[AMENDED] Proposed AIW - Solidarity with Palestinians

General Assembly 2024 GA Business
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I am not in favor. Israel has a fundamental right to exist.
Hamas does not recognize this right.

To support Palestinians and not support Hamas is an exercise is self-deception. I do not support any action that would weaken Israel in its efforts to save itself from a terrorist organization that has reaffirmed over and over that they wish for the jews to be anihilated. I do not support any action that gives aid and comfort to terrorists who sacrifice their own innocents as human shields, and who take hostages. I would support a resolution to support Israel and to call for Hamas to surrender. I would support a resolution to study the situation, and to question the ubiqiutous propaganda that is the source of so much misplaced angst.

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Since some folks want to talk more about Hamas, this is a good place to start Victim-Terrorist Anti-Palestinian Racism 101 and Genocidal Intent Anti-Palestinian Racism 101

“Jewish people and Palestinian people all have a right to exist and thrive. We must name–with clarity, with precision of language, and with the prophetic voice of a people of faith–that Israel’s actions amount to collective punishment and that they are not justifiable or excusable. While we name those things, we hold with absolute certainty that Jewish people worldwide deserve safety and belonging. It is critical that as UUs we stay watchful for antisemitism within our movement and challenge it where it is found.”

"We reject any use of civilians as human shields. The “human shields” framing is problematic. The narrative that only Hamas is using human shields is incomplete. We need to unpack the concept of a human shield. The Israeli army has consistently used Palestinian civilians as human shields in this war and throughout history. Just as there are documented incidents of Hamas using human shields, the Israeli army and paramilitary forces have also been documented using human shields. Recently a Palestinian teenager was bound to the front of a jeep while the soldiers drove through a town or village to their target destination. Another incident documented soldiers forcing Palestinians at gunpoint to walk ahead of them while they entered a building or other area.

The militias in the Gaza Strip, of which there are several, have built tunnels from which they emerge to conduct military attacks. If there is a military target found under a hospital, international law is clear about what should and should not be done—civilians absolutely must be evacuated, provided safe passage, and alternate space with medical equipment and supplies must be made available. "

Both quotes are from FAQ

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One problem I see in the FAQs is that the answers try to make excuses for Hamas.

You create a false equivalence between Hamas’s use of human shields and that of Israel. You pick out incidents where Israelis have used human shields and equate that to an overall Hamas policy.

This is not the only case in the FAQ where the actions of Hamas are minimized. In regards to October 7, the FAQ states: “We might not know the entire truth of what happened”, but does not even try to apply that to the actions of the Israelis.

Upon reflection, I should point out that the second statement here about “the entire truth”, casts doubt on the victims of October 7: the murdered, wounded and raped. This is despite the fact that there are many videos that support it.

Are you going to cast the same doubt on the actions of the IDF in Gaza? Yes or no? Why or why not?

The bias that comes out of statements like these is too great to ignore.

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You said “Jewish people” have the right to exist. What about the Jewish state of Israel? Does it also have the right to exist? If the answer is Yes, then it is cause for concern that so many among us support a people who do not recognize that right.

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There is a genocide happening in Gaza.

There are 40,000 dead (at least–it’s probably far, far more than that) with no end in sight. The largest demographic are children, and there is a famine underway. The population is hanging on by a thread. This isn’t just happening–this is being done by the nation-state of Israel, backed with money and weapons by the United States. This is not a fight between equals.

This is a genocide, and we can call it like we see it. Really, I believe we must.

This is an Action of Immediate Witness. Our truth-telling, our witness, is the power we bring to bear with this document. We aren’t launching aid or weapons, we aren’t sending a delegation or an army anywhere, we aren’t even voting to do anything differently as an association–although I sure as hell hope we will if we can manage to pass this. We are naming something with this AIW.

UUs have shown up across the centuries and put their bodies on the line for justice. I feel like the least we can do in this moment is say to Palestinians (including UUs who are Palestinian, and who–I promise you–see some of the ugly rhetoric and the moral waffling about their right to exist on this page), we see. We bear witness. We won’t look away.

