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Showing posts with label KAIROS PALESTINE. Show all posts
Showing posts with label KAIROS PALESTINE. Show all posts

Friday, July 24, 2026

"The headline is incredibly misleading. It completely reverses the point I was making. Rather than highlighting my explicit distinction between Zionist organizations and Jewish partners in justice, it collapses that distinction and leaves readers with the false impression that I accused British Jews collectively of complicity in Israel’s crimes. This is precisely the kind of framing that has made speaking about Palestine so difficult for so many years. It is not only manipulative; it fuels the false narrative that criticism of Israel is criticism of Jews." Rev. Dr. Munther Isaac - Jul 23, 2026

 When Headlines Distort the Truth

What The Telegraph Got Wrong About My Response

I was recently approached by The Telegraph, a newspaper in the United Kingdom, to comment on the Church of England’s recent decision to receive and engage with Kairos Palestine II, among other Palestinian Christian documents. I was also asked to respond to the criticism directed at the Church by the Board of Deputies of British Jews.

Now notice something important. I clearly distinguished between those promoting Zionism and the many Jewish voices working for justice. In fact, I explicitly called on churches to listen to and amplify those Jewish voices. That distinction was not incidental—it was central to my response.

So what did The Telegraph do with it? It published the following headline: “British Jews complicit in Israel crimes, say Palestinian Christians.”

That is simply not what I said. It is not what Kairos Palestine II says. It is not what Palestinian Christians are saying.

The headline is incredibly misleading. It completely reverses the point I was making. Rather than highlighting my explicit distinction between Zionist organizations and Jewish partners in justice, it collapses that distinction and leaves readers with the false impression that I accused British Jews collectively of complicity in Israel’s crimes.

This is precisely the kind of framing that has made speaking about Palestine so difficult for so many years. It is not only manipulative; it fuels the false narrative that criticism of Israel is criticism of Jews.

Our position has been clear and consistent. The problem is not Jews. The problem is not Judaism. The problem is support for oppression, occupation, apartheid, and now genocide—whether that support comes from Jews, Christians, Muslims, or anyone else.

Likewise, those standing for justice include Jews, Christians, Muslims, and people of no faith. As I said in my response, and as Kairos Palestine II explicitly affirms, we welcome and encourage partnership with Jewish voices committed to truth and justice.

Perhaps most troubling of all, this kind of reporting distracts attention from the real issue. Instead of engaging with the catastrophe unfolding in Gaza, or with the overwhelming evidence presented by international legal, human rights, and medical bodies, the conversation is redirected toward a manufactured controversy... READ MORE https://bipj.substack.com/p/when-headlines-distort-the-truth?r=62vmcy&triedRedirect=true

Friday, May 1, 2026

"God is not a real estate agent. The Holy Land is not a prize to be won, but a sanctuary for all God’s children to live in equality." Kairos II provides a definitive Christian perspective on the current reality in the Holy Land. It offers a framework for understanding this as a moral and spiritual crisis that demands a response from every person of faith.


"God is not a real estate agent. The Holy Land is not a prize to be won, but a sanctuary for all God’s children to live in equality."

Kairos II provides a definitive Christian perspective on the current reality in the Holy Land. It offers a framework for understanding this as a moral and spiritual crisis that demands a response from every person of faith.

What you can do:

Read & Reflect: Deepen your understanding by engaging with the full text.

https://www.kairospalestine.ps/.../Final_Kairos_document...

