Speaking from the West Bank to the August 9th weekly online meeting of Doctors Against Genocide, Lutheran Pastor Munther Isaac repeatedly asserted that it is the “structures” responsible for genocide, injustice, and the denial of Palestinian self-determination that must be exposed so that they can be fought.
Regarding the current situation on the West Bank, he reported there is no real update. What is happening is known, except that it is accelerating. The Israelis want all of the geography with as few Palestinians as possible, and to this end they use the term voluntary emigration. This is actually ethnic cleaning. The actions of extremist settlers are all over the news, and their actions are truly terrifying. We are all terrified, he said.
But what is going on is much bigger than the settlers, Rev. Isaac continued; it is a structure, a system, a government policy. While the situation is accelerating, it did not start with this government, and it did not start on Oct 7th. For decades the settlers have been expanding and the Palestinian community displaced. The level of aggressiveness is increasing, and there are fewer and fewer restraints.
We should not be surprised, he continued. They got away with the genocide in Gaza, they were not held accountable, so why not continue in the West Bank? Yes, we must end settler violence, but (above all) we must name the structure, or we are missing the larger reality.
The political frameworks that are proposed for Gaza are still not founded in justice. Justice does not feature in any of the discussions, and also missing is the idea of Palestinian self-determination. Without justice we cannot begin to talk about peace. It is scary, he said, to watch all the “peace talks” that don’t include the concepts of justice or self-determination.
Broadening the perspective, Rev. Isaac said, “Today is Sunday, I am a preacher… you are going to get a sermon.”
He then recounted the Biblical story of Cain and Abel. After Cain murders Abel, he is asked by God, “ Where is Abel?” Cain’s reply is, “Am I my brother’s keeper?” Thousands of years later, Rev. Isaac said, this question continues to confront humanity. It is tragically familiar, the story of siblings who turn against one another, and finally kill one another. Cain’s response is an attempt to escape responsibility. He is asking, what does Abel’s life have to do with me, why should his suffering concern me? Humanity continues to ask that very same question today. Am I responsible for children being starved to death in Gaza? (He also made reference to the situation in Sudan and Uyghurs in China.)
Before I answer this question (in the terms posed by the Bible), Rev. Isaac interposed, I want to point out that the answer for some is: It is your tax money, it is the politicians you elect. So in many ways you are directly responsible .
But to go back to that question, he said, the entire biblical witness answers with a resounding “yes,” because this is our calling as human beings. This is at the very heart of what faith means. You cannot claim to love God while not caring for your neighbor.
Recently one settler was asked if one Jewish life was worth thousands of Palestinians. He answered, “No, millions.” He justified this by the idea that God has chosen his people (the settlers). Here, religion is being used to establish a hierarchy of human worth. This is the exact opposite of the idea that I am my brother’s keeper. As people of Faith we must offer a radically different witness. We must insist that religion exists for the good of humanity . We must recognize the image of God in one another. that the freedom and dignity of the Palestinian people concerns every one of us.
And when we are each other’s keepers it means speaking truth with courage, calling things by their names. Where there is a genocide we call it a genocide. In today’ s world diplomacy is a cover for racism. We must demand accountability. That is how we become each other’s keepers. When institutions, governments, churches , universities enable these crimes we must be willing to challenge them as well . We must continue to heal, but we must take on the structures. And I say this with profound respect for your work, Doctors against Genocide. Doctors who know that giving healing is not enough. We know that we must confront the structure that produces injustice.
This is the kind of faith and humanity the world needs today.