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I agree with you Rachel.
But Actions of Immediate Witness should meet certain ground rules, including:
“Be crafted in anti-oppressive and inclusive language that is conducive to justice.”
This AIW does not meet this criterion. If it included Israelis in solidarity with Palestinians it would be inclusive. Right now it is exclusive. Which is why it is so divisive. It does not bear witness. It turns its face away from the suffering of the Israelis, especially the Jews.
This AIW is not conducive to justice. It unjustly blames everything on the Israelis. The supplementary materials even go so far as to make excuses for Hamas.
Our covenant calls us to honor multiple truths. This AIW does not do that.
I would prefer that this AIW be withdrawn and completely rewritten to be inclusive and just. It should start with:
Solidarity with Palestinians and Israelis
and the rest of the AIW be rewritten to be inclusive and just.
Then the call to action would also include, besides what we already have:
Witnessing: Call for democracy in Palestine, Declare our moral outrage at terrorist groups who seek to eliminate whole ethnic groups, and call for the cessation of violent actions on both sides.
Educating: Hold discussion groups in the model of Braver Angels that holds both sides in equal esteem
Organizing and Advocating: Support boycott, divestment, and sanctions against Israel and Palestine people and entities that do not contribute to the peace process, including ethnic, religious, political, social and corporate enablers until they end their divisive actions.

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The ironic thing about the whole “Settler Colonialism” formulation is that Islam began in Saudi Arabia and spread up to Bagdad, which became the metropole. It then spread to Palestine through the process of Settler Colonialism.

To support Muslim Palestinians against Israeli Jews is to support Settler Colonialists against the Indigenous people.

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In the last week in New York City there have been multiple hateful acts against Jewish people by people who identify themselves as pro-Palestinian activists. You can read a wrap up here https://www.israelhayom.com/2024/06/13/nyc-hit-with-antisemitic-wave-targets-include-museum-subway-memorial/ I fear that statements like this one proposed that don’t decry Hamas by name and use words like Ă€partheid and settler colonialism and don’t explicitly affirm the Israeli people might fuel those who are already anti-semitic in their hearts to action, here and around the world. I can only hope that this CSW is changed to be a call for peace and an end of violence for everyone. And no, that’s not Äll Lives Matter" - it’s about the risk that both peoples face, that Jews and Muslims around the world face.

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Agreed it is vital to push back against antisemitism, and that some protestors are using unacceptable tactics.

There is still time to sign up for today’s webinar on antisemitism.

June 13 at 4 pm PT/7 pm ET

Workshop: Antisemitism Curriculum from a Framework of Collective Liberation

RSVP to get the Zoom link at Antisemitism Curriculum from a Framework of Collective Liberation - Unitarian Universalists for Justice in the Middle East

The webinar will not be recorded.

The workshop presenters will explain the history of antisemitism, how revisionist definitions are being used to suppress speech, and how to challenge antisemitism.

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Thank you for this share and lifting up this event. I’m sorry to miss it for work today. What I’m feeling in my heart today is encouraged that so many voices in the listening session and in this discussion are in agreement about the suggested actions in the AIW. I feel like this place of common agreement is very moving even if UUs are often all about exact wording choices.

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It seems that many of those who oppose this AIW are doing so because it is not balanced, i.e., it condemns the Israeli war on Gaza but does not sufficiently affirm that Jewish people too are deserving or our attention and respect. The problem with this criticism is that the conditions in Palestine are not balanced. In that region there is one ethnic group that has the power and is oppressing another ethnic group that has no power. In Palestine/Israel today one ethnic group is the oppressor and another ethnic group is the oppressed. This AIW asks us to stand with and support the oppressed. This certainly does not mean that we do not respect the human rights of the those people in the dominant, and domineering, ethnic group. Of course we do. But as UUs it is our obligation to support the oppressed, i.e., the Palestinians.

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But our primary obligation is an inclusive Justice where we honor the worth and dignity of everyone:
“Justice: We work to be diverse multicultural Beloved Communities where all thrive.”

One unfortunate effect of identity politics is to split humanity into oppressors and the oppressed.

The AIW as written does not help to build a diverse Beloved Community. Being in solidarity with only one group leaves out solidarity with the rest of humanity.

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Thank you for this AIW and for all your hard work in composing it. I appreciate the opportunity to stand together and collectively bear witness to what is happening.

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This lists 3 actions; nothing in the least defensible for sure, but what actions are taken against the proPalestinian protestors. How many are arrested on charges that are at best selectively enforced, and at worst fake?

