Voices from Israel — Mosaic, or Monolith?

My publication of the Archbishop of Canterbury’s recent advisory statement on the need for Israel to heed the decision of the International Criminal Court drew some very helpful thoughts from a longtime and trusted friend, Lance Weisser. Archbishop Justin Welby says the State of Israel has been “denying the Palestinian people dignity, freedom and hope” – and that ending its occupation of Palestinian territory is “a legal and moral necessity.” He concludes his advice with an encouragement for us all to pray.

I next shared an initiative from the Sabeel Ecumenical Liberation Theology Center, a prayer initiative called “The Wave of Prayer,” a daily roster which chronicles and prayerfully responds to emerging events in Israel and Gaza and elsewhere in the Middle East.

Given his family connections with Jewish communities in the United States and Canada, Lance posed to me a good question. If Anglicans maintain good communications with Palestinian communities, with which Israeli communities do we converse on a regular basis? I plan to follow up through my own networks as I think the question is apt.

There is a much wider spectrum of political, theological, and social understanding within Judaism than non-Jews might think, especially if the only voices we hear through media are politically conservative and aggressively militaristic. Where does one go to find voices advocating for peace apart from military occupation and genocide? Here are some of Lance’s thoughts:

Because antisemitism has an ancient and ugly history, and is always waiting to have any excuse to become more widely accepted as legitimate—thereby justifying antisemitic acts and racist polemic against Jews and Israel, these are increasingly perilous times for Jews, even here in Canada where children are experiencing hatred that leaves them confused and afraid.

This terrible and brutal carnage being visited on Gaza in response to rescuing Israelis still held captive by Hamas paints Israel and Jews as no longer the oppressed—the victims—but as the soulless fomenters of horrendous destruction. 

And it leads to polarization with extremists on both sides—the pro-Palestinians and the Zionists—and leaves gasping for a voice, the egalitarian Reformed Jewish movement wanting to promote dialogue, inclusion, ecumenism, and liberal values. 

Due to the shrill and strident factions wanting to paint it all as black or white, Christian bodies like the Anglican communion need to seek out these struggling Reformed communities that feel disliked/shunned even by their fellow Israelis just because they want to reach resolution through discourse and dialogue and listening to those outside Judaism in order to win over Palestinians and make them feel a valued part of their community.

Non-Jews should realize there is a deep history of progressive Judaism trying to widen the rather closed system of regarding only Orthodox and Ultra-Orthodox as Jewish and full Israeli citizens. 

The current Israeli coalition government, led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, is composed of several ultra-right and ultra-Orthodox parties. This coalition, which took power in December 2022, is considered the most right-wing in Israel’s history. This coalition has been marked by its controversial policies, particularly regarding the judicial system, LGBTQ+ rights, and Palestinian issues.  While other voices within Israel make up a huge portion of Israeli society they get bypassed and are dangerously painted as equally responsible for this slaughter in the name of freeing the remaining hostages.

While I completely understand the Anglican Communion wanting to issue policy statements about what is happening and (rightly) calling out the Israeli Government, it should also be expending just as much energy engaging with the Reformed Jewish leaders and community to see what it can possibly due to help augment and strengthen their voices and their progressive theological leadership. 

[Ken] Progressive, reform voices within and beyond Israel include those of the Religious Action Centre which for more than six decades, has worked to educate, inspire, and mobilize the Reform Jewish Movement to advocate for social justice. We have helped activate the Jewish community in the key debates and mobilizations of each generation since our founding, from the civil rights movement to immigration reform.

Regarding peace and security our commitment to a strong, vibrant, Jewish and democratic state of Israel, secure within its borders, is unyielding. The Reform Movement is also deeply opposed to the occupation of the West Bank by Israel, to the expansion of settlements in the West Bank, and to the oppressive treatment of the Palestinian population. We believe that ultimately, a negotiated agreement based on a two-state outcome– a Jewish state and a Palestinian state – is the only way to achieve real security for Israel and its citizens, preserve a Jewish and democratic state, and establish a long-term, secure future for the Palestinian people.

Closer to (my) home, Independent Jewish Voices of Canada gathers a group of Jews in Canada from diverse backgrounds, occupations and affiliations who share a strong commitment to social justice and universal human rights. We come together in the belief that the broad spectrum of opinion among the Jewish population of this country is not reflected by those institutions that claim to represent Jewish communities as a whole . . . We have therefore resolved to promote the expression of alternative Jewish voices, particularly in respect of the grave situation in the Middle East, which threatens the future of Palestinians and Israelis as well as the stability of the whole region.

I agree with Lance that our Church can and should cultivate deep relationships with as wide a scope of Israeli voices within and beyond Israel as possible. Such conversations will require the building up of trust, a long term and complicated task. Recent conversations in The Episcopal Church indicate conversations with “progressive Jewish Groups.” “The goal was to refocus the church’s advocacy on establishing a Palestinian state that exists side-by-side with Israel, while expressing ‘a degree of Anglican moderation and pragmatism’ in such an extremely contested conflict.”

The worldwide Anglican Communion has a ministry of presence and service in and through the Diocese of Jerusalem. To get a sense of Anglican life in Jerusalem follow the Rev. Canon Don Binder, St. George’s Anglican Cathedral-Jerusalem كثدرائية القديس جورج في القدس, who literally lives and ministers in a war zone, day after day.

The phrase “thoughts and prayers from afar” seems so small, even petty. Perhaps I, and we, can do more? Non-Jews often give up on the Middle East, saying it’s too complicated. I will close with another phrase: “Evil triumphs when good people do nothing.” Let us stand with both Jewish and non-Jewish residents of the Middle East, seeking out progressive, thoughtful, and strategic voices where they may be found.