Christian Palestinian needs next?

Picture from the website of Sabeel

Following this report, I hope the next thing we hear is that Kevin Rudd will attend a fundraiser for Christian Palestinians - if there are any left in Palestine as their mass exodus continues due to Israel and Hamas et al trying their best to exterminate one another.

In the West, it seems we are either apathetic and ignorant with regard to our Christian brothers and sisters in Israel and Palestine, some of whom trace their Christian origins in a direct line back to the time of Christ, or we are so carried away by Israeli and Jewish propaganda and the Christian Zionist line, predominantly from the United States, that we just go with the flow.

To know more about Palestinian Christians on the West Bank and in Israel, please go here.

Sabeel, the Ecumenical Liberation Theology Center in Jerusalem, is in the processing of establishing Waves of Prayer. The idea is that each Thursday people will pray at 12 noon in their own time zone with Sabeel for peace and justice in Israel and Palestine. Sabeel intends that Waves of Prayer will begin first in Australia's time zone.

Kevin Rudd mentioned in his speech that the estabishment of the state of Israel in 1948 was "Australian Labor government handiwork". This refers to the fact that H.V. Evatt, Australia's Foreign Minister at the time and later Leader of the Australian Labor Party, cast the first vote for the establishment of the state of Israel in the United Nations General Assembly.

Meanwhile, Christian Palestinians suffer. Christian Palestinians have their lands and livelihoods stolen. Their lives are taken in the violence and they are discrimated against by the Israelis both personally and systematically.

So, Kevin, how about it? In fact, as you and Therese are Anglicans, why not give public support to the Waves of Prayer and, while you're at it, please give Anglicord a ring. Contact details here.

When you can do nothing else: bear witness.

A Palestinian economy? Israel ensures there is little hope

Israeli Separation Barrier

It seems to surprise those of the Jewish Diaspora who support Israel through thick and thin that some of us just get sick of them and sick of Israel. The one consolation is that Miss Eagle knows that many of her views are supported by people in Israel and people within the Diaspora.

Miss Eagle, in times gone by, has been an ardent supporter of Israel. Until the intifada. When Miss Eagle saw the might of the Israeli army destroying the homes of those involved in the uprising and leaving women and children homeless, it was the beginning of an awareness that the state of Israel was doing to others what had been done to them by the Nazis.

This psychopathology of a nation has continued, escalated and become more extensive. The web of victims it encompasses is continually enlarged.

Israel, since its inception as a nation state (and in events leading up to its foundation), has instituted actions which could only bring hatred upon itself, could only build up tension and frustration which eventually had to break out in violence.

No one could accuse Palestinian political groups of silent victimhood. They too, through unmitigated use of violence, have upped the ante and provoked escalated response.

But where does it stop? - and there have been so many attempts by outside peace brokers to assist in breaking the cycle.

The latest comment to bring a shafted light of reality into the madness of Israeli-Palestinian conflict and relationships is this report from the World Bank.

The gist of the report is that sustainable Palestinian economic recovery is impossible under the West Bank restriction system brought about by Israel. The Arabic Media Internet Network has comment here.

Currently, freedom of movement and access for Palestinians within the West Bank is the exception rather than the norm contrary to the commitments undertaken in a number of Agreements between GOI and the PA. In particular, both the Oslo Accords and the Road Map were based on the principle that normal Palestinian economic and social life would be unimpeded by restrictions. In economic terms, the restrictions arising from closure not only increase transaction costs, but create such a high level of uncertainty and inefficiency that the normal conduct of business becomes exceedingly difficult and stymies the growth and investment which is necessary to fuel economic revival.