Israel/Palestine

[beachlass]

12. I am far from convinced that local church courts taking stances on Israel/Palestine and peace processes therein isn't a matter of sticking our noses where they don't belong. I know quite a few clergy who have gone on observer/accompaniment trips to Palestine, with Christian Peacemakers   or other organizations. I've been to meetings where the mission committee was selling bottles of Palestinian fair trade olive oil. But I've also listened to folks who served on inter-faith councils talk about the hurt our well meaning proclamations have caused within Canadian Jewish communities, and know that our relationship with the Canadian Jewish Council has been very strained at times because of this.

Anyway, I'm working my way through reports this morning. (Our conference annual meeting is this weekend; like a diocese meeting, I think?) There is a proposal for boycotting goods from occupied Palestinian territory. And I'm realizing, that I'm fuzzy (appalled at my own ignorance) by what we even mean by 'occupied' Palestine. All of Palestine/Israel? The illegal Jewish settlements in the Palestinian territory? 

Luckily for me, there is another 26 page report to download. I'm starting it now; hoping to have more clarity, and a semi-informed opinion before Friday. I'm slightly irritable about how little congregational work I'm going to get down today, and more than slightly dubious that most of the voting members of the court will have any depth of understanding on human and land rights, history and current economic context re: Israel/Palestine.  

Comments

[phi]

I am totally not able to be objective about Israel/Palestine, but my kneejerk reaction is to say so what if Jewish Canadians' feelings are hurt. Hurt feelings is nothing on being oppressed by a violent militaristic apartheid state. As long as your proclamations distinguish between the government of Israel, and the Jewish people, I don't see a problem.

[beachlass]

Thank you. I appreciate you taking the time to point out my clumsy link between violent human rights abuse and problems in Canadian public discourse.

[kass]

This is a complicated set of issues, and one with which I spend sufficient time in my professional capacity that I'm not sure I want to really get into it in fannish space! *grin* That said -- I think you're right to be interested in specifying whether the intention is to boycott, e.g., 1) Caterpillar for making bulldozers which are used to demolish homes, or 2) goods made in the settlements in the West Bank, or 3) goods made "inside the Green Line" in land which everyone agrees belongs to Israel. The three are quite different in their implications.

[beachlass]

Having read All The Things - it looks like there has been some careful discernment; and the only call to boycott is a narrow one - goods made in settlements; with a focus on a specific product, and that the boycott be used as an opportunity to educate. (Rather than imagining any enormous economic leverage). There was also discussion about positive economic investment, including examination of tourism money spent, and a call for visitors to find ways of supporting Palestinian economies/products/communities.

I appreciate your comment, and that fan space might not be the place you'd choose to talk about this.

Seriously. I felt like I was cramming for a term exam, trying to grasp even a basic understanding. But now I know what you mean by 'inside the Green Line" - so I'm glad I buckled down and reduced my ignorance a smidgen.

[kass]

::nod:: That does sound quite careful and precise.

(And btw, please know that even if I don't always feel like getting into this in fan space, I don't mean in any way to limit your ability to talk about it, here or anywhere! I just -- feel sometimes as though I need to justify to myself why I'm not getting into this in great detail everywhere. *grin*)

[beachlass]

*hugs*

It is SO NOT YOUR RESPONSIBILITY to educate me. Especially in this space.

I'm so grateful for this space and community to start to reflect publicly, before I end up stepping to a microphone on the floor of the church court. Much rather make my first mis-steps here.