Art & Resistance

There was a time when people thought that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is like a 100-meter sprint. Participants behaved accordingly; they gathered their strength in a concentrated effort and within such a short time. When they reached the goal, they were out of breath, but they could afford it for this short time period. However, increasingly people are realizing that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, one of the longest ongoing in modern history, is more like a marathon. If participants would behave similar to in a 100-meter sprint, they will perish. They will resign quickly, lose hope and heart and emigrate either physically or psychologically. In a marathon, people need to breathe differently, to train in another way and to run in a well-trained speed. One has simply to have a long breath. 

Where there is occupation, there will be resistance. The question therefore is not to resist or not, but how to resist. Culture for Palestinians living in this ongoing and seemingly unending occupation is the art to keep a long breath, thus becoming resilient. 

Often I meet people and donors who think that art in this context is a luxury we Palestinians cannot and should not afford. For these donors, relief is what the Palestinians need under occupation. They need bread to eat, to fill their stomach so that they can think. This is usually the logic used. Our tragedy as Palestinians has been that our struggle and since the Balfour Declaration has been often portrayed as a humanitarian crisis rather than one that has to do with identity and self-determination. But people “shall not live by bread alone”. Art is one of the most important elements for people’s survival. In contexts of conflicts, people are concentrating mainly on those who “kill the body” but often they forget about those who “kill the soul”, i.e. the dignity, creativity and vision of a people. Culture is the art for the soul not only to survive but to thrive. Culture is the art to refuse being just on the receiving end, to resist being perceived only as a mere victim. Culture is the art of becoming an actor rather than a spectator. This is the art of creative resistance.

However, art is a necessity not only at times of conflict. art is crucial not only in resisting occupation but it is essential in a positive way of expressing oneself the way one is and to communicate one’s story the way one wants. Art has thus to do with self-expression. Art is the place where we determine who we are as we define ourselves and not as defined by others. Art is the medium through which we communicate what we really want in a language that is different than the political semantics and religious formulas. Within the Palestinian context, people have reached a stage where they feel that political rhetoric does not represent anymore what they think and want. Also, people often feel suffocated from certain forms of religious expressions that have too much religion with too little spirituality. Art is a sacred space where people learn how to breathe freely in a context where the fresh air seems to be almost already used up. This is why I believe that art is one of the most important pillars in a future Palestinian state. The role art and culture will play in our future state is what will determine for many if Palestine is not only their homeland by birth but by choice too. What happens in the cultural zone will indicate the direction Palestine is heading towards: a democratic state where there is not only freedom from occupation but also a state that guarantees legally the freedom of expression and allocates resources to insure that the cradle of the three monotheistic religions will become a major cultural hub for humanity.

Last but not least, art is an important bridge between Palestine and the rest of the world. Although art has to do with expressing oneself as one is, yet this is done always in relation to others. Encountering the other is always important in understanding oneself. It is in the light of meeting a different context that one realizes one’s own unique context. Art becomes thus the space where people can meet others and themselves, where they can discover a language that is glocal and where they realize that in order to breathe; one has to keep windows wide open to new winds and fresh air brought across the seas and oceans. In this encounter, we realize that we are all in the same struggle resisting colonial domination, multi-national corporations, and a dominant exclusive culture that tries to silence our voices. Art becomes thus the means to give face to our struggle, write melodies to our narrative, and to join hands in constructing a new reality. 

( From my opening Speech at the Art and Resistance Conference organized by Dar al-Kalima University College in Bethlehem, May 12th 2016) 

Rev. Dr. Mitri Raheb 

Atlanta Church Summit Document “Pursuing Peace and Strengthening Presence: The Atlanta Summit of Churches in the USA and the Holy Land”

Summit Document

“Pursuing Peace and Strengthening Presence: 

The Atlanta Summit of Churches in the USA and the Holy Land”

The Carter Center, Atlanta, GA

April 19 to April 20, 2016

Preamble

1.  We have come together in this unique first-time large scale Summit for Christian churches and church-related organizations from the USA and the Holy Land following the example and teachings of our Lord Jesus Christ on peacemaking, the dignity owed to all created in God’s image and kindling the hope that some day there will be a just and lasting peace in the Holy Land.

