Class series at Sixth Presbyterian Church:

Why Palestine Matters

Tuesdays at 7PM: October 8th and 15th
Sundays at 12:30PM: October 20th and 27th
In the chapel at Sixth

For members and attendees of Sixth Presbyterian Church and their invited guests. To provide background on the ongoing crisis in Gaza and on positions related to Palestine taken by PC(USA).

Readings and videos will be drawn mainly from two publications the General Assembly of the PC(USA) has lifted up as useful educational resources: Why Palestine Matters, The Struggle To End Colonialism, published by the Israel/Palestine Mission Network of the PC (USA), and Focus: Palestine, published by the World Communion of Reformed Churches.

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Class #1: Tues. Oct. 8, 7 PM. Historical Background.

Guest speaker: Tina Whitehead, member of Mifflin Avenue United Methodist Church, volunteer with Sabeel in Jerusalem and the Bethlehem Bible College in Bethlehem 2006-2020, has taught courses on Palestine at Osher-CMU since 2009, MA in Spiritual Formation from Duquesne University.

Suggested readings (linked):

• Why Palestine Matters: Falk, “The Vital Contribution of International Law …,” pages 5-8.
• Why Palestine Matters: Tarazi, “From a Palestinian Perspective,” pages 11-19.
• Focus Palestine #2: “Colonialism and the Endgame of Decolonizing,”  pages 30-35.

Suggested videos (linked):

• Why Palestine Matters: “Introduction: A Brief History.” (5:42)
• Focus Palestine #2:  “Is Israel a Settler Colonial State?” (13:18)

Class #2: Tues. Oct. 15, 7 PM. The Situation in Gaza.

Guest speaker: Ahmed Arafat,  a member of the Pittsburgh community who grew up in Gaza and still has loved ones there.

Suggested readings (linked):

• Why Palestine Matters:  Bing, “Witness to a Silent Emergency in Gaza,” pages 40-42.
• Why Palestine Matters: Smith, “Gaza: Seige as Warfare,” pages 43-44.
• Why Palestine Matters: Gunkel, “Gaza: Being There,” page 45.
• New York Times, July 30, 2024, Bret Stephens, “Israel’s Five Wars.”
• The Washington Post, October 5, 2024, Warrick Joby ; Morris Loveday, Hamas built an underground war machine to ensure its own survival.
  
  (The last two articles were recommended by Peter Watt-Morse. Please contact Peter [email protected] or Tom Twiss [email protected] if you have trouble accessing them.)

Suggested videos (linked):

• Why Palestine Matters: “The Gaza Fixer“ (6:21)
• Why Palestine Matters: “Life without Water in Gaza” (2:50)
• Why Palestine Matters: “Gaza in Context” (5:27)

Class #3: Sun. Oct. 20, 12:30 PM. The Situation of Palestinians in the West Bank and Israel.

Guest speaker: Tina Whitehead, member of Mifflin Avenue United Methodist Church, volunteer with Sabeel in Jerusalem and the Bethlehem Bible College in Bethlehem 2006-2020, has taught courses on Palestine at Osher-CMU since 2009, MA in Spiritual Formation from Duquesne University.

Suggested readings (linked):

• Why Palestine Matters: Christison, “The West Bank Now,”  pages 33-36.
• Focus: Palestine #3: “Systems of Sin: Apartheid,” pages 61-65.
• Why Palestine Matters:Cook, “A Snapshot of Contemporary Reality Inside Israel’s 1948 Borders,” pages 46-50.

Suggested videos (linked):

• Why Palestine Matters: “Israel’s Wall: Security or Apartheid” (3:52)
• Why Palestine Matters: “Discrimination” (2:39)

Class #4. Sun. Oct. 27, 12:30 PM. Forms of Popular Resistance.

Guest speakers:
Rabbi Amy Bardack, rabbi of Congregation Dor Hadash, PIttsburgh’s Reconstructionist congregation; president of the Pittsburgh Pastoral Institute; and on the board of the Rabbinical Assembly, a global membership organization.

Bob Ross, Ph.D., an associate professor of literary arts and social justice studies at Point Park University; a longtime leader of the Israel-Palestine Mission Network of the PC(USA); frequent leader of delegations to the Holy Land.

Suggested readings (linked):

• Why Palestine Matters: Christison, “Resisting Colonialism and Injustice,” pages 78-81.
• Why Palestine Matters: Christison, “Liberation Theology as Resistance,” page 83.
• Why Palestine Matters: Landau, “Nonviolent Economic Action as Resistance,” pages 86-87.
• Focus: Palestine #2: “Political and Theological Resistance,” pages 38-40.
• New York Times, Oct. 7, 2024,Mairav Zonszein, “On Israeli Apathy.”
• New York Times, May 8, 2024, Karim Sadjadpour, “How Iran and Israel Are Unnatural Adversaries.”
• New York Times, Oct. 7, 2024, Roger Cohen, “In a World Changed by Oct. 7, Hatred Is Winning.”

(The last three articles were recommended by Peter Watt-Morse. Please contact Peter [email protected] or Tom Twiss [email protected] if you have trouble accessing them.)

Suggested video (linked):

• Focus: Palestine #2:  “Why BDS?” (9:47)

Selected initiatives of the PC(USA) related to Palestine:

221^st  General Assembly (2014 )

• [04-04] On Supporting Middle East Peacemaking. Includes divestment from Caterpillar, Motorola Solutions, and Hewlett Packard because of conflict with our mission investment policy. (For a rationale for divestment, see [04-02] On Divestment from Caterpillar, Hewlett-Packard, and Motorola Solutions.)

225^th General Assembly (2022)  

• [INT-02] On Recognition That Israel’s Laws, Policies, and Practices Constitute Apartheid Against the Palestinian People

226^th General Assembly (2024)

• [FIN-01] On Engagement with General Electric and Palantir Technologies, Inc. for Possible Divestment Recommendations
• [FIN-15] Divest from Governmental Debt Held by Countries Maintaining a Prolonged Military Occupation
• [INT-05] On Confessing our Complicity in Christian Zionism
• [INT-06] Educational Resources for Seeking Ways to End Israeli Apartheid