Tag: Zionism

“Why Young American Jews are Turning on Israel”

One important fact that the mainstream media will not tell you about the current anti-war protests condemning Israel’s assault on Palestinians in Gaza is that many of the leaders and participants are Jewish Americans.

Two important Jewish organizations — If Not Now and Jewish Voice for Peace — are leading the way in these student protests.

Remember this the next time you hear someone accuse these protests of being “antisemitic.”

They are not anti-semitic. That is a standard Zionist lie used to distract from the real issues.

Rather, they are anti-war, anti-genocide, pro-Palestinian, pro-humanity.

Simone Zimmermann is a young Jewish woman, and cofounder of the Jewish organization IfNotNow, who is also one of the creators of the important, recent film Israelism. I encourage everyone to watch this story of how an increasing number of young Jewish Americans are turning away from Zionism and embracing the just cause of Palestinian liberation.

Rob Dalrymple: “When Injustice Isn’t Injustice and Justice is Injustice”

Several  months ago Christianity Today produced a video series intended to justify Israel’s war against the people of Gaza.

My friend, Dr. Rob Dalrymple, has watched these videos and in the  process

Gaza’s Al Shifa hospital after it’s destruction by Israel

of writing a series of responses to these heavily prejudiced productions.

Rob’s second post is titled “When Injustice Isn’t Injustice and Justice is Injustice.” I encourage you to read both posts. Below is a brief excerpt from post number two:

As the church, we are called to cry out against injustice. We are to weep with those who suffer injustices. We are to condemn those who commit injustice. And we are to demand justice; especially for the sake of the oppressed.

Yet, when it comes to the actions of Israel we get a little uneasy. (Even this last sentence is sure to ruffle some feathers).

When the conversation turns to Israel and its assault on Gaza, some unwritten (though they are practically written on stone) rules are invoked before the conversation is allowed to proceed.

First, there must be an unequivocal condemnation of Hamas. Check.

This includes their attack on Oct 7 and their stated goal of annihilating Israel. Check.

Second, there must be a complete acknowledgment of Israel’s existential fear of annihilation. Check

Third, there must be a condemnation of antisemitism. Check.

Once these boxes are all checked, the conversation may continue.

You can read the entire post here.

Here Is Why Israel’s Actions Only Ensure Endless Bloodshed

The three short videos all speak for themselves. Please watch and pray.

 

 

American Doctors Describe the Egregious Suffering of Palestinian Children in Gaza

Democracy Now recently interviewed two US doctors who have just returned from working in a hospital in Gaza. The interview includes photos and video of their patients.

The injuries are horrific, made more horrific by the lack of medicines and equipment.

Children’s bodies mangled with shrapnel from cluster bombs and debris are hard to forget.

“If I worked 12 hours a day, 7 days a week, it would be less than a drop in the ocean of what is needed,” one doctor said.

Please, don’t turn away from these mangled, young bodies. They are being shredded and killed by American weaponry purchased with our tax dollars.

Genocides proceed, in part, because regular people turn away.

Watch the interview with images below:

Introducing the “Christian Forum on Israel-Palestine”

You know the old maxim, “If you want something done right, then do it yourself.”

Or, if you can’t do it all by yourself, then connect with a powerhouse group of dear friends who all share a common vision and do it together. It’s a lot more fun that way to work with highly competent friends who all want to work for the same goals.

This is the origin story of a new group that I am a part of that is creating a new podcast dealing with the violent, tragic — now genocidal —  relationship existing between Israel and the Palestinian people.

The group’s name is “Christian Forum on Israel-Palestine.” Posted below is our first video were we introduce ourselves and briefly explain what we hope to accomplish in the coming months.

We are currently making arrangements to interview an important Israeli historian and activist (I will keep his name a secret for now) who will offer an insightful, vital  introduction to the history of Israeli-Palestinian violence.

If you want to know who he is, then be sure to subscribe and come back!

I urge you to visit our YouTube page and press the subscribe button. You will not want to miss any upcoming conversations.

Here is the channel’s official description:

This channel promotes understanding about Israel-Palestine, by hosting conversations with scholars, activists, and people directly affected by events in the Holy Land. Each episode elevates an important voice, explores contrasting perspectives, and shares insights that we think are urgently needed. We want to challenge stereotypes, dismantle barriers, and humanize everyone involved. Rather than defend a single narrative, we encourage critical thinking and informed engagement with the complexities of Israel-Palestine. Join us as we imagine for the Muslims, Jews, and Christians of Israel-Palestine a future based on justice, equality, and dignity.

Check out our introduction below:

 

 

A Holocaust Survivor Protests Israel’s Genocide in Gaza

This gentleman shares a number of crucial insights into Israel’s manipulation of Holocaust memory, and the distinction between anti-Zionism and antisemitism.

