Palestinian Liberation Theology
Friday Class with Dr. Nain Ateek
Dr. Nain Ateek is an Anglican priest who was born and grew up in the northern part of Israel prior to his family land being confiscated by the Israeli Army forcing his family to seek refuge with relatives in Nazareth. Re. Ateek served for 13 years at St, George’s Anglican Cathedral in Jerusalem until he founded SABEEL, an organization for Palestinian Liberation Theology for which he now works full time.
For this our first session Rev. Ateek set the context in which he will present his ideas for the
development of an uniquely Palestinian theology of liberation. The context is this: the problem lies in the stories of two peoples, the Jews and the Palestinians. These are stories that are largely unknown by the other on both sides. These two peoples were largely unknown to each other until relatively recently.
In the 5th century, Palestine was predominantly Christian. A very small number of Jews lived in Palestine although they did maintain a consistent presence. Iraq and Europe both had sizeable Jewish populations. Islam arrived in the 7th century and many Palestinian Christians converted in order to provide of more secure life. Christianity and Judaism were largely tolerated by the Muslims. In Europe the Jews had a very tough time in predominantly Christian communities as they were identified with the killing of Christ and other myths. They lived largely in ghettos. Antisemitism was alive and thriving in many countries.
Nationalist desires were gaining momentum among many ethnic groups and was true among Jewish leaders who longed for a homeland where all Jews could be accepted and guaranteed a decent life. Zionism, a drive to return to Palestine was a secular movement and unattached to the biblical promised land. As Jewish leaders considered alternate countries and sponsors around the globe they were strongly urged by fundamentalist Christians, located largely in the USA to go nowhere but Palestine. The fundamental Christian agenda was (and still is) to get the Jews to return to the Holy Land so that the conditions would be right for the return of Christ. These Christians, who continue to lobby hard today, believe that once the Jews return to Palestine they will build the Third Temple on the Temple Mount (which is in the hands of Muslims). Then the battle of Armageddon will take place and the end times will proceed.
In 1917 the Balfour declaration came into effect and Britain became the sponsor of a Jewish State in Palestine. Two promises were made in these years. The first was to create a Jewish State in Palestine. The second was a promise to the Arabs that in return for their help in the first world war they would gain independence from the Ottoman’s. The plight of Jews in Europe and the holocaust increased western countries’ desire for a quick solution to the Jewish problem.
Palestinians would say that they have always been in Palestine co-existing with many other cultures and ethnic groups. There was no resentment against the Jewish people, but a growing disease with the Zionist political plan to create a Jewish State in palestine. Because Zionist did not see their hopes being fulfilled and the Palestinians saw no action to address their desire for independence the United Nations implemented the Partition Plan to replace the British Mandate. This was the first decision that gave a legal right to the Jewish presence in Palestine.
The Partition Plan gave 55% of the land to the Jews who have previously held 6% of the land and comprised 33% of the population and 45% of the land to the Palestinians who previously held 90% of the land and comprised 70% of the population. The Zionist Militia almost immediately began pushing out the Palestinians living in their 55% until they in fact held 77% of the land and had demolished a minimum of 450 Palestinian villages; 750,000 Palestinians were displaced. In the 7-day war in 1967 Israel occupied the remaining 23% of Palestinian land in Gaza and the West Bank. Since that time the peoples in the area have seen various wars and two intifadas.
Today, the Palestinians are asking for 23% of the land (forgoing the UN mandated 45%). Rev. Ateek would say that the Bible has become an instrument of oppression to prove that the Jewish people must be in Palestine. He admits the Arab world is badly fractured and corruption is a problem. Despite their rhetoric, the Arab countries know they must deal carefully with the USA and follow its policies are be strongly castigated and on the losing end of the stick.
Rev. Ateek would say that anti-Jewish sentiment is a direct result of 1) Israeli injustices that continue and not because they are Jewish, and 2) Muslim’s belief that Islam is demonized by the west.
SABEEL and Rev. Ateek have set as their agenda the fundamentalism found in Christianity and in Islam, and to counter it with an authentically Palestinian Liberation Theology based on peace and justice for all.
