I am grateful to two people I have never met. The first is Ali Khan, a physician in Little Rock, Ark. I became acquainted with his advocacy for Palestinians, which has helped draw attention to their genocide at the hands…
That idea about US taking over Gaza isn’t gone yet
U.S. President Donald Trump’s plan to evict Palestinians from the Gaza Strip and have the U.S. take it over seemed laughable when he first proposed it in February. Now, he appears to have Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on his…
Bay Area synagogue mobilizes for 2 Palestinian visitors detained at airport
Two Palestinians who flew to the United States on valid tourist visas to raise awareness about their village’s plight were denied entry and detained by federal border agents at San Francisco International Airport on Wednesday, according to a leader at…
50 NGOs protest Israel’s restrictions on aid to Palestinians
More than 50 nongovernmental organizations are protesting new Israeli regulations they contend will further degrade humanitarian assistance to Palestinians and place already endangered relief workers at even greater risk. The international NGOs issued a statement May 6 imploring the world…
Let this cup pass: Gethsemane’s cry through Palestinian experience
In the darkness of night, after sharing the Passover meal with his disciples, Jesus led them to a garden called Gethsemane at the foot of the Mount of Olives. This was not just any garden. Its very name tells a…
Trump’s persecution of Mahmoud Khalil sets up a First Amendment showdown
Mahmoud Khalil, who helped lead protests at Columbia University against civilian casualties in Gaza, was arrested by U.S. immigration officers and sent to a detention center in Louisiana. This activates alarms in my First Amendment-loving mind. A series of unusual…
Wake up, liberal Democrats; and I guess you’ll have to abduct me, too, President Trump
Since only 1.1% of the U.S. population is Muslim, let’s play “Six Degrees to a Muslim Friend.” Years ago, Karen Park — the child of missionaries to Chile — introduced me to Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. The seminary introduced me…
Rethinking Western Christianity on Palestine
The Gaza war has exposed a painful truth: the silence and complicity of many Western Christian leaders and churches in the face of atrocities against the Palestinian people. This silence shakes the very foundations of our faith and values, forcing…
NYT’s ad denial sparks more debate about Israel and ‘genocide’
A newspaper’s rejection of an advertisement calling Israel’s war in Gaza “genocide” underscores the debate over the term for intentionally attempting to destroy all or part of targeted people groups. “The refusal of The New York Times to run paid…
Christian Zionism: the blind spot in faith-based activism against Christian nationalism
Christian nationalism in the United States seems more alive than ever. Project 2025 threatens to erode the separation of church and state, Donald Trump is hailed as a messiah following his assassination attempt, and at the state level, Ten Commandments…
A troubling question: Has Southern Baptist mission work among Palestinians been a bad investment?
Troub, short for Troublemaker, is the well-earned nickname of a fellow I got to know some years back. You say “up” and “hot,” he says “down” and “cold. Probably comes from his stormy days while studying at one of our…
The canary in the American judicial mine Christians are ignoring
With so many warning signs of rising theocracy being ignored, what’s one more? Metaphorically speaking, in terms of U.S. religion and politics, we might pass off our “shortness of breath” over politicians’ chronic dishonesty as our just being out of…