2.  2017 will mark 50 years since the occupation of the West Bank including East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip. In the Bible, the 50th year is a year of jubilee when land is given back to its original owners, a year of freedom forgiveness and mercy. 

3.  Also significant is that we are meeting in Atlanta- the birthplace of Civil Rights Movement leader the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, whose prophetic ministry challenged officially sanctioned racial segregation in the US, while working towards greater justice and freedom for African Americans through nonviolence. We continue to be inspired by his dream in spite of all the challenges and adversities.

Our Purpose in Meeting 

4.  We have come together for two days of prayer and open dialogue in a spirit of theological and ethical urgency for a just peace, and to express our ecumenical unity in action towards the end of occupation and a lasting political solution in the Holy Land.  We honor the land that witnessed to the life and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ affirming His call to justice, peacemaking and to the ministry of justice and reconciliation. 

5.  For decades the Holy Land, the land of redemption and universal reconciliation, has been a land of war, oppression, injustice and death. All the world’s Christians trace their faith’s roots to the Holy Land: it is the spiritual homeland for all Christians in the world. Therefore, Christians everywhere are called to prayer and action for healing in the Holy Land. They are called to act for justice and peace in the Holy Land. Peace with justice requires ending the long conflict, occupation, injustice and all acts of violence and terrorism  and   bringing back the land we call Holy to wholeness, peace, redemption and reconciliation for all of its inhabitants.

6.  We affirm, therefore, that as Christian churches, we have a responsibility to take an active role in bringing this chronic conflict to a just peace. As Christians, we acknowledge the spiritual kinship we share with other children of Abraham, and the common imperative to love our neighbor and thus to respect other communities of faith. 

7.  We also acknowledge and affirm our obligation to continue the prophetic role of the Church, in speaking the truth in love and speaking truth to power. We are called to speak out again and again.We refuse to be silenced and we refuse to cease working for justice and peace. 

Our Beliefs and Affirmations

8.  We believe that working towards a just and lasting solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict would not only serve the cause of peace and justice in the Holy Land but also promote peace in the Middle East region in general. A just peace would take away from those who take advantage by exploiting this conflict to serve their own motives, thereby compounding the perpetuation of  injustices. 

9.  We affirm that the two-state solution, built on the basis of international resolutions, in which both Israelis and Palestinians can live in neighborly relations and at peace with each other, must be viable politically, geographically, economically and socially. As such, we believe that: 

a- The continuing occupation of Palestinian lands beyond the 1967 borders and measures and laws that continue to constrain and control the Palestinian population, in contravention of the Universal Declaration on Human Rights, must end.  These actions prevent economic and social development, and constrain the exercise of political rights.  We need to focus on bringing a new sense of equality, inclusivity, and mutual respect among all the citizens of the Land regardless of religious affiliation or ethnicity.

b- The continuing expansion of illegal Israeli settlements on Palestinian lands increasingly dims the hopes and realistic prospects for a two-state solution and is a major threat to peace. 

c-  Jerusalem, sacred for Judaism, Christianity and Islam, is viewed as a capital city for Palestine and Israel and an open, shared city with no walls where the rights of all are equal and respected. To this end freedom of worship for people of all three faiths must be protected and attacks such as so-called “price tag” incidents (retaliation graffiti) against churches and holy sites prevented.  

d- Churches and church-related organizations need to work together proactively to protect the existing and future presence of Palestinian Christians in the Holy Land. The current absence of a just political solution affects their presence and causes many of these Palestinian “living stones” (Luke 19:40) to seek dignified life in freedom outside the troubled Holy Land. A just and peaceful solution is imperative and will contribute to protecting the presence and active participation and involvement of the Palestinian “living stones” in the Holy Land and into a peaceful future. 

10. We therefore call on both Palestinians and Israelis to do more to affirm the human dignity of the other, and urge their leaders to fulfill their responsibilities to do more to assure opportunity, security and peace for all the people of the Holy Land.

