Tuesday, October 31, 11:00 AM EDT
Israel has begun its ground invasion of Gaza. Meanwhile, antisemitism and anti-Muslim and anti-Isralmic discourse has spread in the West. As advocates for peace and the humanity of all people, we must act. Please join us in the following Urgent Action, urging our churches to call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, and for our Kumi Now Online Gathering on Tuesday, during which we will address the spread of antisemitism. Next week, we will focus our gathering on anti-Muslim and anti-Islamic discourse.
Urgent Action
We need to do all we can to call for a ceasefire in Gaza. This week, please direct your attention to your churches, urging them to call for an immediate ceasefire. You can send a letter, based on the following template, call them, and sign the petition yourself.
Sample letter:
Dear [Church Institution/Body's Name],
I hope this message finds you well. We are writing to humbly request your institution's support to the principles of justice, compassion, and peacemaking in the context of Palestine-Israel.
I am referring to the recent open letter issued by Palestinian Christians, which addresses the ongoing suffering in Palestine-Israel, the silence of the Western Church, and the distorted moral judgment by uncritically supporting Israel.
This letter (https://www.change.org/p/an-open-letter-from-palestinian-christians-to-western-church-leaders-and-theologians), signed by twelve Palestinian Christian organizations, voices concern about the suffering of Palestinian civilians and the ongoing Israeli systematic oppression of Palestinians. It expresses dismay at the silence of many church leaders and theologians in the face of these challenges and condemns the refusal of some Western Christians to condemn the unlawful actions of Israel against the Palestinian people, particularly those in Gaza.
I believe that your endorsement and distribution of this open letter could make a meaningful contribution to support the efforts to stop the suffering in the Holy Land. By supporting this initiative, you would be joining a global community of Christians who are seeking an equitable resolution to a long-standing history of violence.
We kindly request that your organization consider the following actions:
1. Sign the Open Letter: By adding your institution's name to the list of signatories.
2. Distribute the Letter: Share the letter within your church community, with other church institutions, and through your communication channels. This will help raise awareness and encourage more to sign.
3. Take Action: Facilitate platforms for Palestinian Christian voices to be shared amongst your Church network and congregation.
If you have any questions or need further information regarding the open letter or how to sign it, please do not hesitate to reach out to us.
Sincerely,
[Your Name]
[Your Title]
We encourage you to also share the petition and letters on social media. Use the hashtags #KumiNow, #Gaza, #Palestine, and #CeasefireNOW
Next Online Gathering - October 31: Week 44 - Antisemitism
This Week's Entry - November 9 is International Day Against Fascism and Antisemitism across Europe. It is run by UNITED for Intercultural Action. Why November 9th? November 9, 1938 was the ‘Kristallnacht’ pogrom, the first step in the Nazis’ attempted extermination of the Jewish people. You can read more about the date here. And more about the International Day Against Fascism and Antisemitism across Europe here.
As a nonviolent movement dedicated to achieving peace for all people in Palestine, it is critical that the Kumi Now community understands and fights all forms of hate, including antisemitism. As we work for justice for Palestine, let us also remember and renew our call for the elimination of antisemitism in all its forms.
To understand the genesis of Zionism, the State of Israel, and the subsequent Palestinian Nakba, it is crucial to understand modern antisemitism. However, antisemitism is not solely a modern invention. Antisemitism, a word that only emerged in the 19th century but has come to describe a much longer history of oppression, has taken on many different forms throughout history, including religious, socio-cultural, economic, and political antisemitism.
Please read the essay on this topic along with the poem by Amanda Hawkins and “Reflection on Antisemitism” by Rev. Naim Ateek (see Background info link below). And here are some facts for you:
Understanding Antisemitism. Just the facts...
Major violent incidents of antisemitism worldwide rose from 78 in 1989 to 456 in 2019.
In 2020, lockdowns reduced encounters between Jews and antisemites, reducing the number of violent incidents from 456 to 371.
But COVID and the lockdown increased online antisemitism and antisemitic attacks on property.
Due to policing on social media, the number of antisemitic manifestations on the open networks declined, while activities on the darknet intensified.
This included blaming the Jews and Israelis for developing and spreading the coronavirus.
Some vaccine opponents, both in Israel and abroad, compared the pandemic to the period of the Holocaust, and themselves to the persecuted Jews.
The number of desecrations of graveyards, Holocaust memorials, and other Jewish monuments rose from 77 in 2019 to 96 in 2020.
And the number of vandalized synagogues increased from 53 to 63.
In the US, 200 cases of antisemitic Zoom bombing were reported in 2020.
In the US a gradual rise in violent incidents has been observed for several years, reaching 119 in 2020, despite the lockdown.
Jews are the target of 58% of all religiously motivated hate crimes in the US.
82% of American Jews believe there has been a moderate or serious increase of antisemitism in the past 5 years.
Join us on Tuesday for our next gathering:
To register: Week 44: Antisemitism Online Gathering 2023 – KUMI NOW
Background info: Week 44: Antisemitism – KUMI NOW
See the full Kumi Now email for additional info, actions and resources Kumi Now - Week 44: Antisemitism (sendibm1.com)