If only everyone were as wise as he.

“Kill Them All”: An Israeli Child’s Words as She Helps to Block Humanitarian Aid to Gaza

Israeli civilians are gathering daily, with the help of the Israeli military, to prevent humanitarian aid trucks from reaching Gaza.

Publicly Israel insists that it has removed the obstacles to aid distribution. Don’t you believe. They have recently forbidden all aid from entering northern Gaza. Now it is being blocked in the south.

Palestinian children are literally dying of starvation. Yet, over the decades, Palestinians have been so terribly, so thoroughly, dehumanized in the eyes of Israeli Jews that even children are happy to see them starve to death.

It’s horrific. And it’s true.

Listen to Drs. Darrell Bock and Rob Dalrymple Discuss the Outrage of Oct. 7 and Gaza

Both of these guys are friends of mine. I am a member of the discussion group they both mention. Darrell Bock is a Zionist and supporter of Israel. Rob Dalrymple is a non-Zionist and critic of Israel.

Here is a great example of how two brothers in Christ can disagree amicably while holding very different positions on an important subject — Israel’s assault against Gaza.

It makes for a very interesting conversation.

After the video, I make a few comments below to further nuance the conversation in ways that I thought could be helpful.

  • I notice that Darrell prioritizes Israel’s ostensible, divine right to the land over and above anyone else’s claims to the land as their home. I cannot agree with this decision for a number of reasons, both theological and practical.
  • Darrell wants to date the beginning of the Gaza trajedy to October 7. This is another example of what I call “APR time,” that is “After Palestinians Respond.” October 7 did not occur in a vacuum. The members of Hamas were responding to a very long history of Israeli antagonism. It was a response — yes, a terrorist response, but a response nonetheless — to Israel’s prior oppression.
  • The weight of the current problems cannot all be layed at the feet of Hamas. Yes, Hamas is bad news. But these hostilities existed long before Hamas came into the picture. They are now a major factor, but cannot be seen as the principle cause of today’s conflict in Gaza.
  • I am not a scholar of Hamas, but I will note that the Hamas charter (revised in 2017) does NOT call for the elimination of Israel, as so many seem to believe. You can read the full charter here. I agree with much of it, although I definitely do not endorse Hamas Islamicism. However, for the sake of fairness and honesty, I must point out articles 16 and 20 of the charter: 16. Hamas affirms that its conflict is with the Zionist project not with the Jews because of their religion. Hamas does not wage a struggle against the Jews because they are Jewish but wages a struggle against the Zionists who occupy Palestine. Yet, it is the Zionists who constantly identify Judaism and the Jews with their own colonial project and illegal entity. 20. . . . Hamas considers the establishment of a fully sovereign and independent Palestinian state, with Jerusalem as its capital along the lines of the 4th of June 1967 . . . 
  • Notice two important points: Hamas condemns Zionism (as do I) NOT Judaism. It is an anti-Zionist movement; it is not promoting antisemitism, per se.
  • Secondly, the charter calls for a Palestinian state with its western border along the Green Line, the 1967 armistice border separating Israel proper from the West Bank. In other words, they ARE NOT calling for the eradication of all Jews from Palestine. They are calling for the eradication of Zionism from Palestine. As I do. I read these two sections to say that Hamas is calling for the coexistence of a Palestinian state and a non-Zionist Israel side by side. In other words, they are willing to accept a two-state solution.
  • “From the border to the sea, Palestine will be free” is not an antisemitic slogan. It is an anti-Zionist slogan calling for equal rights, justice and liberty for ALL the people of Palestine, Jews and Palestinians alike. The slogan has nothing to do with ethnic cleansing.
  • Whether or not you choose to believe Hamas and trust the words of their 2017 charter is a separate question from whether or not we represent them honestly and accurately in our debates. The 2017 charter explicitly contradicts some of the more common, extremist claims made about Hamas by the representatives of Israel and the defenders of political Zionism.

 

My Friend, Munther Amira, Has Been Released from Prison

I know that my friend, Munther Amira, thanks you for your prayers on his behalf. He was finally released from an Israeli prison on Friday, having lost over 73 pounds in body weight.

Below I have included several pieces of information describing Munther’s abuse while in prison. The first is a news interview available on YouTube. The second is a statement issued by Munther himself where he again describes the torture, beatings and sexual abuse he endured at the hands of his Israeli jailers.

The video my only be viewed  on the YouTube webpage. To do this, copy the url that appears INBETWEEN the quotation marks below. Paste that address (minus the quotation marks) into your computer’s web browser and press enter. It will take you to the video of Munther’s interview which you can then watch for yourself.