Issues Requiring Our Attention 

11. The issues that merit special attention in which we can effectively promote peace with justice in the Holy Land, and to advance the two–state solution for Palestinians and Israelis and the three Abrahamic religions to live in peace include the following: 

In Peacemaking: 

a- Develop a more effective advocacy in the USA.

b- Advocate and reach out to politicians and public figures and to a cross-section of the population. 

c- Educate the members of our congregations on the necessity and merits of a peace process that would result in fulfilling the right of Palestinians to self-determination and to their own independent state as well as the rights of all people and nations in the region, including Israel, to live in security and peace. 

d- Urge the US administration, Congress, politicians and public figures to adopt balanced and just positions that would pave the way for, and meaningfully accompany the necessary steps toward, a just and enduring solution of the conflict and a lasting peace. 

e- Strengthen initiatives with various faith-based groups and communities in the United States that would inform and provide substantive input to the political process of making peace between Palestinians and Israelis. 

f- Support initiatives to nurture deeper insight and understanding of existing and future opportunities for interreligious collaboration, especially in providing humanitarian assistance to all people in need, including those in Gaza, the West Bank, Jerusalem, and all areas of the Holy Land. 

g- Recognize, affirm and support the solidarity that is being demonstrated among some Christians, Jews, and Muslims--and some of the leaders of these communities in the Holy Land – especially in addressing humanitarian needs, fighting poverty, and fostering peace.

h- Find appropriate ways to exert economic leverage on commercial and governmental actors to end unfair and unjust practices and policies which violate international laws and conventions 

i- Propose steps that can be contemplated by the governing bodies of various churches in the USA on issues of peace building, and relations with churches and communities in Palestine and the Holy Land. 

j- Designate a common day of prayer and reflections across the churches in the USA and the Holy Land to focus all of our prayers on a just and comprehensive peace in Palestine, Israel and the Middle East. 

k- Exercise our obligation to educate our constituencies regarding the damaging consequences of certain versions of dispensationalist theology and fundamentalist Christian teachings that create obstacles to peace, the two-state solution and peaceful coexistence in present-day Palestine and Israel. 

In Strengthening the Christian Presence in the Holy Land: 

a- Engage in mutual visits and exchanges with the Churches and their leaders, to strengthen the resolve for ongoing commitment and hard work for peace and justice in the Holy Land. 

b- Increase community-based pilgrimages and authentic tourism to the Holy Land with the intent to   stay in Palestinian towns and villages in order to engage with indigenous  communities , to experience first-hand their hopes and fears and to contribute to their community and economic development. 

c- Work with denominational, ecumenical, and interfaith partners to strengthen relationships and efforts towards a common witness for peace in Palestine and Israel

d- Support development in Palestine through creative social and economic investment, thus witnessing to our commitment to operate at the intersection of faith and finance 

e- Strengthen existing efforts and identify new models of church solidarity in action. 

f- Support local churches and Church related organizations not only to survive, but also to thrive and continue their ministries through educational, health, cultural and social services. 

g- Encourage reference to the Kairos Palestine message as an established initiative  

We remain committed to work on these issues and to follow up on this Summit and on the issues presented above including a possible conference in the Holy Land.

The Carter Center, Atlanta, Georgia 

April 20, 2016.

Heads of Churches and Ecumenical Bodies 

Vicken Aykazian, Archbishop, The Armenian Church 

John R. Bryant, Senior Bishop, The African Methodist Episcopal Church 

Oscar Cantú, Bishop of Las Cruces and Chairman of the United States conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on International Justice and Peace 

Iva E. Carruthers, Genral Secretary, Samuel Dewitt Proctor Conference, Inc. 

