On Friday, September 21st, 15 women joined Sabeel for a day trip to Haifa for a tour of the Baha’i Gardens. The breathtaking gardens offered serene tranquility and lifted our spirits. Our second stop was the Greek Catholic Church’s organization, “House of Grace.”We heard about the history of the church and the good works this organization provides for the community is an inspiration as well as a reminder of the importance of extending a helping hand to those in need. The church hosts newly released prisoners, offering them sociological help from a specialist and helping them attain the skills needed to return to live in the community.In addition, support is extended in some cases to the former prisoners’ families.

The aim of this visit was to highlight the ministry of a Christian organization that serves all people regardless of color, religion and nationality. We felt that the message this organization is giving has to be shared with our own community.

Our second stop was to Akko for an outstanding lunch of fish by the sea. The atmosphere with the rolling waves beside the restaurant was pure relaxation and a scene one would never tire of. After lunch, Olivia El Attrash,a guide from Akko, provided a detailed tour of the old city. The presence felt in the churches we visited was surreal, especially St. Georges Church and his tomb. Ms.Attrash took us through the narrow lanes of Akko and told us about the political situation in Akko, highlighting the difficulties the people there are facing in their daily lives as Palestinians living inside Israel. We were all shocked to see the dirty streets that reflected a system that neglected the Palestinian neighborhoods in Akko.

We learned how the Palestinian Christians and Muslims are living together and sharing the same struggle, both steadfast for their cause. One of the powerful signs we saw was “My house is not for sale,” reflecting their determination to stay on their land and in their homes.
Before we headed home we sailed in the sea and enjoyed the wind and the waves; we felt we needed to take a deep breath after a long day full of diverse visits. At the end of the day, we felt blessed to have the opportunity to share fellowship with such lovely ladies in a part of the world where most people only dream about visiting. It was a day of total peace and a reflection of still more of God’s great work.

Sabeel held a spiritual retreat for the clergy of Palestine and Israel in Beit Aram, a guest house in Bethlehem. The retreat was titled
Proclaiming the Gospel in a Wounded World.
“I have said this to you, so that in me you may have peace. In the world you face persecution. But take courage; I have conquered the world!” John 16:33.

Clergy of different denominationswere welcomed by Mrs. Sawsan Bitar, Sabeel’s coordinator of the retreat.She especially greetedthe wives of the clergy who participated in this annualretreat for the first time,as Sabeel usually holds their retreats separately.
The first speaker was Bishop of the Episcopal Church in Jerusalem, SuheilDawani, whoreflectedon the parable of the sower and linked it to the situation today. This led to an interesting discussion.Then Fr. Hans Putman, who is of Italian origin but speaksfluent Arabic, gave a presentation on “Witnessing Resurrection in a Wounded World.” he spoke about “The Road to Emmaus”..Afterwards,he gave the participants the opportunity for sharing their reflections with one another.
In the following session,Father Hans Putmanof theJesuit Churchconcentrated on “Reviving theWoundedWorld”. He stressed that although Christ was hurt and suffered, he was resurrected. Fr. Hans presented some PowerPointpicturesof a wounded world from different countries (such as war, refugees, poverty, injustices…etc.);after each picture he gave time for the clergy and their wives to say a few prayers.They were all inspired by the Holy Spirit,they all praised Fr. Hans for the depth of his spirituality and for his leadership of the session.
The evening prayers using the Orthodox liturgy were led by ArchimandriteMelatheos Basal
On the second day,morning prayersusing the Greek Catholicliturgy were led byArchimandrite Jack Nobel Abed.
Then Fr.Suheil Khoury, a pastor of the Church in Iqrith- a depopulated village in -theGalilee-, addressed the subject of “Let there be in you the mind and morals of Jesus Christ”.This gave the opportunity for the clergy to share their thoughts.
The Latin Patriarch Michel Sabbahthen talked about “Muslim-Christian relations in the light of the current situation in the Middle-East” and spoke aboutthe fact that different religions and Christian denominationsall worship the same God and also emphasized non-violent resistanceagainst occupation.
In the afternoon, Mrs. Cedar Duaybis, one of the co-founders of Sabeel,spoke about,“The Changing Theological Landscape”, and discussed the Church of Scotland report “The Inheritance of Abraham? A Report on the ‘Promised Land.’Sabeel had translated this report into Arabic and included an introduction by Sabeel Director Rev. Naim Ateek.This session led to a lively debate.
The evening prayer was beautifully sung by Father George Bassous from the Syriac Orthodox church in Jerusalem.
On the last day, morning prayers were given by Father Francois Mariafrom the Catholic Church in KufrKanna in the Galilee.
Later in the day everyone left for the Tent of Nations to meet Mr. DaoudNassar and his family who own land that is threatenedto be confiscated by Israel.This Christian family, the Nassars, are determined to stay steadfast on their land and resist confiscation by non-violent means.
All of the clergy and their spouses provided positive feedbackaboutthe retreat and wereeager to meet up again. They suggested that they need more of these spiritual retreats together in order to develop a healthier ecumenical Christian community.

