programs in Khan Younis in southern Gaza where the Culture and Free Thought Association works with the children of the refugee camps:

MCC Global Family Programs in Palestine
Shoroq wa-Amal (Sunrise and Hope) Children's Club
http://www.mcc.org/globalfamily/projects/middleeast/palestine/
shoroq.html

MCC continues to monitor the situation in conversation with our partners, seeking effective ways to respond. And we continue to pray for a justpeace for all the people of this land.

God of love,

We know you hear the cries of those who long for peace and for security. And so today we join our voices with those of the people of Palestine and Israel.

We pray for Israelis. We pray for the families of those soldiers who were killed last week — may they be comforted. We pray for Cpl. Gilad Shalit, the soldier who was captured — may he be released in safety. And we pray for Israeli government leaders who are planning their response — may they seek diplomatic rather than further military solutions to the current crisis. We pray that they might end their violence and address the underlying causes of the conflict. We pray for all Israelis — may they know and experience true security.

We pray for Palestinians, and in particular, we pray for the people of Gaza. We pray for the children and young people — may their fears be calmed. We pray for the women — may there be food, water and medicine to care for their families. We pray for the men — may there be safety and protection for their loved ones. We pray for the militants and others who choose violent ways to call attention to their plight — may they learn the power of nonviolence. We pray for all Palestinians — that their cries for justice may be heard.

O God, your son Jesus once walked the beautiful and broken land of Palestine. May his spirit of peace touch the lives of all those who call this land their home today.

In Christ’s name,

Amen


Peace,

Timothy Seidel

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Christi and Timothy Seidel
Peace Development Workers
Mennonite Central Committee - Palestine


Attachments and Links:
· “Christian Churches in Jerusalem: Stop the violence and pursue a just peace!,” Maan News Agency, 8 July 2006
· Simon Tisdall, “Bush's indifference drives conflict,” The Guardian, 14 July 2006
· Ahdaf Soueif, “Only sanctions will stop this brutal campaign,” The Guardian, 13 July 2006
· Tanya Reinhart, “What are they fighting for,” Occupation Magazine, 13 July 2006
· “Palestinian injuries suggest Israel is using chemical weapons in Gaza,” Maan News Agency, 11 July 2006
· Ismail Haniyeh, “Aggression Under False Pretenses,” Washington Post, 11 July 2006
· Gideon Levy, “Who started?,” Haaretz, 9 July 2006
· Ghassan Khatib, “Consequences of failed politics,” Haaretz, 6 July 2006
· Gideon Levy, “A black flag,” Haaretz, 3 July 2006
· Rev. Dr. Mitri Raheb, “Two Invasions, One Reasoning,” Annadwa.org, 30 June 2006

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Maan News Agency
Christian Churches in Jerusalem: Stop the violence and pursue a just peace!

8 July 2006

"Justice is turned back, and righteousness stands at a distance; for truth stumbles in the public square, and uprightness cannot enter. Truth is lacking, and whoever turns from evil is despoiled. The Lord saw it, and it displeased him that there was no justice. He saw that there was no one, and was appalled that there was no one to intervene.” (Isaiah 59: 14-16)

The Israeli violence and aggression of this present moment is without proportion or justification.
An Israeli soldier was taken prisoner in combat. A Jewish settler was kidnapped and killed. As a response, Israeli forces destroy three bridges and a power station, causing millions of dollars in damage and leaving up to 750 000 people without electricity or water in Gaza.

Moreover, Israeli forces abducted 84 people, among them 7 Cabinet Ministers and 21 members of the Palestinian Legislative Council. This comes after a week in which 48 Palestinians were killed, including 27 innocent civilians. The horrific statistic includes nine children and a pregnant woman.

Today, we Christian heads of the Churches in Jerusalem, say," Events in our land are against law and reason. It is our duty as religious leaders to keep saying this to the authorities. It is against law and reason that you remain on and you keep us on the ways of death. “The Lord saw it, and it displeased him that there was no justice. He saw that there was no one, and was appalled that there was no one to intervene. (Isaiah 59: 16)

We condemn the abduction of the Israeli soldier, the killing of the settler youth, as we condemn the daily abduction and killing of dozens of Palestinians as well as the incarceration of thousands of them in prisons. All human beings, Israelis and Palestinians, have the same dignity and must be treated equally. All violence and aggression against human dignity, whether Israeli or Palestinian must stop.