Michael D. Castle, President, Alliance of Baptists 

Michael B. Curry, Presiding Bishop, The Episcopal Church USA

John C. Dorhauer, General Minister and President, United Church of Christ 

Suheil Dawani, Archbishop, The Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem 

Elizabeth Eaton, Presiding Bishop, The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America 

Ibrahim Faltas, Treasurer, Custody of the Holy Land 

Susan Henry-Crowe, General Secretary of the General Board of Church and Society, United Methodist Church 

Michel Jalakh, General Secretary, Middle East Council of Churches 

Thomas Kemper, General Secretary of the General Board of Global Mission, United Methodist Church 

Carlos Malave, Executive Director, Christian Churches Together 

John L. McCullough, President and CEO, Church World Service 

Gradye Parsons, Stated Clerk of the General Assembly, The Presbyterian Church (USA) 

Tyrone S. Pitts, General Secretary Emeritus, Progressive National Baptist Convention INC

Ervin Stutzman, Executive Director, Mennonite Church USA

Theofilos III, Patriarch, The Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem 

Olav Fykse Tveit, General Secretary, World Council of Churches

Fouad Twal, Patriarch, Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem 

Sharon Watkins, General Minister and President, Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) 

Jim Winkler, General Secretary and President, National Council of Churches 

Munib Younan, Bishop, The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land 

Heads of Church related organizations

 Tarek Abuata, Executive Director, FOSNA

Brian Bodager, President and CEO, The Pension Boards/UCC

Warren Clark, Executive Director, Churches for Middle East Peace 

Yusef Daher, Executive Secretary, Jerusalem Inter-Church Center 

Donald G. Hart, President of United Church Funds, United Church of Christ 

Sam Jones, Co-Founder and President, Heartland Initiative 

Michael La Civita, Communications Director, CNEWA

Anne Lynne, President, American Friends of Episcopal Diocese in Jerusalem 

Beth Nelson Chase, Executive Director, Bright Stars of Bethlehem 

Mitri Raheb, President, Diyar Consortium

Jack Y. Sara, President, Bethlehem Bible College 

Michael Spath, Pilgrims of Ibillin 

Ghassan J. Tarazi, Co-Founder, Palestinian Christian Alliance for Peace 

Jeffrey D. Thiemann, President and CEO, Portico Benefit Services (ELCA) 

EdwardThompson, Co-Founder and President, Americans for a Vibrant Palestinian Economy 

Signators

Varsen Aghabekian, The Commissioner General, The Independent Commission for Human Rights in Palestine

Vera Baboun, Mayor of Bethlehem,

Hanna Amireh 

Fahed Abu Akel 

George Ayoub

Ziad Bandak

Julia Brown Karimu

Cecelia Bryant 

Stephen M Colecchi

David D. Daniels 

Robert D. Edmunds 

Hunter Farrell 

Catherine Gordon 

Cindy Halmarson 

Ray Hammond

Amira Hanania 

Mark Harrison

Cassandra Henderson 

Salim Hodali 

Jim Hooker

Eleia Iskandar 

Sharon Jones 

Issa Kasseessieh 

Gregory Khalil 

Zahi Khouri 

Rula Maayah 

Victor Makari 

Peter E. Makari 

Rafael Malpica-Padilla 

Riyad Mansour 

Katie McCloskey

John Mendez 

Waltrina Middleton 

James Moos 

Tom Morse 

Anthony Moujaes 

Jessica Pollock-Kim 

Charles Robertson

Nadia Saah 

Marty Shupack

Joseph D. Small 

Richard E. Walters 

Steve Weaver 

Tauren J. Webb

David Wildman 

Leslie Withers 

Jeremiah A. Wright 

How to Pray for Palestine?

Millions of people in hundreds of countries lift up prayers for peace in the Holy Land. Yet, God seems not to listen or to care. The more I traveled and listened to the prayers of the diverse congregations, the more I stared realizing that there is something wrong with these prayers. More and more I started seeing that prayers are mirrors of the awareness level of pastors, elders, and congregations. How we phrase our prayers shapes the way we view our world and Vis versa. If you tell me how you pray for Palestine, I can tell you the level of awareness, the depth of education, and the kind of theology you have. 

When churches pray for Israel only and do not mention Palestine, that tells me that they have a clueless Pastor who has no understanding of the political reality in our part of the world. 

When churches pray for God's chosen people "Israel", this is an indication that we are dealing with a Christian Zionist church, who is supporting the continuous occupation of Palestinian land and people. 

When I hear a prayer for Israel and the Palestinians, then I know that there is a better level of awareness, but this group is too much influenced by the media. In their prayer, they deny the Palestinians statehood and identity. The word "Israel" underline statehood and a unifying identity, why "Palestinians" sounds like a punch of individuals not more. 

