Session 8: Israel/Palestine: Why Should We Care? What can we do?

Purpose: To reflect on the previous sessions and answer the questions: Why should we care? What can we do? What will I as an individual do?

Materials:

Sheets from previous lessons

Individual copies of the Kairos Document (passed out during Session 1)

Make copies of the pledge card at the end of this session for each participant.

Make copies of websites, books, videos, email addresses, UMC missionaries and Advance Specials at the end of this session for each class member. (Advance Specials are organizations approved by the UMC for additional giving.)

Copy the following John Wesley quote and Scriptures from Proverbs on chart paper or make copies for each participant.

“Do all the good you can,
By all the means you can,
In all the ways you can,
In all the places you can,
At all the times you can,
To all the people you can,
As long as ever you can.”

John Wesley

Proverbs 24:10-12 If you faint in the day of adversity, your strength being small; if you hold back from rescuing those taken away to death, those who go staggering to the slaughter; if you say, “Look, we did not know this”-does not he who weighs the heart perceive it? Does not he who keeps watch over your soul know it? And will he not repay all according to their deeds?

Proverbs 24: 23-25 Whoever says to the wicked, “You are innocent,” will be cursed by peoples, abhorred by nations; but those who rebuke the wicked will have delight and a good blessing will come upon them.

Method:

1. {15 min.} Review and discuss what you have learned. What are the problems? What do Scriptures and John Wesley say about this? What has the UMC done so far?

Why should we care? (Injustice is being served. Our tax dollars pay for this. God commands us to love justice. John Wesley implores us to do good and be involved in social concerns.)

2. {20 min.} Read and discuss sections 5-10 of the Kairos Document.

*According to section 5, how are we as Christians affected by the realities for the Palestinians?

*In section 6, how are we asked to repent and view the conflict?

*In section 7, what is the international community asked to do?

*In sections 8 and 9, what is asked of the Jewish and Muslim religious leaders and of the Palestinian and Israeli people?

*Reflect on the final cry of hope and faith in God as described in section 10.

3. (20 min.) Brainstorm: *What needs to be done to help? (Keep a list.)

*What can you do? (Individuals make a list)

(Possibilities: Visit the West Bank.

Join an advocacy group-see below for groups,

Educate yourself-see below for books, websites, and videos.

Donate-see below for Advance Specials and UMC missionaries.

Be politically involved: write your congressman, write the President, go to your caucus.

Review and sign on the Cairo Declaration - cairodec@gmail.com.

Pray.)

*Sign a pledge card (Individuals keep their cards)

PLEDGE CARD

I, _______________________, believing there should be justice for all in Palestine/Israel, pledge to ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________.

PLEDGE CARD

Websites:

Working for a Just and Lasting peace for Israelis and Palestinians (from the UMC website)

http://www.umc-gbcs.org/atf/cf/%7B689fea4c-8849-4c05-a89e-c9bc7ffff64c%7D/ISRAEL-PALESTINE_STUDYRESOURCEGUIDE.PDF

PIJP Team of the Minnesota Conference of the United Methodist Church

http://palestine-israeljusticeproject.org

http://ifamericansknew.org/

Middle East Children’s Alliance

http://www.mecaforpeace.org/

Minnesota Break the Bonds

http://mn.breakthebonds.org/

Churches for Middle East Peace

http://cmep.org/

Middle East Peace Now

www.mepn.org

Anna Baltzer

http://www.annainthemiddleeast.com/

International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network

http://www.ijsn.net/home/

Cairo Declaration

http://cairodeclaration.org/

Sabeel

www.sabeel.org/

Friends of Sabeel North

www.fosna.org/

Coalition for Palestinian Rights

http://coalitionforpalestinianrights.wordpress.com/

Gaza Freedom March

http://gazafreedommarch.org/cms/en/Home.aspx

Al-Aqsa: A Palestinian-American organization of Christians and Muslims

http://www.aqsamn.org/

Email information you can receive:

Anna Baltzer' sends out regular emails.

anna.baltzer@gmail.com

Douglas Dick email address: he sends out a variety of news items.

overthejordan@gmail.com

Jewish Voice for Peace: sends out articles and actions

cecilie@jewishvoiceforpeace.org

Gaza Freedom March: actions you can take

info@gazafreedommarch.org

U.S. Campaign to End the Occupation: information and actions

uscampaign@endtheoccupation.org

info@palestinecenter.org

Kairos Document-google it. It can be found at a number of sites.

Books:

Armstrong, Karen, Islam.

Ateek, Naim Stifan, A Palestinian Christian Cry for Reconciliation.

Awad, Alex, Palestinian Memories; the Story of a Palestinian Mother and Her People. Bethlehem Bible College, 2008.

Baltzer, Anna, Witness in Palestine: A Jewish American Woman in the Occupied Territories.

Braverman, Mark, Fatal Embrace.

Carter, Jimmy, Peace Not Apartheid, Simon and Schuster, 2006.

Halper, Jeff, An Israeli in Palestine.

Lutz, Charles P. and Smith, Robert O., Christians and a Land Called Holy, Fortress Press, 2006.

Nershimer, John, and Walt, Stephen, The Israel Lobby

Pappe, Ilan, The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine

Raheb, Mitri, I Am A Palestinian Christian

Reinhart, Tanya, Israel/Palestine: How to End the War of 1948, Seven Stories Press, 2002.

Said, Edward, The Question of Palestine.

Missionaries to Israel/Palestine

Alex and Brenda Awad

See Resource Book of Missions and Missionaries: 2009-2011 page D-1.

Missionary Codes: Alex 10825Z, Brenda 10826Z

Advance Specials (from the 2009-2212 Giving Resource Guide of The Advance,

pages 73-75.

Middle East Regional

Department of Service to Palestinian Refugees-Middle East Council of Churches…………..#14908A

Education and human rights

Israel/Palestine

Al-Quds Charitable Society for Disabled and Special Education……..#3020721

Help for the disabled

Arab Evangelical Home and School………..#3020444

Education

Bethlehem Bible College, Vision 20-20………..#12017A

Training Christian Leaders to stem decline of churches in the Holy Land

Four Homes of Mercy Home for Disabled………..#3020711

Services for severely disabled

Hope Secondary School…………..#12018A

Education

Jerusalem Church, Renovation…………..#14907N

Jerusalem Infant Welfare Center…………#11544A

Jerusalem Princess Basma Center for Disabled Children………#14238A

Mar Elias Peace Study Center………#3020532

Interfaith

Palestinian Agricultural Relief Committee……….#629001

Provide food for Gaza families through urban gardens

Sabeel Youth Program……….#14909A

Support Palestinian Christian Youth

Shepherd Society………..#3020439

Humanitarian assistance and development aid to Palestinians

Wi’am Community Empowerment and Conflict Resolution…….#14910A

Culture of peace and acceptance and nonviolent resolution to conflict

Session 8: Israel/Palestine: Why Should We Care? What can we do?

“Do all the good you can, By all the means you can, In all the ways you can, In all the places you can, At all the times you can, To all the people you can, As long as ever you can.”

John Wesley

“Do all the good you can,
By all the means you can,
In all the ways you can,
In all the places you can,
At all the times you can,
To all the people you can,
As long as ever you can.”