After a difficult summer due to Israel’s massive military aggression on Gaza, we decided to bring our women back together for a forum to follow up on their spiritual retreat last June.
With autumn arriving and with new hope, about 30 women gathered for a pleasant evening at the front yard of St. Andrews Scottish church, to reflect on the story of Mary and Martha.With Sabeel co-founder and volunteer Mrs. Cedar Duaybis as the moderator, the women were eager to listen and get into discussion; each of them reflected on whether they related more to Martha or Mary. It was fascinating to see how the women echoed themselves in the characters in the Bible.They even had an interesting debate on whether Mary was fond of Jesus in a humanly way or vice versa.
The women were kind enough to all bring snacks and some refreshments so they could all join in conversation, which gave Cedar a chance to answer their questions and have a one-on-one discussion with them.
Atthe end of our evening together, Sabeel’s program coordinator Sawsan Bitar announced to the women the news of Sabeel’s new interim director that will soon join us, and answered the women’s questions.They all enjoyed themselves and are looking forward for future programs.

According to the United Nations, after 29 days of “surgical” and “precision” bombardment from land, sea and air, as many as 1814 people in Gaza have been killed, over 85 percent of which are civilians, including 408 children. On the Israeli side, 64 soldiers and 3 civilians have been killed. These figures, along with the sophistication of Israeli firepower, cast serious doubt on the lawfulness of Israeli actions in pursuit of self-defense.

It is obvious that the two sides in the conflict are not militarily equal and that the unarmed Palestinian civilian population has suffered the most. According to a joint declaration of international experts from around the world, including Richard Falk, “Gaza’s civilian population has been victimized in the name of a falsely construed right to self-defense, in the midst of an escalation of violence provoked in the face of the entire international community. The so-called Operation Protective Edge erupted during an ongoing armed conflict, in the context of a prolonged belligerent occupation that commenced in 1967.”

The UN Fact-Finding Mission considered Israel’s ‘Operation Cast Lead’ in 2008-2009 directed against the people of Gaza, and the same can be said about the current military offensive. “Everyone in Gaza is traumatized and living in a state of constant terror. This result is intentional, as Israel is again relying on the ‘Dahiya doctrine,’ which deliberately has recourse to disproportionate force to inflict suffering on the civilian population in order to achieve political…rather than military goals.” ….. continue reading

Women
In May, Sabeel Nazareth held a visioning meeting with over 70 women in the women’s group. In addition, the group gave 5 sessions at St. Joseph’s Seminary High School called “Building Bridges” in order to decrease the generational gap and preserve memories as a people. In the June monthly meeting of women, author Fida Jyries read from her book, Al-Khawaja, as part of a book launch. The theme was the importance of keeping our memory and documenting it.The women’s group held a book study during its July monthly meeting; the women started reading Naji Farah’s book.

Youth
The young adult group had two meetings on different spiritual ecumenical issues at the Sabeel Nazareth office. In July, they had also 2 meetings on human development issues, and received a group of Americans and Australians. They shared a day of archeological excavations in BethSaida for the third year.

Community
In May, Sabeel Nazareth organized a prayer service at the Mary of Nazareth International Center in preparation for Pope Francis’s visit. More than 250 people and clergy from all the denominations of Nazareth came, including a group from France and others from abroad. During this 2-hour event, we prayed with those in Grenoble, France, through a Skype connection. All around the country prayer meetings were held to pray for peace in Palestine-Israel prior to the Pope’s visit. The soloist singer, Vida Tabar, performed and led songs during this powerful ecumenical meeting of unity.

In June, Sabeel Nazareth held a community program to visit the unrecognized Bedouin villages of the Negev.

