An Open Letter to the Jews

Given some of my recent involvement, including writing, with what some would refer to as the Israel-Palestine issue over the last three months, I believe it is timely that I write this letter in terms of my understanding of certain aspects of this topic and also clarify some things in terms of definition.

In the first place, let me define what I understand by the word Jew. Historically, I believe this refers to anyone who can trace their biological lineage to the ancient clan known as The Children of Israel. These individuals identify their progenitor as a certain “wandering Aramean" initially named Abram, although technically, according to Deuteronomy 26:5, that reference was initially made, at least in this passage, to Jacob. It is interesting that Jacob, after he, his grandfather Abraham and father Isaac , all having lived in this land, now divided between Israel and Palestine, for some time, is still referred to here as a wandering Aramaean and not somebody connected to this land.  Then, according to the record of this history, which I, as a Christian, would describe as the Old Testament portion of The Bible, the God who called him from "Ur of the Chaldees" (Genesis 11:27-12:3) to what we often now refer to as The Holy Land, changed his name to Abraham, as recorded in Genesis 17:5. Again, according to this passage, Abram actually already began this move with his father and siblings and when this call came, he was no longer living in Ur.

Jump to 2016 and we have some difficulty still with this definition of Jew. This has come about in particular since the establishment of the state of Israel in 1948. Politically, it is appropriate to call all citizens of this state Israelis. Not all citizens of Israel are Jews though. However, there are a number of people of Jewish origin who would like to establish this state as one inhabited only by Jews. For some Jews, there is another element of identity that can be fractious. There are those who wish to identify themselves as Jews culturally and ethnically, because of their heritage, but no longer actually practice the faith that is historically identified with the name Jew. More Orthodox Jews, the purists, need to have Jews identified by their bloodline. Then, there are those who are Jewish by faith, proselytes to this religion, who are not Jewish biologically. I don't know whether these would be acceptable citizens of a Jewish state to the ultra-Orthodox.

However, my main purpose in writing this letter is not to discuss these issues further. I am writing as a Christian. This means I follow as Lord a religious leader who lived on this earth as a Jew some 2000 years ago, namely Jesus, the son of Joseph, who Christians also identify as Christ.

Furthermore, I am writing as part of that branch of Christianity known as Anabaptism. To narrow it down still further, I am a member of the Mennonite division of this group, in particular a member of Mennonite Church Canada and its British Columbia arm, Mennonite church British Columbia. Locally, I am a member of Peace Mennonite Church in Richmond, BC.

I am writing this letter to clarify where I and many of my co-religionists stand with respect to the Jews today. Christians have rightfully been accused of anti-Semitism, both in the past and present. There were times when Christians killed Jews who identified as such, during times of religious persecution in Europe in the Middle Ages. This was especially so during the times of the Crusades. Ironically, this was in spite of the fact that the Crusaders were ostensibly going to the land from which the Jews had been expelled to claim it back for Christianity, a religion that started with the Jews.

I and my fellow Mennonites do not agree with these past actions. Just the same, we are not entirely blameless in this area. There were Mennonites who supported the Nazis doing World War II, which is unfortunate. Mennonites have their share of jokes about Jews. Growing up, a familiar expression was "he Jewed me" when one referred to being taken advantage of financially.

However, we as Mennonites also have much in common with the Jews. We lived side-by-side in Eastern Europe and in Russia, in what is now mostly the Ukraine. We were both persecuted by the Bolsheviks and some of the other terrorists that roamed the countryside in the unstable days prior to the establishment of the communist regime. Sometimes we supported one another. We both also struggle with this identity issue of ethnic versus religious identity. When our ancestors settled in Southern Manitoba, Jewish businesses often got set up in our communities and we supported them. Some of the first professionals we had to deal with in terms of dentistry, optometry and medicine in our rural communities were Jewish. I saw a number of these individuals into my adulthood.

Over the last number of decades, Mennonites have gotten a bad rap from a certain quarter of the Christian community whom we would describe as Zionist. They generally exhibit unqualified support of the state of Israel. Israeli leaders, on the other hand, are very happy for their support, and therefore very unhappy with our lack of support. To be sure, there are many Mennonites who would subscribe to the Zionist understanding. However, and not to put this too negatively, these are more the rank-and-file members of our community, not the educated and leaders.

Having grown up among leaders of the Mennonite church, with my father being first missionary and then pastor and finally Bible school teacher, as well as myself having been educated in a Mennonite college and a lifelong adult member of the church, I believe what follows is what most real Mennonites who are more informed about the situation would understand and believe.

We do not have anything against Jews. Personally, my wife and I in particular, still often look at Jews with fondness and certainly respect. How can one not, given their success in so many areas of life from financial, to medical to media? To me, this is simply fulfillment of God's promises to their ancestors that those who did follow him would see their children blessed for 1000 generations, as recorded first in Exodus 20:6. I have been a fellow student, then professional colleague, and even teacher of many wonderful, intelligent and capable Jewish people who have contributed a lot to the world. Regardless of what one might think about them historically, ethnically and currently with respect to what goes on in the nation-state of Israel, we still cannot help but acknowledge that in some way they are still God's chosen people. I don't believe God is "done with" them.

