The + Friday + Five: 04.18.25 | Palestine II
The Friday + Five* is a brief list of things I have found meaningful, challenging, joyful, soothing, or quirky from the week. Some offerings will have themes, while others will feel like info was assembled by a gaze of raccoons fresh off a night of espresso bingeing. You’ve been warned.
Your Friday Five: 04.18.25
If you have been following me on the BlueSkies, you know that I have been in Palestine for almost three weeks, leading two separate delegations with Sabeel Ecumenical Liberation Theology Center and Friends of Sabeel, North America (FOSNA). We are currently here during Holy Week, which is very much and very much not what one might expect. More on that later.
For today's Friday Five, I simply want to share five fundamental truths that I have found helpful in my advocacy and solidarity work with Palestinians, both over the past years, but especially since October 2023. I have included some readings for each area, but you can also view all of the books I have marked on my Free Palestine Shelf on Bookshop.
If you want to pick up a few now, here are three.
- Ten Myths About Israel by Ilan Pappe
- Except for Palestine: The Limits of Progressive Politics by Marc Lamont Hill and Mitchell Plitnick
- And a novel that I am reading right now, Salt Houses by Hala Alyan
One // This did not all start on October 7, 2023. Despite Palestine entering the consciousness of many people differently, myself included, the attack on October 7th, the response by Israel, and the complicity of the world cannot be understood in a vacuum. We must understand the history of the formation of Israel, the nature of the occupation, and the impact on the people of Palestine. Read: Kingdom of Olives and Ash: Writers Confront the Occupation
Two // God is not a real estate agent. The bible is often used as a justification for the establishment of Israel, the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians, and the existence of Christian Zionism. The level of theological and biblical malpractice that is used to use the bible in this way is astonishing. Read: Call and Commitment: A Journey of Faith from Nakba to Palestinian Liberation Theology by The Reverend Canon Naim Ateek.
Three // To critique the state of Israel is not antisemitic. Despite this being a central part of the propaganda of Israel and Christian Zionists used to justify the actions of the state, the state of Israel and the religious tradition of Judaism are not one and the same. Read: Anti-semitism and Palestine by David Neuhaus, S.J., Professor of Scripture in Israel and Palestine.
Four // Palestine was not a land without people. Another standard message used to justify its founding was, "A land without a people for a people without a land." It does not take much research to know that there were indeed people here and in a place called Palestine. Read: Palestine: A Four Thousand Year History by Nur Masalh
Five // The two-state solution is not a solution at all. In my conversations with Palestinians, I have found very few who are interested in a two-state solution. If forced upon them, that is one thing, but for the long term, one Palestine, many people, free movement, and a true democracy is the dream. Read: Decolonizing Israel, Liberating Palestine: Zionism, Settler Colonialism, and the Case for One Democratic State by Jeff Halper
This is not an exhaustive list of realities to explore — ethnic cleansing, apartied, home demolition, Christian Zionism, arts, culture, etc. — but if you are feeling the nudge to find out more, especially more that does not come from those who justify how most media outlets communicate what is happening, I hope this helps.
From the Camera Roll:
I have had the privilege of spending this time with one of my kids. Traveling with my adult child as they share their insights, curiosities, and convictions has been a joy. The communities that have raised them have done a good job.
Here are some pictures and a video from Palm Sunday in Jerusalem, where, despite most Palestinian Christians not being allowed into the city, thousands of Jerusalemite Christians joined in the procession.
*The Original Friday Five was a weekly-ish post from my 2010s SF Gate’s City Brights blog. If you stumble across anything that you think would fit, please feel free to drop me a note.
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