Our suffering, both Israeli and Palestinian, will end when the truth on both sides is recognized. The right of Israel to have security must be recognized. At the same time, there must be recognition that the core of the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians arises from the deprivation of freedom to the Palestinian people. We firmly support the fight against terrorism, but we remind equally firmly that this fight begins by eradicating the root cause of all violence, which is the deprivation of the freedom of the Palestinian people.

It is against law and reason to keep following the way of death. The moral imperative is clear. Stop all the violence. Stop the killing. Protect the life and dignity of people. Begin negotiations. Break this murderous chain of violence in which we are all ensnared. And listen to God's call, "Depart from evil and do good, seek peace and pursue it. " (Psalm 33:15)

Things have gone too far. We call on the international community to intervene and insist on a diplomatic solution to this conflict. All authorities must change course, and with unflinching international pressure and presence, must be negotiations in to reach a just and definitive peace. "What does the Lord require of you...To do Justice, love kindness and walk humbly with your God." ( Micah 6:8)

Please read more at http://www.maannews.net/en/index.php?opr=ShowDetails&ID=12921

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The Guardian
Bush's indifference drives conflict Simon Tisdall
14 July 2006

Israel's assault on Lebanon, following Hizbullah's cross-border raid on Wednesday and weeks of unremitting bloodshed in Gaza, brought demands yesterday for international action to contain the crisis and mediate an end to the fighting. But the US, with its unmatched influence over Israel and as self-appointed guardian of the Middle East peace process, appeared reluctant to intervene.

Lebanon's appeal for the UN security council to step in is supported by most Arab governments and by France, Lebanon's former colonial master and the current security council president.

But the council has been vainly trying for a fortnight to agree a resolution on Gaza, with the US threatening to use its veto in defence of Israel. A consensus on the more complicated, fast-moving crisis now engulfing Lebanon is thus unlikely.

Other international bodies with pretensions to global peacemaking, such as Nato and the EU - part of the Middle East "quartet" - are currently reduced to the role of concerned bystanders. Russia says it will table the issue at this weekend's St Petersburg G8 summit. But that may only serve to underscore international divisions.

George Bush's administration warned yesterday of the dangers of destabilising Lebanon. But it otherwise made no serious attempt to curb Israel's offensive. Its spokesmen stuck instead to their favoured hands-off formula: "We are urging restraint on both sides [while] recognising Israel's right to defend itself," said a senior US official accompanying the president in Germany.

Please read more at http://www.guardian.co.uk/israel/Story/0,,1820121,00.html

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The Guardian
Only sanctions will stop this brutal campaign
Ahdaf Soueif

13 July 2006

Yet nothing in the official world of politics reflects the popular will. Israel continues to enjoy favoured-nation status with a Europe that starves the Palestinians for electing Hamas. We, the citizens, busy ourselves raising funds for medical equipment, collecting books and signing appeals while the Israeli army picks off a few kids in Gaza, blows off a few limbs in Jenin, knocks down a few houses in Nablus - and offers funds and freshly stolen West Bank land to Jewish settlers recently evacuated from Gaza.

Three hundred British Jews have signed a letter strongly condemning Israel's actions. But we are all made complicit by the failure of our governments to act to stop Israel's barbarous campaign against the Palestinians. British Arabs feel doubly compromised as the world registers, yet again, the spineless behaviour of the Arab governments.

Since the capture of the Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit by Palestinian fighters, Israel has killed 60 Palestinians. The Gaza Strip is virtually inaccessible to foreigners, and there are reports Israel will soon close off the West Bank as well. Yesterday, in what appears to be an attempt to take the heat off Gaza, Hizbullah in south Lebanon attacked Israeli border posts and captured two soldiers. It is only a matter of time before things escalate. At the heart of it all is Israel's persecution of the Palestinians.

It's time to help the Palestinians not just survive within the parameters of Israeli policy, but to save them from Israel's brutal plan; to save Israel from itself; and to save the world from the effects of the terrible sorrow and anger that is the response of millions to the Palestinian anguish. It's time to make Israel face up to what it is and what it wants to become. It's time for sanctions.