Study: Download the Kairos II Study Guide and lead a discussion group in your church or community-or join our online study series.

https://www.kairosresponse.org/kp2guide.html

Respond: Support the call for non-violent resistance, including BDS (Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions) as a path toward a just peace.

 https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=1434684788699300&set=pb.100064733765064.-2207520000

 [AS ALWAYS PLEASE GO TO THE LINK TO READ GOOD ARTICLES (or quotes or watch videos) IN FULL: HELP SHAPE ALGORITHMS (and conversations) THAT EMPOWER DECENCY, DIGNITY, JUSTICE & PEACE... and hopefully Palestine]

Thursday, January 22, 2026

Israel EXPANDS- erasing Palestine

From historic Palestine to today

https://www.sabeel-kairos.org.uk/partition-plan/

With thanks to Visualizing Palestine for their permission to use this resource. 

https://visualizingpalestine.org/downloadable-exhibit/ 

DISPLACEMENT

These visuals and images document Israel’s ongoing expulsion and erasure of Palestinians from their land. Often referred to as the ongoing Nakba, or catastrophe in English, Palestinians have endured displacement for generations.

FRAGMENTATION

Displacement is compounded by Israel’s deliberate attempts to separate Palestinians from each other, from their land, and from the world. Despite codifying apartheid and enacting a settler colonial state, Palestinians persist and navigate Israel’s systems of oppression to overcome fragmentation.

RETURN & FUTURE VISIONING

The right of return is central to the Palestinian struggle for liberation. We must imagine and dream about what is possible so Palestinians can exercise their right to return, and live in a world free from oppression and settler colonialism.

Monday, March 31, 2025

9th Station of the Cross JERUSALEM – Jesus falls the third time

9th Station of the Cross JERUSALEM – Jesus falls the third time
Jesus, your journey has been long. You fall again, beneath your cross. You know your journey is coming to an end. You struggle and struggle. You get up and keep going...

Kairos Palestine letter to The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops

Date: March 25th, 2025

With heartfelt thanks to God for the recovery of His Holiness Pope Francis, we, Kairos Palestine; Palestinian Christian clergy and community leaders of all Churches in Jerusalem, address you with deep sorrow and urgency regarding the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) joint resource with the American Jewish Committee’s “Translate Hate document”. This decision comes at a time of immense suffering for our people, as tens of thousands are being killed, starved, and displaced under Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza and the West Bank including East Jerusalem—actions condemned by leading international and Israeli human rights organizations.

Read the full letter in English

 https://www.kairospalestine.ps/images/Kairos_Palestine_letter_to_The_U.S._Conference_of_Catholic_Bishops.pdf

 [AS ALWAYS PLEASE GO TO THE LINK TO READ GOOD ARTICLES (or quotes) IN FULL: HELP SHAPE ALGORITHMS (and conversations) THAT EMPOWER DECENCY, DIGNITY, JUSTICE & PEACE... and hopefully Palestine]

Sunday, March 30, 2025

"We urge you to reconsider your stance and retract this endorsement. We need the Church’s voice to stand with justice and truth, not with narratives that conceal suffering and excuse oppression.

Kairos Palestine, the most extensive Palestinian Christian ecumenical non-violent movement, is based on Kairos Palestine document: A Moment of Truth, launched in 2009, affirming that the Palestinian Christians are part and parcel of the Palestinian nation, calling for peace to end all suffering in the Holy Land by laboring for justice, hope and love, embraced by the Christian community, signed by all historically recognized Palestinian Christian organizations, and endorsed by the Heads of Churches in Jerusalem.  https://www.kairospalestine.ps/

You can now read Kairos Palestine letter to The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops on the resource "“Translate Hate document: The Catholic Edition” on the link below. "

By partnering in this document, the USCCB has alienated the indigenous Christians of the Holy Land, causing deep pain to a community struggling for survival. Ignoring their unalienable rights to live in their ancestral homeland and offering the State of Israel a justification for their forced displacement by considering their human and national rights as blood libels, only deepens this harm. 

