Thread by @jordandenari

Among many US Catholics, there is a feeling (sometimes unstated and perhaps unconscious) that what goes on in Israel-Palestine is not ‘our’ issue. It’s framed as a Jewish-Muslim conflict that we can observe from a distance but that doesn’t really affect us.

I observed this sense on a pilgrimage to Israel and the West Bank in early 2020, and have felt it even more this week, when Catholic Twitter has largely been very quiet on the events in Jerusalem and beyond.

But the long-standing oppression of the Palestinians by the Israeli state and settler orgs, with silence and support of the US, is something that Catholics need to begin seeing as ‘our’ issue, too.

One reason why is bc there are Palestinian Catholics! They, like Muslim Palestinians, face the routine killings, land confiscation, travel bans, exile, systematic humiliation & more by Israel. We need to listen to & uplift the voices of Catholic Palestinians in our circles

More importantly, even if there were no Christian Palestinians, the cause of establishing justice in the Holy Land should be one we commit to firmly. We must push for equal rights for Xians, Jews, & Muslims there, so the dignity of all is honored. There are many ways to do this.

I commit to sharing more about what I have witnessed personally in Israel-Palestine, esp in the West Bank. Sometimes I’ve been hesitant to say more bc I don't want to create tension or alienate myself.

But Catholics in the US really don’t know what the status quo is like, so it’s important to shed light on it. Violence against Palestinians is a constant, but it typically only makes headlines here when Jewish Israelis are harmed or killed. The loss of each life is a travesty.

My heart is heavy this week, seeing the news of recent violence but also remembering the years—in fact, decades—of violence & oppression that are intimately connected w the events currently unfolding in the Holy Land. Merciful God, empower us to enact justice & grant us peace!