Raise Hell for Justice in Palestine

I’m with you, Michael.  I would not advocate for violence - wearing facemasks or breaking windows – or suicide bombs or home demolitions.  And I don’t believe Father Chacour would either.

What I think he means by raising hell is not settling for the easy way out or giving up in the face of adversity.  He told us a story about trying to get a building permit for a classroom at his school.  The Israeli government had buried the request in the bureaucratic process.  But that didn’t stop Father Chacour.  He flew to the house of the US Secretary of State to ask him to use his influence to get the permit.  The Secretary ended up writing to the Israeli government and a permit was eventually issued.  He didn’t give up or settle for the easy out.   

It’s easy for me to sign a petition or give money or even write a blog.  That doesn’t involve much personal cost or take much effort.  Though it’s a great place to start, and it would be wonderful if you could encourage your church to participate in those things for the cause of justice for the Palestinian people. 

But what’s the next step?  How can we actually make a difference and get things accomplished.  I think raising hell means upsetting the applecart or the status quo or those in power.  When you do that, forces may rally against you. 

In 2014 while on a trip to Israel-Palestine I participated in a Women in Black demonstration at a major intersection in Jerusalem.  Women in Black is an Israeli group advocating for Palestinian rights. The demonstration was approved by the Israeli government.  But just by holding signs advocating for justice for Palestinians, we raised a bit of hell.  Drivers in some of the cars that went by gave us the Israeli equivalent of the finger and swore at us (it was in Hebrew so I didn’t really know what they were saying…but it didn’t sound very welcoming.)  Some of them spit at us.  Some pedestrians were yelling at us and calling us terrorists and trying to stop us from demonstrating.  The police came to tell them that we had a legal right to be there and made them leave us alone.

A great example of raising hell through nonviolence in the U.S. is Martin Luther King Jr. and the civil rights movement.  He advocated for justice through nonviolence.  But because he upset the status quo and went against those in power, a lot of hell was raised against him and his movement.

I’m glad you want inform your congregation about advocating for justice.  I encourage you to read Father Chacour’s book Blood Brothers as well as new Calvin Seminary professor Gary Burge’s books Whose Land? Whose Promise? or Jesus and the Land.  Also, check out the CRCNA Office of Social Justice for more information and ways to advocate - http://justice.crcna.org/middle-east-peace.  Download their biblical advocacy guide - http://justice.crcna.org/action-center.

Thank you for pointing out another view of this very complex issue, Bassam.  This is helpful for those who want a fuller picture of the issues.  I think it is important that we make the effort to look at a variety of viewpoints.

I appreciate the author’s point about lost opportunities on the part of Palestinians (and greater Arab world) to accept the division of Palestine and to establish the country of Palestine alongside the country of Israel.  A question I would ask the author, however, is when does grace run out?  Do we say, sorry, you had your chance and you blew it?  Now you have to live with the way it is.  Or, do we look at the current situation and ask, is this situation just right now?  Is the treatment of Palestinians by Israel just?  I appreciate the historical situation and it is very important to look at how a situation developed and what has transpired throughout history.  But I’m not sure the historical situation, or missed opportunities, or mistakes made in the past should prevent us from practicing justice in the present.  I don’t think grace has run out for the Palestinians.