A group of 55 people, guided by Rev.Kamal Farah, visited Beer El Sabe ( BerSheva), the archeological sites of Tel Sheva, including the remains of the Palestinian city. They went to a site overlooking the area of 2 Bedouin villages. The group attended a Sunday mass at the Dominican Chapel in BerSheva, celebrated by Rev.Farah, and then ate lunch at one of the villages. A Bedouin guide gave the group a tour to show them the injustices this population faces. They also witnessed a demonstration at the Araqeeb.

In July, an ecumenical prayer for Gaza was held in the Anglican Church of Nazareth. The Rev. Nael Abu Rahmoun gave the homily. There were also prayers for Iraqi Christians during this time.

Interfaith
The interfaith women’s meeting was held in Haifa with the Jewish Machsom Watch groupto prepare for a study day gathering.

International Advocacy
Twelve international groups, totaling over 330 people, visited the Sabeel Nazareth office during the month of May. They came from France, Italy, Sweden, Holland, the United Kingdom, USA and Canada. In June, around 60 internationals from Australia, USA, and France visited Sabeel Nazareth. Despite the Gaza war in July and group visit cancellations, Sabeel Nazareth received about 120 people (6 groups) from France and Italy.

One of the most common refrains repeated by President Obama and other western leaders since the beginning of Israel’s massive military offensive against Gaza is, “Israel has the right to defend itself.” This refrain is not new and has been declared so often, it has become a cliché. Some leaders parrot it without even thinking.Israel has used such clichés as a justification for its actions as well as an excuse to further its carnage. As of July 29, the death toll in Gaza is over 1100 people, mostly civilians, and includes 243 children http://www.ochaopt.org. In addition, around 53 Israeli soldiers and 3 Israeli civilians have died.

Under these circumstances, is Israel able to justifiably claim this right to defend itself?

First, we should consider that there is no clear “self” for Israel to defend. Israel steadfastly refuses to define its borders. Israel’s expansionist policies under the pretext of security have extended its “borders”deep into the Palestinian territories and the Syrian Golan Heights, in contravention of international law. Furthermore, as a state that is occupying another state that includes Gaza for the last 47 years, Israel stands in violation of international law and humanitarian law. In light of the fact that Israel has no defined borders and is occupying another state, it is not even possible to define the “self” that Israel has a right to defend.

Second, it is important to note that Israel does not have a moral or legal right to claim that it is “defending” itself so long as it is occupying another state. Let us take the Iraq-Kuwait war as an example. Suppose after Iraq occupied Kuwait, some of the Kuwaitis started firing rockets at Iraqi cities as their way of forcing Iraq to end its illegal occupation. In such a circumstance, would we consider Iraq as having a right to “defend”itself? Or would we rather see Iraq as the instigator and aggressor?

Morally speaking, so long as international law and the United Nations consider Israel as occupying Palestine, Israel is not defending itself, it is defending its occupation and its Zionist project. When the occupation ends, Israel possesses the legal and moral right to defend itself, and with that we can all stand. But so long as it is defending its occupation through collective punishment and disproportionate military might,which is illegal under international law, its claims appear deviously deceitful and hollow.Furthermore, Israel can get away with impunity.

Finally, are Obama’s words about Israel’s security and her right to “defend itself” crediblein the presence of the burning children of Gaza? Is the war Israel is conducting credible in light of these children, held captive and unable to leave Gaza, killed for the crime of being born on the wrong side of an arbitrary border, killed while hiding in their homes, playing soccer on the beach, and taking refuge in UN safe spots?Nothing can legally or morally legitimize the indiscriminate killing of a captive civilian population. No statements, no claims, no actions, no matter how profound, can hold up in the presence of the burning and torn up little bodies of innocent children. They are utterly meaningless, reprehensible and blasphemous.

Therefore, it is important to emphasize the following points:

1. The international community needs to empowerthe UN to resolve the conflict between Israel and Palestine. We have been caught ina destructive cycle. Every few years the situation reaches its boiling point, warfare begins, and thousands of Palestinians are killed and injured, mainly civilians – women, children, elderly, and disabled. The international community has been lethargic, impotent, and unwilling to implement its own resolutions on Palestine.The international community has the responsibility to resolve this seemingly intractable conflict. The UN needs to be empowered to do its work.

2. International law unequivocally gives occupied people the right to shake off the yoke of the occupier through various means including the armed struggle. While this is true and needs to be remembered in considering this situation, Sabeel has always stood for the moral right of liberation through nonviolent means.