Please read more at http://www.guardian.co.uk/israel/comment/0,,1819072,00.html

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Occupation Magazine
What are they fighting for
Tanya Reinhart

13 July 2006

Whatever may be the fate of the captive soldier Gilad Shalit, the Israeli army’s war in Gaza is not about him. As senior security analyst Alex Fishman widely reported, the army was preparing for an attack months earlier and was constantly pushing for it, with the goal of destroying the Hamas infrastructure and its government…Since ending the occupation is the one thing Israel is not willing to consider, the option promoted by the army is breaking the Palestinians by devastating brutal force. They should be starved, bombarded, terrorized with sonic booms for months, until they understand that rebelling is futile, and accepting prison life is their only hope for staying alive. Their elected political system, institutions and police should be destroyed. In Israel`s vision, Gaza should be ruled by gangs collaborating with the prison wards. The Israeli army is hungry for war. It would not let concerns for captive soldiers stand in its way. Since 2002 the army has argued that an “operation” along the lines of “Defensive Shield” in Jenin was also necessary in Gaza. Exactly a year ago, on 15 July (before the Disengagement), the army concentrated forces on the border of the Strip for an offensive of this scale on Gaza. But then the USA imposed a veto. Rice arrived for an emergency visit that was described as acrimonious and stormy, and the army was forced to back down (3). Now, the time has finally came. With the Islamophobia of the American Administration at a high point, it appears that the USA is prepared to authorize such an operation, on condition that it not provoke a global outcry with excessively-reported attacks on civilians.(4) With the green light for the offensive given, the army`s only concern is public image. Fishman reported this Tuesday that the army is worried that `what threatens to burry this huge military and diplomatic effort` is reports of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Hence, the army would take care to let some food into Gaza. (5) From this perspective, it is necessary to feed the Palestinians in Gaza so that it would be possible to continue to kill them undisturbed.

Please read more at http://www.kibush.co.il/show_file.asp?num=15099

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Maan News Agency
Palestinian injuries suggest Israel is using chemical weapons in Gaza

11 July 2006

The Palestinian ministry of health revealed on Monday that the Israeli army has used a new type of explosive in its offensive on the Gaza Strip. These explosives contain toxics and radioactive materials which burn and tear the victim's body from the inside and leave long term deformations.

The ministry called upon the international community and the humanitarian organizations to send an international medical community to examine the victims and confirm the truth about these banned weapons that Israel appears to be using.

The ministry showed that most of the injuries which the hospitals receive result from huge explosions which cause burning and severing of limbs, including the inner parts of the body. This causes long term deformations.

It is added that doctors in Gaza have been forced to amputate limbs of at least 12 injured Palestinians as a result of injuries sustained in the current Israeli offensive on the Strip.

Please read more at http://www.maannews.net/en/index.php?opr=ShowDetails&ID=13044

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Washington Post
Aggression Under False Pretenses
Ismail Haniyeh

11 July 2006

As Americans commemorated their annual celebration of independence from colonial occupation, rejoicing in their democratic institutions, we Palestinians were yet again besieged by our occupiers, who destroy our roads and buildings, our power stations and water plants, and who attack our very means of civil administration. Our homes and government offices are shelled, our parliamentarians taken prisoner and threatened with prosecution.

The current Gaza invasion is only the latest effort to destroy the results of fair and free elections held early this year. It is the explosive follow-up to a five-month campaign of economic and diplomatic warfare directed by the United States and Israel. The stated intention of that strategy was to force the average Palestinian to "reconsider" her vote when faced with deepening hardship; its failure was predictable, and the new overt military aggression and collective punishment are its logical fulfillment. The "kidnapped" Israeli Cpl. Gilad Shalit is only a pretext for a job scheduled months ago.

In addition to removing our democratically elected government, Israel wants to sow dissent among Palestinians by claiming that there is a serious leadership rivalry among us. I am compelled to dispel this notion definitively. The Palestinian leadership is firmly embedded in the concept of Islamic shura , or mutual consultation; suffice it to say that while we may have differing opinions, we are united in mutual respect and focused on the goal of serving our people. Furthermore, the invasion of Gaza and the kidnapping of our leaders and government officials are meant to undermine the recent accords reached between the government party and our brothers and sisters in Fatah and other factions, on achieving consensus for resolving the conflict. Yet Israeli collective punishment only strengthens our collective resolve to work together.

As I inspect the ruins of our infrastructure -- the largess of donor nations and international efforts all turned to rubble once more by F-16s and American-made missiles -- my thoughts again turn to the minds of Americans. What do they think of this?