Sometimes I hear congregations praying for Israel/Palestine. These are churches with a higher level of knowledge who strive to be evenhanded. 

When congregations pray for peace in the Holy Land, then we realize that they want to avoid a political dilemma and possible discussion. 

Some churches pray for the two peoples "Israeli and Palestinians" and the people of the three religions "Jews, Christians, and Muslims." This shows a more sophisticated knowledge about the context and an attempt to be comprehensive. 

Do we pray for justice or for peace? Do we think of the injured, those prisoners in jails or in an open air prison, like Gaza? Do we mention those whose homes being demolished? Do we pray for the church in Palestine and its ministry to the people there? These are all questions that need  to be addressed when formulating a prayer petition. 

So it is not God who is not listening to our prayers, it is we, Pastors, elders, and people of faith, who are not doing our job. We failed in educating our members about the realities in the world. We didn't bother to raise their global awareness so that they grow in their prayer life. Once churches will do in their prayers justice to the Palestinians, then God will listen, and justice will sure come to Palestine and peace will reign in our land. 

Lord teach to pray and give us the courage, time and will to educate our members how they can pray for Palestine. 

I encourage friends to share here under comments some of their prayers for Palestine. 

This is an extract from a presentation given at the international conference on "Worship and Citizenship in an age of divisive Politics" at Calvin College in Grand Rapids on January 27th 2016.

My Speech at Olof Palme Prize Ceremony

Rev. Dr. Mitri Raheb

Stockholm, Swedish Parlaiment

January 29th, 2016

Dear Ms. Lisbeth Palme, thank you for your kind and powerful words.

Your excellencies; dear friends, ladies and gentlemen,

It is truly an honor to be with you on this day receiving the Olof Palme Prize. I have received in the past several prestigious awards, but this one is special to my heart. It is very unique because it carries the name of Olof Palme, one of the most courageous political leaders in the second half of the 20th century, who dared to stand up in the face of empire; a visionary leader, who knew that apartheid should not be tolerated, and that the cry for liberation in many countries in the global south should be heard and supported.

It is with joy that I receive this prize here in Sweden; a country that has been all along a defender of human rights and international law, a fact that was proven lately by recognizing the state of Palestine, which shows that its government is serious about international law and does not tolerate double standards. Since 2008, the Olof Palme International Center has been a strategic partner supporting us in training future leaders in Palestine and equipping them to be active citizens in the society. This prize is the crowning of this partnership. And I am glad to share this prize with Gideon Levi, one of most articulate journalists and a courageous prophetic voice in Israel today.

Your Excellencies,

Next year Palestine will be commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Balfour Declaration, when the British Empire gave away our land for colonization. The year 2017 marks also the 50th anniversary of the occupation of the West Bank, the Gaza Strip, and the Golan Heights. I was five years old when I saw the Israeli soldiers marching in the little town of Bethlehem. In all of these years I was experiencing what the Israeli Occupation does to our community, I could see how the whole West Bank started looking more and more like a piece of Swiss cheese where Israel gets the cheese, the land and its resources, and the Palestinians are pushed in the holes. I witness this in my own hometown Bethlehem, where 86% of our land is not under our control, but being colonized by Israeli

settlers who keep exploiting our resources, stones, water, and minerals. I follow the building of the Separation Wall, which continues to be constructed as we speak in the Cremisan Valley, not on the green line but in the backyard of the farthest home in town preventing our city from expansion. As a pastor I see how this Occupation is destroying the fabric of our society: a city that cannot expand, is doomed to die; without possibilities for expansion with new neighborhoods, we cannot do any reasonable city planning. The little town is losing its character. Without possibilities for expansion and the freedom of movement, unemployment will continue to rise, and as such we will have more social tensions, more crimes; and with crime comes drugs and violence. This is not a natural catastrophe that comes from heaven, but a man-made adversity and a systematically-planned one that is subsidized partly by the international community.

