The news today is all about an Israeli election. Key figures employing privilege and amassing power. But the hidden stories in Israel, in Palestine, are so much more important: Issa Amro's courage and Elaine Zoughbi's pain and perseverance. These are people I know, people we've visited in their homes. We've seen their work, their commitments. They rise every morning simply and only to make the world a better place.
This is both the privilege and heartbreak of travel. These aren't clippings from a newspaper; these stories are human stories, told by women and men I've touched with my own hands. They work proudly and boldly with Jews and Muslims and Christians alike; they imagine a communion of spirit inclusive of all faiths, races and backgrounds. They insist on truth. And for this, they are targeted by the state.
I guess it's no surprise, really. This is what occupation does to good people, to principled, caring souls working for the common good. It seeks at every turn to diminish, to bully, to scare. Issa and Elaine are not terrorists. They threaten only empire and bigotry. I marvel at their faith, their love and their daily walk with decency. Keep the Zoughbis and Amros in your prayers tonight, with all the others who are living and hoping for freedom and meaningful reconciliation. And when you have the chance, raise your voice for an end to the occupation of Palestine, and an end to illegal settlements in the West Bank, and an end to the suffocation of Gaza. The world can do so much better. Israel must do so much better. We all must.
Wednesday, April 10, 2019
Palestinian Pain, Persevering Power
The news today is all about an Israeli election. Key figures employing privilege and amassing power. But the hidden stories in Israel, in Palestine, are so much more important: Issa Amro's courage and Elaine Zoughbi's pain and perseverance. These are people I know, people we've visited in their homes. We've seen their work, their commitments. They rise every morning simply and only to make the world a better place.
This is both the privilege and heartbreak of travel. These aren't clippings from a newspaper; these stories are human stories, told by women and men I've touched with my own hands. They work proudly and boldly with Jews and Muslims and Christians alike; they imagine a communion of spirit inclusive of all faiths, races and backgrounds. They insist on truth. And for this, they are targeted by the state.
I guess it's no surprise, really. This is what occupation does to good people, to principled, caring souls working for the common good. It seeks at every turn to diminish, to bully, to scare. Issa and Elaine are not terrorists. They threaten only empire and bigotry. I marvel at their faith, their love and their daily walk with decency. Keep the Zoughbis and Amros in your prayers tonight, with all the others who are living and hoping for freedom and meaningful reconciliation. And when you have the chance, raise your voice for an end to the occupation of Palestine, and an end to illegal settlements in the West Bank, and an end to the suffocation of Gaza. The world can do so much better. Israel must do so much better. We all must.