3. The Palestinian rockets from Gaza have an important message that Israel refuses to understandand the western powers, especially the United States,are unwilling to comprehend. The message of the rockets addresses the core issues and the root causes of the problem – STOP THE ISRAELI OCCUPATION AND FREE PALESTINE. If this does not happen, the war will occur again and again and again, and the casualties will be mainly women and children. This conflict will continue to flare up, despite anyone’s best efforts to contain it, unless the systemic injustice of occupation is dismantled. A recent statement from Israeli academics cuts straight to the point: “Israel must agree to an immediate cease-fire and start negotiating in good faith for the end of the occupation and settlements, through a just peace agreement”(http://haimbresheeth.com/gaza/an-open-letter-to-israel-academics-july-13th-2014/statement-by-israeli-academics-july-2014/).

4. Our plea is to all people of conscience in Israel. You need to become engaged. The present political course is driving Israelis and Palestinians further apart and is leading us to an impending disaster worse than we are witnessing today.We all must stop nurturing extremism. Israelis and Palestinians have to live together in this land. God has put us here, we need to share it. The alternative is untenable.

5. A stable peace can only be realized when justice, in accordance with international law, is achieved for both Israel and Palestine.

Let anyone with ears to hear, listen!

The Rev. Dr. Naim Ateek
Sabeel Ecumenical Liberation Theology Center, Jerusalem
July 30, 2014

Around 150 people – Biships, clergy, diplomats, nuns and laypeople – filled up the Dominican Church in Jerusalem on July 22 during Sabeel’s Ecumenical Prayer Service for the people of Gaza. The event highlighted a homily by Patriarch Michel Sabbah and brought together clergy of different denominations including: Bishop Atallah Hanna (Greek Orthodox), Bishop Munib Younan (Lutheran), Bishop WilliamShomali (Latin), Canon John Organ (Anglican), and Fr. Michel (Franciscan). Some of the clergy said prayers, as did several laypeople – in Arabic, English, French, and Aramaic.
In his homily, Patriarch Sabbah said there is a need for the transformation of leaders, that they need a change of heart and vision to see that all humans are equal and deserve freedom, dignity and security.
The people litcandles as they prayed for the end of violence and the war crimes against the Gazan people, especially the children. They prayed for an end to Israel’s illegal blockade in Gaza, and for peace, human rights and justice to prevail in this suffering region.
The people also lifted up a prayer for the minority Christian population in northern Iraq who are fleeing their homes in fear of death from ISIS.
Some news agencies present at the event interviewed Rev. Naim Ateek, Director of Sabeel, and Ms. Hind Khoury of Sabeel.Donations were collected during the prayer service. The money will be distributed by the nuns of Mother Tarrasa to the people of the Gaza.

Tens of Christian and Muslim clerics and other community leaders attended an Iftar“breaking of the fast” gathering at sundown during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which was sponsored by Al-Liqa and Sabeel centers.

Prior to the Iftar, H.B. Patriarch Michel Sabbah welcomed the people and spoke of the present tragic developments in Gaza. He concluded his remarks by stressing that we will not be defeated because we are defending our right to live with freedom and dignity despite the fact that the Israelis possess the most advanced destructive arms. We are determined to live despite despair and fear of the future.

Sheikh Maher Assaf followed with a recitation of verses from the Holy Quran. Rev. Dr. Naim Ateek and Dr. Geries S. Khoury then welcomed the attendees. Rev. Ateek stressed the importance of the gathering because it deepens our national identity, our belief in God, and our right to live. Dr. Khoury also stressed national unity in face of the extremism in the Arab world.
We discussed the main theme, “Are the Joint Iftars Contributing to Shared Living?” This followed with commentators stressing the importance of this annual traditional gathering which makes us more familiar with our spiritual legacy and religious traditions. The youth group of Al-Liqa also took part in the discussion.

In addition, the attendees condemned Israeli air raids on our people in Gaza and appealed to all those of conscience in the world to resist this aggression. Likewise, the gathering condemned the barbaric occupation practices against our people in the West Bank and appealed to international organizations and human rights associations to put an end to the killing of women, children and the elderly. Despite all of this, our people will continue to sacrifice until our goal of liberty, independence and obtaining a state of our own is realized.

Early Wednesday morning (July 2), extremist Israeli settlers kidnapped Mohammed Abu Khdeir(age 17) from in front of his home in Shua’fat and brutally murdered him. He was buried near the family home on Friday afternoon.