“https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k1dZhYTWDus&rco=1”

Below is Munther’s personal statement describing his prison experience. He was held for 2 1/2 months without charge. No trial. And no explanation as to why he was finally released.

His family and friends simply thank God that he is back home with family and friends.

From the Cemetery of the Living: A Plea for the Rights of Palestinian Detainees Statement by the
freed Palestinian detainee, Munther Amira
8 March 2024

With a heart heavy yet buoyant with gratitude, I reach out to you through these words, a testament to the resilience of the human spirit against oppression. Your steadfast commitment, vocal advocacy, and
unwavering support have been the lifeline for those of us who have endured the shadows of incarceration under the Israeli occupation. Today, I stand as a voice for the voiceless, a beacon for the countless souls still languishing in what can only be described as living tombs, to express our profound thanks and to bear witness to the atrocities that bespeak a grave humanitarian crisis.

The conditions under which Palestinian detainees live are a stark violation of every tenet of humanity and dignity. Subjected to extreme forms of torture, degrading treatment, and deliberate deprivation of basic
needs, including food and medical care, Palestinian detainees are living through what can only be described as a systemic campaign of dehumanization. The Israeli occupation, through its policy of mass
arbitrary detention, aims not just to suppress Palestinian voices but to erase their existence, their rights, and their struggle for freedom and self-determination.

In the broader context of the ongoing genocide against Gaza and the catastrophic impact on the Palestinian population, the situation of detainees becomes even more harrowing. This genocide against
the Palestinian people casts a long shadow over the fate of those behind bars. The link between the mass arbitrary detentions and the wider war against Palestine is unmistakable and intentional, designed to break
the will of the people and to quash any form of resistance against the occupation.

My personal ordeal, characterized by severe mistreatment, deprivation of medical care, and exposure to torture and sexual violence, mirrors the unfathomable suffering of many. These prisons, akin to graveyards for the living, stand as stark symbols of a settler colonial regime that seeks to erase our identity, our dignity, and our very existence. The draconian measures imposed upon us—ranging from the denial of familial and legal connections to the restriction of basic human necessities and freedoms—underscore a systematic campaign to dehumanize and demoralize.

This policy of widespread and systematic abuse is not merely an affront to Palestinian dignity but constitutes a blatant violation of international humanitarian law, including the Geneva Conventions. The complicity of the Israeli judicial system, with its alarmingly high conviction rates for Palestinians and the virtual impunity granted to perpetrators of crimes against Palestinians, underscores a judicial apparatus that functions as an instrument of occupation.

I cannot express enough gratitude to the countless individuals, organizations, and the vast sea of humanity who have taken to the streets in solidarity, raising their voices high to demand justice for Palestine and
calling for a ceasefire. Your impassioned pressure and relentless pursuit of justice have not only contributed to my release but also continue to shine a light on the ongoing struggle for the freedom of all Palestinian detainees. Your unwavering support is a powerful testament to the strength of collective action and the indomitable spirit of global solidarity.

The international community must recognize that the plight of Palestinian detainees is not an isolated issue but a reflection of the systemic violence and oppression perpetrated by the Israeli occupation. The widespread and systematic violations of their rights, including through the use of torture, inhumane and degrading treatment, and the forcible transfer of detainees to jails within Israel, constitute grave breaches of the Geneva Conventions and amount to war crimes under international law.

The silence and inaction of the international community in the face of these atrocities only serve to embolden the perpetrators and perpetuate the violence and suffering. It is incumbent upon all states, in line with their legal obligations under international law, to take immediate and decisive action to protect the rights of Palestinian detainees. This includes holding the Israeli occupation accountable for its actions, demanding the immediate release of all arbitrarily detained Palestinians, and ensuring that those responsible for such egregious violations are brought to justice.

Moreover, the international community must work tirelessly to address the root causes of the settler colonial regime, advocating for the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination. This includes acknowledging and addressing the illegal occupation of Palestinian territory.

As a freed detainee, I have witnessed firsthand the unimaginable horrors faced by my fellow Palestinians behind bars. The scars of torture, the pain of separation from loved ones, and the constant fear of death are experiences that no human being should ever have to endure. Yet, despite these atrocities, the spirit of the Palestinian people remains unbroken, their resolve unwavering.

In solidarity with those who continue to suffer in silence, I urge you to lend your voice to this cause, to stand up for justice, and to join us in the fight for the freedom and dignity of all Palestinian detainees.

Together, we can shed light on the darkness of their existence and pave the way for a future where human rights are not just a privilege for the few but a fundamental right for all.

Munther Amira
Aida Refugee Camp,
Beitlahem, Palestine

Now, I ask you to continue to pray for my friend Anas abu Srour who continues to be held in prison without charge. His family has heard nothing about his eventual release.

Anas has yet to see his newborn daughter.