In early September, I returned from a visit to Jerusalem and the occupied West Bank. Led by the Sabeel Ecumenical Liberation Theology Center, my visit was part of a multifaith delegation of Jewish, Muslim, Christian, Quaker, Buddhist and Hindu clergy,…
Blinded by their hatred of Biden, Arab voters cut off their noses to spite their faces
Polling data and widespread media coverage indicate the Biden-Harris Administration has a problem: Long a bastion of support and a key voting bloc for the Democratic Party, support among Arab-American voters for the party is the lowest since party identification…
Yes, ‘Palestine’ is a place despite what Facebook memes may have told you
As Israel wages war against Hamas in Gaza, many Americans have declared themselves armchair generals who think they understand everything about one of the most complex geo-religio-political conflicts in world history. Dear readers, Facebook is a poor resource for a…
The silence of our friends
If you were to survey the most significant decades in human history, the late 1950s to late 1960s undoubtedly would be at the top of the list because of the Civil Rights Movement, better known as the Southern Black Freedom…
The problems with Hamas, Gaza, Israel (and America?)
The Hamas problem This is a terrorist organization. The tragedy of Oct. 7 with 1,200 murders of mostly women, children and innocent Israeli civilians, the atrocities committed, the ongoing terror of the remaining hostages along with continued rocket attacks make…
Israeli soldiers make videos as they mock Islam in captured mosque
Amid a war already marked by charges of genocide, Israeli soldiers were filmed mocking Islam in a mosque in the West Bank this week. The desecration of the Muslim place of worship brought a swift apology from Israel Defense Forces…
Now comes the darkness. Perhaps new hope lies beyond
A week ago, I sat with a Palestinian shopkeeper in a country bordering Israel, drinking tea and watching nonstop Arab TV coverage of Israel’s retaliatory pounding of Gaza. Gazans ran in panic. Rescue workers screamed for ambulances and pulled dust-covered…
A Palestinian Christian’s cry for justice
As a professor of missions and theology at Logsdon Seminary for 18 years, I was committed to introducing my students to fascinating, significant people whose challenging ideas would instruct and inspire, helping to create more engaged and equipped young adult…
Trump’s West Bank shocker: are End Times ‘kooks’ running US foreign policy?
“As Christians, we are called to be peace makers and to work for justice for those who are living under harsh conditions.”