On Monday afternoon, a group of 15 women from Sabeel—staff members and women from the community—visited the Abu Khdeir home to pay their respects to Mohammed’s family. The Sabeel women sat, sharing in the pain and grief of their sisters and neighbors, all committed to unity against oppression and occupation. After a short period, the women were able to personally greet both of Mohammed’s parents, Suha and Hussein, and offer condolences to the immediate family members.
With all of the unrest and demonstrations in recent days, the women were glad for the opportunity to be supportive of the family and be in fellowship with their neighbors in Shua’fat.

For the last three months, approximately 200 Palestinian administrative detainees have been on a hunger strike to protest their detention without charge or trial.
On May 15, 2014, on Nakba day, a few weeks before the kidnapping of the three young Israelis, the Israeli army killed two Palestinian teenagers near Ramallah in cold blood.
On Monday evening, June 30, the Israeli army found the bodies of the three missing Israeli teenagers. On Tuesday morning, July 1, the Israeli army killed a 16 year old Palestinian in Jenin and some settlers tried to snatch a 9 year old boy in Beit Hanina, but he was rescued by his mother and some passersby. Early Wednesday morning July 2, settlers kidnapped a 17 year old boy from Shufat, killed him and burned his body. In addition, over the last two weeks over 10 Palestinians have been killed by the Israeli army some of them quite young and over 500 detained and hundreds injured.
We grieve with all the families – Palestinians and Israelis. We condemn the killings whether by the Israeli army, the unruly settlers, extremist Palestinians or unknown suspects. We uphold the sanctity of all human life Israeli as well as Palestinian, Jew as well as Muslim, Muslim as well as Christian.
For those who have eyes to see, all the killings that have taken place were senseless and the major culprit is the rightwing Israeli government. Its policy has been a total rejection of peace on the basis of the demands of international law. It refuses to share the land and accept a sovereign Palestinian state on only 22% of historic Palestine that is willing to live in peace next to Israel. The government of Israel believes that it can turn back the wheels of history and create an ethnic/religious state. It believes that it can impose its will on the Palestinians because it possesses the military power and the technology that is needed. This cannot happen. It is on the wrong side of history. History itself is against it, not only the Palestinians. The future of the world is for multiethnic, multiracial, and multi-religious communities living together. History is for diversity and not for uniformity. Israel’s rightwing government is the culprit. It is responsible; it is the offender. It is cheating the Israeli and Palestinian youths of life because it is charting an ethnic and racist course of history that is untenable.
The good people of Israel, Palestine, and the international community must put a stop to this madness. Long ago Jesus quoted the Psalmist saying, “The meek will inherit the land.” The meek are the people of the land and they are the Israelis and the Palestinians, but they are not the arrogant exclusivists of this world. The exclusivists will eventually pass away and someday new leaders will emerge, an Israeli Abraham Lincoln, or an Israeli De Clerk who will lead Israel to peace based on sharing the land where every person – man and woman, Israeli and Palestinian – will live as equal citizens with human dignity.
We call on our Palestinian sisters and brothers to continue resisting every act of injustice with nonviolent action; our religious leaders, Muslim and Christian, to raise the prophetic voice against injustice and oppression; and the Palestinian Authority to remain steadfast in its commitment to a unified government.
If the Israeli government wants peace, it must be transformed. It needs to believe in the power of peace that is based on justice and equality. For such a time as this, Israeli leaders need the courage and the will to do the following:
1. They need to realize that violence can only beget violence and that despair can only beget desperate actions. Therefore the state must stop the cycle of violence and the cycle of vengeance.
2. They need to address the root causes of the problems: racist laws, the military occupation, and the illegal settlements.
3. They need to stop all collective punishments, arbitrary killings, and extra judicial executions and let the rule of law take its due course. It is unjust to punish innocent persons for the actions of a suspected few.
4. They need to work with the United Nations and the Palestinian Authority to find the resolution of the conflict on the basis of international law that will guarantee the needs of peace and security for both Israel and Palestine.
We lament the inaction of world leaders in the face of the entrenchment of the occupation. They need to realize that ultimately the resolution of the conflict requires outside intervention. World powers helped create the conflict and world powers must help resolve it.
For such a time as this, “He told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? (Micah 6:8)

The Rev. Dr. Naim Ateek
Sabeel Ecumenical Liberation Theology Center, Jerusalem
July 4, 2014