Let me just say right off the bat. I am a Palestinian Christian. If Christians were being persecuted by the Palestinian National Authority, I would write about it often.
The truth is Christians are not persecuted by the Palestinian government, although there is some discrimination that exists by the fact that the majority of Arabs are Muslims and Christians are a minority.
In fact, the only place where I really feel persecuted is when I travel to Israel. I am harassed at Ben Gurion airport, even though I carry an American passport. I am treated like a criminal. I am intimidated, questioned, doubted, suspected and forced to leave barely with my dignity intact. I have had Israeli soldiers stop me on the road and throw my American passport in my face like I was some kind of animal.
Yet why are Congressmen Michael McCaul, a Republican from Texas, and Joseph Crowley, a Democrat from New York, introducing legislation to protect me from the Palestinian government?
If they really cared about protecting Christians in the Middle East, they would introduce legislation to protect me from Israel’s abusive government policies.
But protecting Christians like me is not what McCaul and Crowley are all about. They have introduced a sinister resolution that purports to seek the protection of the Christians of Palestine.
The two congressmen are among hundreds of members of the US Congress who turn their backs on Israeli government violations of human rights, and only focus on criticism of the Palestinians. Congress is so viciously anti-Palestinian and intimidated by the pro-Israel lobby that it is literally criticized as “Israeli occupied territory,” too.
Neither McCaul nor Crowley care anything about the woeful human rights conditions in the occupied territories of the West Bank, Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem. Nor do they care about the continued deterioration of the situation faced by Christians and Muslims living in Israel.
And that is a shame not only on these two congressmen and the US Congress itself, but a shame that must be shared by every Christian American who sits back and allows these vicious bigots to introduce politically motivated and racist resolutions.
The McCaul-Crowley resolution is filled with lies and exaggerations.
Here are the facts.
The Palestine National Authority did declare that Islam is the official religion of Palestine, a state that is stateless and remains militarily occupied by Israel. I opposed that decision. Right next door, McCaul and Crowley sits a state that you support that has made Judaism its official religion. Why be hypocrites and single out Palestine when you are silent about Israel?
Christian Arabs are a minority in Israel, too. And they are mistreated, abused and treated like second-class citizens along with Muslims.
Fact: Every Jew and every Arab “citizen” of Israel has an identification card. But a special number is printed on their cards so that non-Jewish citizens of Israel can be immediately identified from the Jewish citizens of Israel. I oppose that policy, too.
Fact: Arab cities and villages like Nazareth receive far less in government support than nearby Jewish cities in Israel. I have relatives in Nazareth who constantly complain about being discriminated against by Israel’s government.
Fact: If you are a Jewish Israeli citizen and you marry Jewish spouse, your spouse automatically becomes a citizen of Israel. But, if you are a Christian (or Muslim) citizen of Israel and you marry someone who is not Jewish, your spouse, under Israeli law, cannot become a citizen of Israel.
There are many bad practices on both sides, by Israel’s government and the Palestinian government. And as a Palestinian Christian, I support the two-state solution that calls for an independent Jewish State of Israel and an independent Palestine Arab state side by side with sovereign borders and living together in peace.
I also oppose, like most Christian and Muslim Palestinians, suicide bombings which have been conducted in our name by extremist members of organizations like Hamas. I also oppose societal discrimination that does occur in Palestine and also societal discrimination that also occurs in Israel.
There are real issues that should be addressed, if you would stop playing politics with the lives of Christians and instead focus on the reality. Focus on the real issues, congressmen, like bringing the two sides back to the negotiating table. Let them negotiate fairly and with equal weight. And don’t call yourselves Christians until you act like Christians. The bill that Congressmen McCaul and Crowley have introduced is the most un-Christian-like legislation I have ever read.
They and their vicious racism make me ashamed to be called a Christian.