I am not going to go into the theology and history of what has happened with the Jews over the millennia, what the Christian Church has thought of their place in God's plans, and how the Jews themselves have changed their own  self-understanding. Of course, there is divergence of opinion even amongst themselves on this. There are those, generally the more orthodox, who support the Israeli state. The more extreme ultra-Orthodox do not support a modern state structure, but would like to return to the theocracy of the Old Testament. Then there are the more liberal, according to the definition of some, who do not support the state of Israel because they do not see the need for it in terms of their understanding of where they are at in relation to their God at this point. This understanding is further supported by their antipathy to what they see happening in the state of Israel. Indeed, this is the area where we as Mennonites agree with Jews in this last group.

We are not against Jews having a homeland. I think it is something they can rightfully be thankful for, even though the way it came about is anything but peaceful. To be sure, there were political and international moves which resulted in The United Nations carving out this piece of land that has, since 1948, been referred to as the State of Israel. However, it is the cost to the people who were living in the land then that disturbs us. Some of them still live there, but many more are now living in what we would like to identify as the state of Palestine, in refugee camps both in Israel and Palestine, and in neighboring countries, or dispersed around the world.  The state if Israel has been founded at the expense of the Palestinians. Even before the state of Israel was established, militant Zionists were beginning to carry out their plans to establish a Jewish only state of Israel.

It is what has been involved in carrying out these plans that we as Christians and Mennonites cannot accept. From the beginning, Palestinians, as we shall name those who are resident in the land besides the Jews who were already moving in, were forced out of their homes and in many cases massacred. Harassment and legal moves against the Palestinians continue unabated. In fact, these actions have increased in the last 20 years in particular. This is especially so since the infamous Six-Day-War of 1967, in which Israel invaded the Jordan-administered Palestinian territories and has continued to occupy them and in effect rule them ever since. This is something that is illegal according to all international law, but the state of Israel has never been called to account for this or forced to reversed that action. This is in part because of continued support from Uncle Sam. Israel is probably the largest recipient of aid from the US, particularly when it comes to the military. Again, particularly since 1967 and seemingly increasingly, as Israelis and Jews opposed to this will both tell you, the government continues to propagate a narrative of the Arab world and all Palestinians being in favor of wiping Israel out. Therefore, all Palestinians are branded as terrorists. This is in spite of the fact that the Arab world and even the Palestinian community has largely abandoned that stance. Indeed, the Palestinian leadership, although they sometimes still appear to make unhelpful pronouncements and perhaps at times thus seem to support terrorism, has generally come to the conclusion, at least the people have, that nonviolent opposition to this treatment at the hands of Israel is the only way to go.

This also appears to be the stance of most of the Christians in the region. Unfortunately, far too many Christians in Western Europe and America, including Canada, in their support of Israel, have left these Christians feeling abandoned. They are puzzled at how their Christian brothers and sisters can treat them this way. It is this stance which has made us as Mennonites identify with the oppressed Palestinians, as part of our religious tradition is also a nonviolent lifestyle. We believe that as Christians, it is our duty to help liberate the oppressed. This is according to what Jesus said in Nazareth, his hometown, at the beginning of his ministry, as quoted in Luke chapter 4, quoting from Isaiah 61, in saying that he was fulfilling that prophecy in their midst. That is why we must support the Palestinians. It does not mean that we are against the Jews or the state of Israel. We are only against certain of their unjust actions which, in our understanding, also go against the commands God gave them through Moses and the prophets as recorded in their own Scriptures. I refer to those many passages where they are enjoined to look especially after the widows, the orphans and aliens in their midst, remembering that they were at one time oppressed aliens in Egypt. That is the Old Testament biblical narrative. That is not being practiced by many Jews, let alone the state of Israel today. We are simply asking that they re-examine their scriptures and act as we believe their God has commanded them in their own scruptures, as we believe he has commanded us.

In Jerusalem - A Refugee Camp???

Shufat Refugee Camp - May 11 2016

It was a surprise to learn as part of our recent tour of Israel that there is actually still a large refugee camp, dating back to 1948, but especially the Six-Day War of 1967, and run by the UNRWA, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine, within the borders of northeast Jerusalem itself. Some of the last referred to were those who had lived in what was referred to as the Moroccan Quarter which Israel cleared in 1967 to make room for their Western Wall Plaza. The population in 1967 had been about 7000. Ironically, this is just across the road from a rich area of Jerusalem of long-standing, referred to as French Hill. Conversely, the refugee camp is referred to as a mini-Gaza. It is now surrounded by one of Israel's famous concrete walls, complete with guard towers, and its citizens subject to the use of rubber bullets and tear gas, of which empty canisters can be seen on street corners at any time. Apparently 22,000 and possibly as many as 27,000 Palestinians still languish in this camp and there are another 75,000 of them trying to make a living in the surrounding area of Jerusalem.