They think, doubtless, of the hostage soldier, taken in battle -- yet thousands of Palestinians, including hundreds of women and children, remain in Israeli jails for resisting the illegal, ongoing occupation that is condemned by international law. They think of the pluck and "toughness" of Israel, "standing up" to "terrorists." Yet a nuclear Israel possesses the 13th-largest military force on the planet, one that is used to rule an area about the size of New Jersey and whose adversaries there have no conventional armed forces. Who is the underdog, supposedly America's traditional favorite, in this case?

I hope that Americans will give careful and well-informed thought to root causes and historical realities, in which case I think they will question why a supposedly "legitimate" state such as Israel has had to conduct decades of war against a subject refugee population without ever achieving its goals.

Please read more at http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/07/10/AR2006071001108.html

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Haaretz
Who started?
Gideon Levy

9 July 2006

Israel left Gaza only partially, and in a distorted manner. The disengagement plan, which was labeled with fancy titles like "partition" and "an end to the occupation," did result in the dismantling of settlements and the Israel Defense Forces' departure from Gaza, but it did almost nothing to change the living conditions for the residents of the Strip. Gaza is still a prison and its inhabitants are still doomed to live in poverty and oppression. Israel closes them off from the sea, the air and land, except for a limited safety valve at the Rafah crossing. They cannot visit their relatives in the West Bank or look for work in Israel, upon which the Gazan economy has been dependent for some 40 years. Sometimes goods can be transported, sometimes not. Gaza has no chance of escaping its poverty under these conditions. Nobody will invest in it, nobody can develop it, nobody can feel free in it. Israel left the cage, threw away the keys and left the residents to their bitter fate. Now, less than a year after the disengagement, it is going back, with violence and force.

What could otherwise have been expected? That Israel would unilaterally withdraw, brutally and outrageously ignoring the Palestinians and their needs, and that they would silently bear their bitter fate and would not continue to fight for their liberty, livelihood and dignity? We promised a safe passage to the West Bank and didn't keep the promise. We promised to free prisoners and didn't keep the promise. We supported democratic elections and then boycotted the legally elected leadership, confiscating funds that belong to it, and declaring war on it. We could have withdrawn from Gaza through negotiations and coordination, while strengthening the existing Palestinian leadership, but we refused to do so. And now, we complain about "a lack of leadership?" We did everything we could to undermine their society and leadership, making sure as much as possible that the disengagement would not be a new chapter in our relationship with the neighboring nation, and now we are amazed by the violence and hatred that we sowed with our own hands…

We started. We started with the occupation, and we are duty-bound to end it, a real and complete ending. We started with the violence. There is no violence worse than the violence of the occupier, using force on an entire nation, so the question about who fired first is therefore an evasion meant to distort the picture. After Oslo, too, there were those who claimed that "we left the territories," in a similar mixture of blindness and lies.

Gaza is in serious trouble, ruled by death, horror and daily difficulties, far from the eyes and hearts of Israelis. We are only shown the Qassams. We only see the Qassams. The West Bank is still under the boot of occupation, the settlements are flourishing, and every limply extended hand for an agreement, including that of Ismail Haniyeh, is immediately rejected. And after all this, if someone still has second thoughts, the winning answer is promptly delivered: "They started." They started and justice is on our side, while the fact is that they did not start and justice is not with us.

Please read more at http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/736009.html

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Haaretz
Consequences of failed politics
Ghassan Khatib

6 July 2006

The dramatic Palestinian attack on an Israeli military post on the border with the Gaza Strip did not come as much of a surprise to anybody. On the contrary, it represented the gradual and consistent escalation of violence that has been witnessed since the unilateral Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip and the subsequent siege that was imposed on Gazans.

And while, as usual, both sides have been blaming each other, the overwhelming weight of responsibility lies at Israel's door. Israeli violence, not just in the Gaza Strip but in the West Bank, has been steadily increasing. Assassinations and arrests often ending in killings, often of civilians, have been increasing and a months-long campaign of constant artillery fire has blighted Gazans' lives.

This violence has come in tandem with an Israeli siege that almost hermetically sealed off Gaza from the outside world and shut the door in the face of any chance that Gazans' lives and livelihoods might improve after the withdrawal. On the contrary, according to all relevant international agencies, especially the World Bank, the siege caused a sharp economic deterioration and poverty and unemployment rose dramatically as a result. The siege, furthermore, was in direct contravention to bilateral agreements that sought to avoid exactly such an eventuality.