We urge you to reconsider your stance and retract this endorsement. We need the Church’s voice to stand with justice and truth, not with narratives that conceal suffering and excuse oppression." kairospalestine.ps/images/Kairos_

READ MORE https://www.kairospalestine.ps/images/Kairos_Palestine_letter_to_The_U.S._Conference_of_Catholic_Bishops.pdf

 [AS ALWAYS PLEASE GO TO THE LINK TO READ GOOD ARTICLES (or quotes) IN FULL: HELP SHAPE ALGORITHMS (and conversations) THAT EMPOWER DECENCY, DIGNITY, JUSTICE & PEACE... and hopefully Palestine]

Saturday, March 21, 2020

Friends of Kairos Palestine #Churches #Prayer #Christians #Hope #Love #Peace #Faith #Bethlehem #Palestine


APARTHEID WALL ART
 “Our word is a cry of hope, with love, prayer and faith in God. We address it first of all to ourselves and then to all the churches and Christians in the world, asking them to stand against injustice and apartheid, urging them to work for a just peace.”

APARTHEID WALL ART ICON CLOSEUP

In this historic document, we Palestinian Christians declare that the military occupation of our land is a sin against God and humanity, and that any theology that legitimizes the occupation is far from Christian teachings because true Christian theology is a theology of love and solidarity with the oppressed, a call to justice and equality among peoples.


To read the document, click here: http://www.kairospalestine.ps/?q=content/document 
To sign the document, click here: http://www.kairospalestine.ps/?q=node/19


It's a worrying and uncertain time right now for people across the globe, including in occupied #Palestine. Parts of the #WestBank remain on lock-down and already stretched #healthcare services face even greater challenges. We express our continued solidarity with all of those in the region.

With the complete lock-down on the city of #Bethlehem, we hear that the usual #Friday prayers at the separation barrier went ahead online tonight instead. In these very difficult circumstances, work for #peace and #justice can and will continue. Let us keep our creativity and inspiration.

We encourage you to keep following our social media in the coming weeks for more on how you can stay up to date and keep working for justice in these challenging times.

#CoronaCrisis #Palestine #Israel #Solidarity #FridayPrayers
 

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Supporting Kairos Palestine: A Moment of Truth

October 5, 2011
Dear sisters and brothers in Christ in Palestine,

We in Mennonite Church USA have received your statement “Kairos Palestine: A Moment of Truth.” Though it has been nearly two years since you made this appeal the urgency of your situation remains and we feel compelled to respond even at this late date.

For more than sixty-five years, Mennonites have lived, studied and ministered in Palestine and Israel. Some of us have developed deep friendships and bonds of faith with brothers and sisters there. Our faith has been challenged and nurtured by you.

We open our hearts when we again hear of the suffering you experience in an occupied land as homes are taken from you, families and communities are separated by walls and checkpoints, and countless large and small indignities and humiliations are visited upon you each day.

We are challenged and inspired by the way you cling to hope and love, even in a situation you describe as a dead-end tragedy with no room for positive expectation. We are moved by the way you maintain hope because it comes from God. We are humbled and grateful for the way, even in your situation, you trust in the power of love as modeled and inspired by Jesus Christ. We are deeply moved by your testimony that even in the midst of cruel circumstances, you bear the strength of love rather than that of revenge. We are inspired by your continued vision that the only way forward is for Palestinians and Israelis to see the face of God in each other.

We hear in your call the appeal of Christ to us. Therefore, we welcome your invitation to come and see your reality. We commit ourselves to promote and expand opportunities for our leaders and members to visit you and learn firsthand about your suffering. We pray God will continue to open our ears and soften our hearts.

We also seek to study scripture together within our own church and with you, that we may be released from the grip of unjust ideology and may grasp more fully what God desires for your part of the world and for all of us. Further, we will continue to wrestle with the way our lives are enmeshed in the policies and implementation of occupation through our economic practices and seek to turn from them.

In the Kairos document, you again remind us that the way of the cross binds together great love for every person and courageous resistance to injustice and sin. We pray that as we journey together we will grow in our faithfulness to the one who leads the way and whom we proclaim as Lord and Savior.

In the peace of Christ,

Ervin Stutzman
Executive Director, Mennonite Church USA

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