Israel’s efforts to control and destroy the lives of Palestinians is visible in the thousands of big and small incidents that happen every day. Below are summaries of just a handful of shocking (but unsurprising) stories from the past few days that you may not have heard about.
For former residents of Iqrit, where Israeli forces leveled everything but the church in 1951, religious rituals bind them to a place from which they were expelled.
The “little town of Bethlehem” that we sing about at this time of year is far different from what many of us imagine it to be.
US media rarely report on the Jewish extremism in Israel that plays a significant role in the country. When a woman recently refused to move to the back of the bus, a group of 20 men began verbally berating her; when she still refused to leave her seat they began physically assaulting her and prevented her from calling the police.
Israeli soldiers raided the church, destroyed church property, and fired weapons – a violation of international law. Israeli forces occupied the entire building — including the sanctuary and rectory — for two hours. The sound of gunshots, stun grenades, and the smashing of doors terrorized church occupants…
A comprehensive report on Shireen Abu Akleh’s murder, and why it played out the way it did. Her story, like that of the Palestinian people, is one of courage in the face of injustice. In mourning her murder, let us acknowledge the facts of Palestinian life – and death.
There is an ongoing elimination of Christianity in the region where it was born being carried out by Israel and its friends. The United States has been the enabler of much of the change in spite of the prevalence of self-described devout Christians in Congress, many of whom ironically are vocal and even enthusiastic supporters of Israeli “security” policies.
Former VP Mike Pence recently visited Israel, where he spent time with Israeli extremists associated with a banned terrorist movement and meeting with mega-donor and Israel hawk Miriam Adelson, who is willing to pay big bucks for policymakers’ loyalty.
While millions of Americans have been celebrating Christmas, Israeli forces have been attacking men, women, & children in the Bethlehem region, where shepherds are said to have received a profoundly wondrous message: “Peace on earth, goodwill to men”… Defense for Children reports: “Israeli forces targeted Palestinian children with excessive force making 2021 the deadliest year for Palestinian children since 2014.” (videos)
Christians and other faith-based groups are speaking out against Israel’s latest attempt to silence the discussion on human rights for Palestinians. We can all be a part of this fight for justice.