Israel wanted to have its cake and eat it too. Starting from the time of former Prime Minister Ehud Barak, Israel did not want to continue with the implementation of the peace process, and since then Israel has shown no interest in bilateral negotiations on the basis of international legality. Instead, successive Israeli governments have pursued a unilateral strategy, a strategy that is about Israeli behavior to achieve Israeli interests with no regard for international legality and certainly not for the Palestinian side. At the same time, Israel expected the other side to abide by the rules of a game that was created by the peace process.

Please read more at http://www.guardian.co.uk/israel/Story/0,,1808456,00.html

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Haaretz
A black flag
Gideon Levy

3 July 2006

A black flag hangs over the "rolling" operation in Gaza. The more the operation "rolls," the darker the flag becomes. The "summer rains" we are showering on Gaza are not only pointless, but are first and foremost blatantly illegitimate. It is not legitimate to cut off 750,000 people from electricity. It is not legitimate to call on 20,000 people to run from their homes and turn their towns into ghost towns. It is not legitimate to penetrate Syria's airspace. It is not legitimate to kidnap half a government and a quarter of a parliament.

A state that takes such steps is no longer distinguishable from a terror organization. The harsher the steps, the more monstrous and stupid they become, the more the moral underpinnings for them are removed and the stronger the impression that the Israeli government has lost its nerve. Now one must hope that the weekend lull, whether initiated by Egypt or the prime minister, and in any case to the dismay of Channel 2's Roni Daniel and the IDF, will lead to a radical change…

Collective punishment is illegitimate and it does not have a smidgeon of intelligence. Where will the inhabitants of Beit Hanun run? With typical hardheartedness the military reporters say they were not "expelled" but that it was "recommended" they leave, for the benefit, of course, of those running for their lives. And what will this inhumane step lead to? Support for the Israeli government? Their enlistment as informants and collaborators for the Shin Bet? Can the miserable farmers of Beit Hanun and Beit Lahia do anything about the Qassam rocket-launching cells? Will bombing an already destroyed airport do anything to free the soldier or was it just to decorate the headlines?

Did anyone think about what would have happened if Syrian planes had managed to down one of the Israeli planes that brazenly buzzed their president's palace? Would we have declared war on Syria? Another "legitimate war"? Will the blackout of Gaza bring down the Hamas government or cause the population to rally around it? And even if the Hamas government falls, as Washington wants, what will happen on the day after? These are questions for which nobody has any real answers. As usual here: Quiet, we're shooting. But this time we are not only shooting. We are bombing and shelling, darkening and destroying, imposing a siege and kidnapping like the worst of terrorists and nobody breaks the silence to ask, what the hell for, and according to what right?

Please read more at http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/pages/ShArt.jhtml?itemNo=733427

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Annadwa.org
Two Invasions, One Reasoning
Rev. Dr. Mitri Raheb

30 June 2006

What is the common denominator between the decision of the Israeli military to invade the West Bank in March 2002, and their decision to invade Gaza this week? One could certainly find many similarities between “Operation Defensive Shield” that brought the Israeli troupes into Ramallah, Bethlehem and other West Bank cities in 2002 and “Operation Summer Rains” that got the Israeli military this week into Gaza. One of the most important things is not what both operations are trying to tell the Palestinians, but what they are trying to hide. What both have in common is that they are trying to distract the attention of the Israeli population and the world at large from two very important peace offers…

On June 27th 2006, the diverse Palestinian parties including Hamas announced reaching an agreement based on the “Prisoners’ Document” calling for a Palestinian state within the 1967 borders, limiting the resistance within these borders and recognizing the previous accords. It seems to me that Israel does not fear anything as much as a “peace offer”. The two invasions had therefore the aim of creating such stormy conditions, so that diplomacy can continue only to focus on managing an escalating conflict rather than on seizing the opportunity and momentum for a true peacemaking. In both contexts, the world was arguing “only if” the Arabs will state their willingness to peace with Israel so clearly; and “only if” the Palestinians will speak with one voice for a two state solution side by side with Israel, then Israel will have no excuses. Yet when the Arab states spoke in clear text and when the Palestinians articulated their goals in a unified manner, there was no one listening because Israel had just created such a massive invasion to keep everyone busy enough so as not to concentrate on the real issue of reaching a comprehensive peace but rather on defusing a waging conflict. It is thus high time to refocus again by combining the offer presented at the Peace Summit in 2002 and the agreement reached in Gaza this week, which should be brought back into attention and presented on the table. There is a last chance for peace waiving at the horizon, if there is a will by the international community to grab it.

Please read more at http://www.annadwa.org/articles/two_invasions.htm

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