This "refugee camp" is in some ways indistinguishable from other parts of the city because of its concentration of multi-story apartment buildings, some with shops on their main floors, with cars busy going up and down such streets as they have. Of course, decades ago, it began with what we are more familiar with when it comes to refugee camps - tents. This building goes on in spite of the fact that Israel as opposed to it and in fact, in the previous year, had only issued three building permits for a population of 400,000 Palestinians. Even to get those building permits would have been an ordeal. However, there is no electricity grid, no cablevision or Internet service and no connection to Jerusalem's sewer and water system. Israel is supposed to be responsible for their infrastructure, utilities and economy, whereas the UN is only responsible for health and education. However, Israel seems to use the UN involvement as a way of denying their own responsibility and provision of services. On the other hand, the UN lacks funds to keep up even their commitments to the camp and would like out of their responsibility. Some say that the Western nations are responsible for all of this happening and should take care of it, referring particularly to Britain's role in the establishment of the state of Israel.

One has to acknowledge the ingenuity of the Palestinians though, for many connect to the outside world with satellite dishes and cell phones. They also set up their own electricity grids. They are given rations of water. They work hard to save this by putting up water tanks on the roofs of their buildings. However, a high proportion of the residents are unemployed. It seems they have Israeli ID as they live within Israel, but are still hindered from going out to work legally.

They were apparently two substandard schools in this camp. We also visited what was referred to as a Childcare Center, which even got some funding from somewhere in Canada, according to a plaque on the wall where we were gathered. However, they are only able to operate a couple of hours of school in the morning and a couple of hours of play under supervision in the afternoon; needless to say, there are no parks or green spaces for children to play in this whole area.

I could not help but reflect how all of this resembles the struggle for a just existence, identity and independence that has characterized two other groups of people that I'm well acquainted with: the indigenous people of North America and indeed around the world, and the Taiwanese, from where my wife comes.

Although there is a gated checkpoint with security towers at the northern entrance from which we originally entered, there is a long narrow over-arched passageway, essentially an old street, to the south with no such restrictions at its end. This leads into what the village of Anata, which has grown up to surround the refugee camp. This whole area has a population of about 90,000. This is the route we took to exit the camp and meet our bus.

For some of our exploration of the camp, we were led by a young Palestinian activist named Mohammed, who seemed to be known to one of our leaders, Omar Haramy. Mohammed responded in the affirmative with respect to arrests when we asked him if he had ever been arrested. He also stated that he had been tortured on at least five of those

Here, we reflected on the Second Station of the Contemporary Way of the Cross. In the first sense, this is simply when Jesus begins to carry his cross. Today, it directed our attention to the refugees, whom we had just visited. Surely, being a refugee since either 1948 or 1967, is a heavy cross to bear after all this time.

10 Things about the Holy Land You Probably Did Not Know

Having just returned from an extensive 8-day learning tour of The Holy Land, I thought I would share with you the following:

1.    The Holy Land is comprised of two nations: Israel and Palestine. To be sure, Israel and its number one ally, the US, do not recognize Palestine as a state, but almost every other nation in the world does.

2.     The Christian Church has been present in The Holy Land since the time of The New Testament and is still very much alive there. And some of you thought it was all Jewish or Muslim.

3.   We have The Christian Church to thank for sparing the so-called holy sites, some of which are in Israel (e.g. Jerusalem and in Nazareth) and some of which are in Palestine (e.g., Bethlehem).

4.  Ramallah, the seat of government in, and Bethlehem, also in The West Bank of Palestine, have Christian mayors by law, as established by former PLO leader, Yassir Arafat.

5.     Buildings in Palestine or Palestinian areas of Israel can be distinguished by large black water tanks on their roof. This is because Israel controls the water in The Holy Land and only turns it on for Palestinians several hours a day, often beginning at 4 AM. This causes sleep problems for many Palestinian mothers who get up at that hour to do the laundry before the workday begins.

6.    The Palestinians, Jews and Christians who lived in The Holy Land since the time of Jesus coexisted peaceably for the most part until the formation of the nation of Israel in 1948.

7.     The Christian churches you see in The Holy Land today only date back to the fourth century AD/CE at the earliest.

8.   Against the wishes of Britain, who was in control of The Holy Land at the time, and the United Nations, Israeli terrorists at the time of the founding of the state of Israel, evicted the residents of over 500 Palestinian towns and villages from their homes, often at gunpoint. Despite promises given at the time, none have been allowed back home since then - 1948.

9.    There are still a number of refugee camps to house these Palestinians, e.g., in Jerusalem itself, and Bethlehem (three in that area), with all the limitations that refugee camps have with infrastructure and resources (i.e., not connected to the hydroelectric or water and sewer networks that surround them), run by the United Nations in The Holy Land, in which Palestinians have lived since 1948 when they were expelled from their homes by Israel. Some are large enough to qualify as cities in their own right.

10.  On the other hand, since 1967, when Israel took over control, i.e. “occupied” Palestinian territory, over 500 Jewish communities have been established illegally, according to international law, on these occupied territories. These are often referred to as "settlements," which for many may suggest small pioneer-type communities, when in fact many qualify size-wise as cities in their own right and have all the infrastructure and benefits of any modern city, including a network of obviously illegally built highways connecting them, which are often entirely off-limits to Palestinians, or at least only open with severe restrictions, as in “checkpoints.”