Dr. Nain Ateek is an Anglican priest who was born and grew up in the northern part of Israel prior to his family land being confiscated by the Israeli Army forcing his family to seek refuge with relatives in Nazareth. Re. Ateek served for 13 years at St, George’s Anglican Cathedral in Jerusalem until he founded SABEEL, an organization for Palestinian Liberation Theology for which he now works full time.
For this our first session Rev. Ateek set the context in which he will present his ideas for the
development of an uniquely Palestinian theology of liberation. The context is this: the problem lies in the stories of two peoples, the Jews and the Palestinians. These are stories that are largely unknown by the other on both sides. These two peoples were largely unknown to each other until relatively recently.
In the 5th century, Palestine was predominantly Christian. A very small number of Jews lived in Palestine although they did maintain a consistent presence. Iraq and Europe both had sizeable Jewish populations. Islam arrived in the 7th century and many Palestinian Christians converted in order to provide of more secure life. Christianity and Judaism were largely tolerated by the Muslims. In Europe the Jews had a very tough time in predominantly Christian communities as they were identified with the killing of Christ and other myths. They lived largely in ghettos. Antisemitism was alive and thriving in many countries.
Nationalist desires were gaining momentum among many ethnic groups and was true among Jewish leaders who longed for a homeland where all Jews could be accepted and guaranteed a decent life. Zionism, a drive to return to Palestine was a secular movement and unattached to the biblical promised land. As Jewish leaders considered alternate countries and sponsors around the globe they were strongly urged by fundamentalist Christians, located largely in the USA to go nowhere but Palestine. The fundamental Christian agenda was (and still is) to get the Jews to return to the Holy Land so that the conditions would be right for the return of Christ. These Christians, who continue to lobby hard today, believe that once the Jews return to Palestine they will build the Third Temple on the Temple Mount (which is in the hands of Muslims). Then the battle of Armageddon will take place and the end times will proceed.
In 1917 the Balfour declaration came into effect and Britain became the sponsor of a Jewish State in Palestine. Two promises were made in these years. The first was to create a Jewish State in Palestine. The second was a promise to the Arabs that in return for their help in the first world war they would gain independence from the Ottoman’s. The plight of Jews in Europe and the holocaust increased western countries’ desire for a quick solution to the Jewish problem.
Palestinians would say that they have always been in Palestine co-existing with many other cultures and ethnic groups. There was no resentment against the Jewish people, but a growing disease with the Zionist political plan to create a Jewish State in palestine. Because Zionist did not see their hopes being fulfilled and the Palestinians saw no action to address their desire for independence the United Nations implemented the Partition Plan to replace the British Mandate. This was the first decision that gave a legal right to the Jewish presence in Palestine.
The Partition Plan gave 55% of the land to the Jews who have previously held 6% of the land and comprised 33% of the population and 45% of the land to the Palestinians who previously held 90% of the land and comprised 70% of the population. The Zionist Militia almost immediately began pushing out the Palestinians living in their 55% until they in fact held 77% of the land and had demolished a minimum of 450 Palestinian villages; 750,000 Palestinians were displaced. In the 7-day war in 1967 Israel occupied the remaining 23% of Palestinian land in Gaza and the West Bank. Since that time the peoples in the area have seen various wars and two intifadas.
Today, the Palestinians are asking for 23% of the land (forgoing the UN mandated 45%). Rev. Ateek would say that the Bible has become an instrument of oppression to prove that the Jewish people must be in Palestine. He admits the Arab world is badly fractured and corruption is a problem. Despite their rhetoric, the Arab countries know they must deal carefully with the USA and follow its policies are be strongly castigated and on the losing end of the stick.
Rev. Ateek would say that anti-Jewish sentiment is a direct result of 1) Israeli injustices that continue and not because they are Jewish, and 2) Muslim’s belief that Islam is demonized by the west.
SABEEL and Rev. Ateek have set as their agenda the fundamentalism found in Christianity and in Islam, and to counter it with an authentically Palestinian Liberation Theology based on peace and justice for all.
posted by Philip | 3:56 p.m.
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