As a pastor who lives in the little town, I keep asking myself: how will our people survive, physically, socially, economically, and spiritually? How can I preach the good news for people who wake everyday just to hear another bad news? The continuing Occupation denies us our freedom and the right to exercise our self-determination. It de-humanizes our people. The Occupation does not steal only our land, but also our future and that of our children; it robs our kids from being able to live in dignity and prosperity. The Occupation is destroying our souls as Palestinians and the souls of the Israelis too. 

But we are not only denied our political and economic rights, but also our cultural and religious rights:  we are denied the right to have our own narrative that stands on its own; the right to tell our story the way we experience it; the right to read the Bible with our own eyes and not always with an Eurocentric post-Holocaust lens. A major problem in the Middle East today are those groups who appoint themselves as god's judges on earth: they think they have the right to say who is Kafer (infidel) and who is not, who is kosher and who is not. In the name of divine rights they deny us equal human rights. These are not only Islamist groups in Iraq and Syria, but also Jewish groups in Israel who have been lately attacking churches and monasteries. But there are also Christian Zionists, and you have some of them here, who keep attacking fellow Christians who dare to challenge the Israeli Occupation. They want to silence our voices. They want us to believe that the Occupation is God’s gift to us, and that the land grab that we are experiencing is the fulfillment of God's promises. As a Christian theologian, I have to say that is it not acceptable to violate human rights in the name of divine rights, or to play God against the humans. Groups who do that are mis-using the scriptures for their own political ideologies and they are not much different than ISIS. The scriptures and the Human Rights charter are there for one and the same reason: to defend the meek, protect the rights of the weak, put limits to those in power, and to make sure that the Empire adheres to the laws. Both religion and state have to insure that the power of law and not the law of power prevails; that the power of culture and not the culture of power has the last word. No religion is entitled to give the Israelis more rights than Palestinians, Muslims more privileges than Christians, or men higher wages than women. Equality is something we cannot compromise on, and therefore we will continue to resist the concept of a religious state. Religious states corrupt both religion and the state: a Jewish state, an Islamic state, or a Christian state will discriminate by nature against part of its own citizens. The state has to treat all of its citizens based on equality. The historic step that Sweden took in the year 2000, in mutual agreement, served for a healthier relationship between the Church and the state.

We are faced with these immense challenges and the question has been all along: should we give up, should we accept our fate, should we adopt a theology that discriminates against us, or should we leave and seek asylum away from our homelands, cut from our roots? Or should we escape in a religious fundamentalism cloak, comforting ourselves that in heaven things will get better and will be much different. We chose none of the above. We chose to stay. We chose to resist, and to resist creatively. Resist through the word and by constructing our own narrative and developing a dynamic identity. We decided to stay and to commit to keep challenging the Occupation until it is dismantled.  We decided to stay and to assist in building a Palestinian state that respects human rights, international treaties, and pluralism. We chose to invest; invest in infra-structure by building a brand new university and a cultural and conference center. We opted to stay and minister to our Christian community that keeps shrinking day after day. We opted to stay and train the next generation of Palestinian leaders who are capable of telling their story through art, film, dance and theater. Many of the young people in Palestine today have no problem to believe in life after death, but they cannot see life before death that is worth living. We committed ourselves to creating room for hope, so that our young people will not dream of dying for Palestine, but to live and serve their community. We wanted them to continue to believe that the sky is the limit and not the wall. We wanted them to become active citizens who are engaged in civil society and do not shy away from assuming responsibility. We committed our lives to keep hope alive, to continue preaching that peace is possible, that Israelis and Palestinians are not doomed to live in conflict for eternity, but to share the land, the resources and the future. The prize we are receiving today is a push to continue this path.

Thank you Sweden for sticking to International Law and human rights

Thank you Swedish Government for walking the talk and recognizing Palestine

Thank you Olof Palme Fund and family for keeping the course and spirit of Olof Palme alive

Thank you my family & colleagues for being such a great big family and such a strong team

Thank you friends in church and society for your continuous support and encouragement.

Your Excellencies,

I am convinced that Occupation has no future. I have no doubt that justice will come. I know that peace is possible. As dark as it may seem, we will work toward the dream until we see the beam, the light of Liberty. And we will be free, free,free.

Thank you for this honor of Olof Palme Prize.