Middle East Peacemaking:
A Call to Respond for all Members of the Church of the Brethren and Friends of On Earth Peace
Background
In early January 2010, On Earth Peace executive director Bob Gross was detained and deported by Israeli authorities when he arrived at the Tel Aviv airport as part of a Christian peacemaking delegation meant to build connections with Israelis and Palestinians who are working for a nonviolent resolution to their conflict.
The broader background of this denial of entry is the continued occupation of Palestine by the government of Israel, and a seemingly endless spiral of fear and violence that has trapped both Israelis and Palestinians. Many Palestinians and Israelis are seeking nonviolent paths for resolving their conflict.
The deportation of the executive director of On Earth Peace is part of a pattern of excluding from Israel any visitor who seeks peace and security for both Palestine and Israel. This has the effect of blocking peacemaking efforts by churches and other groups, and sets back the hopes of a constructive Middle East peace. What is the appropriate response for each of us as a Christian and as a member of the Church of the Brethren, as we come to terms with the reality that our representatives, including Bob Gross, the executive director of our peace agency, On Earth Peace, have been denied entry into Israel?
What I can do as an individual:
Pray. Pray for all the peoples of the Middle East, people whose lives affect our own in so many ways. Commit time to vigil and prayer for softening of hearts and for safety and security for all people in the region.
Prepare. Immerse yourself in the background of the conflict and seek a more in-depth understanding of what’s happening in Israel/Palestine, using the following resources or others. Begin to follow the news about nonviolent alternatives & resistance taking place in Israel and Palestine. Consider using the Kairos document, below, as a discussion document in your Sunday School class.
- Churches for Middle East Peace Background Resources
- Palestine, Israel and the Arab-Israeli Conflict: A Primer
- Church of the Brethren statement on Divestment from Companies Selling Products Used as Weapons in Israel and Palestine
- Information from “End the Occupation” about nonviolent activism in Palestine and Israel
- The Kairos Document, a November 2009 statement to the world by Palestinian Christians about what they are experiencing.
Prod. Your personal advocacy is important in expressing your concerns to your elected Congressional representatives. You may also want to share your dissent with the President, the U.S. State Department, national religious organizations, peace witness agencies in other denominations, and Jewish and Muslim peace organizations. Contact media sources to ask them to focus on what is happening in Israel/Palestine including treatment of Christians seeking nonviolent alternatives.
How can peace be achieved if people committed to working for better understanding are perceived to be “threats to the state”?
Your telephone calls or emails to legislators has more influence than you’ll be able to see. Ask the staff to describe the congress-person’s position on harassment of peacemakers, Israel’s discriminatory tactics and resistance to peace seeking alternatives, and Israel’s “very most favored nation status” with more U.S. military and financial aid every year than any other nation. Staff will ask for your name, address, phone, and/or email address. Also, please identify your affirmation of the Church of the Brethren’s historic peace position based in our understanding of who God is and what Christ calls us to be.
Use this link to find phone and e-mail for your representatives in the US Congress.
Preach. Talk with friends, colleagues, my congregation, to remind us all that our mandate as Christians is to seek reconciliation among enemies and to care for the poor, the hungry, the ill, the “least of these.”
Publish. Let others know what you are doing, and invite them to be part of these actions. Let us know what you've done through our online form.
What I can do as part of my congregation and the wider community of faith:
Solicit others of the religious community to pray, prepare, prod, and preach to stand together in naming and confronting actions that suppress building understanding and relationships between individuals whose governments are warring. Help to organize interfaith education and dialogue, including activities together with mosques and synagogues in your area. Encourage and facilitate public witness for peace.