Do we moderate our words to avoid angering hateful people, or do we speak the truth as we see it?

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I do not support this proposal. I appreciate Rev. Helfer’s sincere effort to present a well-balanced proposal regarding the war between Israel and Hamas and the catastrophe that continues to unfold in Gaza. I fear, however, if member congregations support this proposal we will drive away many of our Jewish members and create a rift between Unitarian Universalists and the mainstream Jewish community. A better stand for Unitarian Universalists, I believe, is to support ongoing support peace efforts and the two-state solution. We must stand in solidarity with Israel and Palestine both.

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I agree wholeheartedly with Rev Haffner’s and Rev Horst’s statements, as well as what most of Antony Van der Mute wrote.

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In support of people being able to agree on facts of the situation, please consider watching the free virtual screening of the documentary film “Where Olive trees Weep,” directed by Zaya and Maurizio Benazzo

The situation for Palestinians in the occupied territories is very dire. The renowned psychiatrist and Jewish Holocaust survivor Gabor Maté has collaborated on a very moving documentary about the situation there. I have heard it is a difficult watch. But I believe is important to know and witness.

Saturday, Jun 15, 2024 9 AM Pacific/12 PM Eastern

You can find a link to the trailer here as well as awards and more details.

https://whereolivetreesweep.com

SYNOPSIS

Where Olive Trees Weep offers a searing window into the struggles and resilience of the Palestinian people under Israeli occupation. It explores themes of loss, trauma, and the quest for justice.

We follow, among others, Palestinian journalist and therapist Ashira Darwish, grassroots activist Ahed Tamimi, and Israeli journalist Amira Hass. We also witness Dr. Gabor Maté offer trauma-healing work to a group of women who were tortured in Israeli prisons.

Ancient landscapes bear deep scars, having witnessed the brutal reality of ancestral land confiscation, expulsions, imprisonment, home demolitions, water deprivation, and denial of basic human rights. Yet, through the veil of oppression, we catch a glimpse of resilience—deep roots that have carried the Palestinian people through decades of darkness and shattered lives.

This emotional journey bares the humanity of the oppressed while grappling with the question: what makes the oppressor so ruthlessly blind to its own cruelty?

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I agree with Antony’s analysis of the FAQ’s.
While the AIW starts off in a balanced way, the overall message is to blame Israel, rather than focus on peace for all. It is extremely unbalanced.

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I see my own earlier way of thinking in the argument that supporting this AIW will upset our Jewish members and interfaith partners. I made that very argument from the con microphone in 2016. I was wrong to make that argument and I understand now the harm that I took part in causing. Not because it isn’t true–it probably is true that there will be some in the Jewish (/UU) community who would see passage of this AIW as an affront. They may indeed choose to leave or to disassociate from us.

And, when innocent people are dying in massive numbers and we are complicit through our tax dollars and our ongoing silence as an Association and a people of faith, it’s time for us to be the kind of friends who prioritize people’s lives over relationships that are founded in fundamentally devaluing one group of people over another. If those relationships have honesty and trust at their core, then it’s time to have tough conversations. Because this AIW, and the movement for Palestinian people’s freedom and safety, is not about making Jewish people unsafe–not in Israel, not in the United States, and absolutely not in our congregations.

This AIW may feel unbalanced to some because the situation in Israel/Palestine is unbalanced! It is not a struggle between equals, and it never has been. Calling for a ceasefire in Gaza is fundamental not only to Palestinian safety and the right of the people there to live, but it is also the first step in building real security and safety for Jewish people in the region and the diaspora.

Again, I say it: Until Palestinians are free, none of us are free.

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This AIW is unbalanced because its plain language is unbalanced.

We need to rewrite this AIW to be in line with our values:
“We work to be diverse multicultural Beloved Communities where all thrive.”

This AIW, as written does not build Community. It divides it.

Rewrite it to be inclusive. Rewrite it to be just and fair.

I would suggest that the rewriting starts with a listening session that acknowledges the imbalance instead of justifying the imbalance. Rewrite the AIW to acknowledge the imbalances.

We can start by expressing solidarity with Israelis as well as with Palestinians. Then rewrite the AIW to really mean it.

Until all the oppressed in the Mideast, both Israeli and Palestinian, both Muslim and Jew, are free, none of us is free.

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