AMMAN — To commemorate the anniversary of the 1967 Israeli
occupation of Palestine, which lands on June 5 of each year, a coalition of
many faith groups, and secular organizations across the US have pledged to take
action against Israeli apartheid.
اضافة اعلان
The pledge, as part of the Apartheid-Free Campaign, calls on
congregations, faith communities, schools, and organizations to take a pledge
to work against apartheid in all its forms and support to end the Israeli
occupation.
In a statement by the American Friends Service Committee
Already, more than 65 congregations, faith groups, and organizations are
calling themselves "apartheid-free” and pledging to take action against
Israeli apartheid.
This includes three nationwide signatories – the United
Church of Christ (UCC), South Central Yearly Meeting (Quaker) and the Alliance
of Baptists – as well as Christian, Muslim, Jewish, Buddhist and Interfaith
groups.
“Some of the UCC’s Palestinian partners have named their
situation as apartheid for years,” said Dr. Peter E. Makari, Global Relations
Minister, Middle East and Europe Global Ministries of
the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and United Church of
Christ.
“It is imperative that we name the reality of laws and
practices for what it is: apartheid – both as an international legal definition
and as our moral responsibility to speak truth – as we accompany partners in
their struggle for justice.”
Meanwhile, Rev. Allison Tanner national organizer for the
Apartheid-Free Communities Initiative said “Christian Zionists are by far the
largest single supporters of Israel and have created the largest pro-Israel
lobby in the country. It is time for Christians to rise up and say this
violence can no longer be committed in our name.”
She added “Christian communities have a particular
responsibility to support Palestinians since it is our religion that has been
co-opted into a distorted and anti-Semitic interpretation through Christian
Zionism.”
Organizations who take the pledge also commit to take
action to help end apartheid, including educational and advocacy efforts,
faith-based initiatives, and divestment actions. Currently 69 organizations
have taken the pledge, with many more expected in the coming weeks and months.
Read more Region and World
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