Photograph by Ömer Yıldız via Unsplash

Palestinian Christians have reached out to the international Church, calling us to join them in their quest to be treated with human dignity. Longing for liberation from oppression, they are beseeching the larger Church to help incarnate God’s presence and, from the logic of God’s deep love for all people, work with them to end the inequality they have long endured. Their voices echo the larger Palestinian call to the international community to help them in their quest for freedom, justice, and equality—deeply Biblical goals. And their question looms large before us: “Will you help us get our freedom back?”

Long before the horrific violence of October 7, and every single day since then, Palestinian Christians have written modern-day epistles to the international Church, naming the violent structures under which they are forced to live. Their first epistle, A Moment of Truth: A Word of Faith, Hope and Love From the Heart of Palestinian Suffering (2009) is a powerful theological treatise on Palestinian suffering and how the larger church can support their work for liberation. The latest epistle, A Dossier on Israeli Apartheid: A Pressing Call to Churches Around the World (2022), asks the global church to name the evil of Israel’s apartheid regime and take action to work to end it.

There is currently consensus among all major international human rights organizations that Israel’s policies and practices against Palestinians constitute apartheid. Organizations including Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, B’Tselem (an Israeli human rights organization), Al Haq (a Palestinian human rights organization, and the United Nations have undertaken detailed research and analysis to conclude, on the basis of international law, that the government of Israel is guilty of the crime of apartheid.

In light of the Dossier on Israeli Apartheid, and the consensus among human rights organizations, a group of Christian leaders came together in 2022 to create a pledge that invites congregations and faith communities to take action. This pledge is meant to educate churches on what is happening in the land of the origins of our faith, equip congregations to become involved, and empower them to become part of a new anti-apartheid movement. The pledge states:

We affirm our commitment to justice, freedom, and equality for the Palestinian people and all people;

We oppose all forms of racism, bigotry, discrimination, and oppression; and

We declare ourselves an Apartheid-free community and to that end,

We pledge to join others in working to end all support to Israel’s Apartheid regime, settler colonialism, and military occupation.

The commitment of the pledge is threefold: to name Israeli apartheid, to commit to take action in a way that fits your context, and to join the Apartheid-Free network[i] that provides resources, support and ways to work together. The pledge allows Christian communities to respond to the direct calls of Palestinians to engage in nonviolent active resistance to work to end the unjust structures that lead to Palestinian suffering. Created in keeping with the role the Church has played in ending South African apartheid and Jim Crow apartheid, we once again must engage in prophetic action.

While the pledge was created by a Christian coalition, it was never meant to be exclusive. Current signatories of the pledge include people from Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, and Interfaith traditions, as well as communities of conscience including solidarity groups, nonprofits, businesses, justice organizations, campus groups and more! Baptist signatories include Baptist Peace Fellowship of North America – Bautistas por la Paz and the Alliance of Baptists, as well as several congregations.

Those who join the Apartheid-Free network see the commitment to Palestinian rights as a necessary element of anti-racism. Rick Goodman, a member of Calvary Baptist Church in Washington, D.C., said: “Calvary saw adopting the pledge as part of its commitment to be an anti-racist community.  Learning about the apartheid system in Israel and how it harms the Palestinians pushed us to both broaden and deepen our anti-racist commitment.”

American Baptists are stepping up in response to the calls of Palestinian Christians.[ii] Dear reader, will you join us in helping Palestinians get their freedom back?