As a Palestinian Pastor, I Can’t Call This ‘peace’ Plan Justice

 

In Palestine, we welcomed the news of a ceasefire with hope—a fragile, trembling hope. After months of unbearable horror, we allowed ourselves to exhale. For the people of Gaza, it meant a pause in the killing, a night of uneasy quiet, and the possibility of sleep without bombs. For the first time in months, aid convoys could move, families could begin to search for loved ones beneath the rubble, and the living could start to count the dead.

But almost immediately, our reality of living under occupation intruded again. The arrest of Layan Nasser, a young Palestinian Christian activist who was recently detained by Israeli security forces for the third time, reminded us that nothing has fundamentally changed. Even as hostages are released, Israel continues to place more Palestinians under administrative detention. Even as politicians congratulate themselves on achieving “peace,” the machinery of occupation continues its cruel rhythm.

As a pastor and a Palestinian living in the West Bank, I write with gratitude and grief. I am grateful that, for a moment, the people of Gaza can breathe. I am grateful for every life spared, for every child who can wake up to silence rather than explosions. I rejoice for those released from captivity—Palestinian and Israeli—and I mourn for those who did not return. I grieve deeply for the thousands who remain imprisoned, displaced, and exiled, denied even the dignity of mourning.

But I cannot pretend that this ceasefire, or the so-called “peace” plan that follows it, represents anything close to justice. Last weekend, Israel launched airstrikes in Gaza, which killed close to 100 Palestinians and wounded over 200 more. Israel claimed that this breach of the ceasefire was a retaliation for Hamas attacking and killing Israel Defense Force troops in Rafah. But reports indicate that the two IDF casualties were not a result of a Hamas attack, but due to a bulldozer running over an unexploded ordnance. As reported by Al Jazeera, Gaza’s media office alleges that Israel has broken the ceasefire agreement 80 times since it took effect on Oct. 10. Still, despite violent rhetoric from both U.S. and Israeli officials, Hamas told BBC that it remains committed to the ceasefire agreement. The killing of Palestinians continues in large numbers.  (more...)

As a Palestinian Pastor, I Can’t Call This ‘peace’ Plan Justice