Hope In The Face Of Atrocities And Bloodshed. Steve Williamson and Karen McClelland welcome Philip Farah of the Palestinian Christian Alliance for Peace.
Given the narrative of fighting between Muslims and Jews in the Middle East, it may come as a surprise to most people that there is a significant population of Palestinians who are Christians. Indeed, Farah says they may have comprised ten percent before the removal of the majority of Palestinians from their homes in 1948 in order to create the nation of Israel.
He explains, “Generally, under Muslim rule, Palestinian Christians really thrived for centuries. Now in less than two generations, we Palestinian Christians in Gaza have been totally decimated under Israeli rule, under Israeli attacks. Israel calls it mowing the lawn…that has prompted Palestinian Christians to flee.”
Farah goes on to describe the brutal killings of his relatives by Israeli forces, as well as the destruction of hospitals. “It is absolute mayhem and absolute cruelty that is unprecedented,” he says, “And, you know, the world just sits and watches.”
“Thank God for American Jews who are progressive, who know what is happening, and who help us, the Palestinian-Americans, and our allies to enlighten people about what’s happening.” He thanks the growing solidarity movement here in the U.S., which he believes is being noticed by the Israeli people and gives him hope. “Frankly, I think that without it, there’s going to be a descent into total bloodshed. One has to be totally insane, totally insane, to think that what Israel is doing is going to bring peace to the region, bring security to Israel.”