I have nothing to add, Matt, except my disgust at U.S. government officials and agencies so spinelessly enabling, empowering, and protecting Israel as it conducts this genocide.
The Power of the 'Israel Lobby' in the USA is Extraordinary... AIPAC is the Strong-Arm of the Israel Lobby... In this last Election, AIPAC started to Meddle in the Primary Races.. To be Critical of Israeli Actions is to invite Anti-Semitic Smears upon Oneself... This is a very Bracing Report reporting on Sequestered Israeli Actions that are not commonly reported in the MSM...
A far bigger threat than AIPAC is the Zionist Christian movement, which is to say almost all evangelical Christians, since according to well done polls virtually all share the belief that Israel's destruction followed by Jewish conversions to Christianity is the bridge to the next coming of Christ.
In fact, Christian support for the jewish settlement of Palestine goes way back to Christians in the days of Oliver Cromwell in England, centuries before Herzl formally introduced Zionism in 1891. And even five years before that the American evangelical leader William Blackstone presented to President Benjamin Harrison a petition signed by over 400 business, political, media, and other leaders, including John D. Rockefeller and JP Morgan, calling for the US to support the Jewish settlement of Palestinian lands.
Today the largest pro-Israeli lobbying group in America is John Hagee's Christians United for Israel, with over 10 million members. So while AIPAC brings money to the table, Zionist Christians bring votes, millions upon millions of votes.
So when you drive past any of the tens of thousands of evangelical churches "planted" in old retail strips and other low-rent places or out beyond urban boundaries, know that their leaders and members are continuing a powerful American religious movement actively supporting the slaughter of Palestinians for over a century.
Thanks, Matthew for sharing this report back from Palestine. It is probably the saddest report I have ever read and I have read a lot. It is hard to imagine the amount of suffering of the Palestinians over the last 75 years if one has not experienced it. Robert Gold, Charlotte,NC.
Matthew, I stand at a busy intersection where hundreds of vehicles pass me, wearing sandwich board signs that can be easily read. One of them says PALESTINIAN LIVES MATTER: 50,000 DEAD AND COUNTING and the other says ZIONISM IS NOT JUDAISM. Each day that I do this, and I have no plan to stop, something happens that makes the day worthwhile.
One man jumped out of a car at the stoplight and rushed up to shake my hand. That day was justified.
A man rolled down his window to say "my son in law is Palestinian and what is happening over there is horrible, thank you" That day was justified.
A woman drove by and yelled a thank you then went and parked her car so that she could walk up to me and tell me how much she appreciated me standing there alone with my signs. That day was justified.
A kid came down the street on an electric skateboard, right out in traffic with the cars - crazy! The light changed and he zipped up onto the sidewalk to stop and say "I'm Palestinian, thank you for doing this" That day was justified.
I could go on, no day is uneventful. I display a Palestinian flag so there is no doubt about who I am supporting even to someone who cannot read my signs. Freedom of speech still exists though a Zionist millionaire could pay hundreds to stand on corners waving Israeli flags. Interestingly, that would never be done because for all the claimed support of Israel in the US, absolutely no one is flying the Israeli flag, so shameful is what is going on.
Standing still for a couple of hours, my feet get cold, and the weather is getting colder, but when I think of what hell the Palestinians are enduring, I am ashamed to think of my feet. Joe Biden has committed America to supply the slaughter. He may say he stands with Israel, I must make it clear I do not and consider him a traitor to liberty and justice for all.
I stand in front of a synagogue whose rabbi and a delegation of members packed the public comment period to denounce a city proposal for a ceasefire, late last year. When I first appeared on the corner, they called the police, the police came, explained they could not stop me from doing what I am doing and left. A am left standing proudly as a free American USING my freedom for good.
I have explained via email to the rabbi that I will continue my picketing until she makes a statement accessible to the public that declares the synagogue stands for liberty and justice for all and in opposition to ethnic cleansing, no matter who is doing it, be it the US with the Indians, Hitler with the Jews or Israel with the Palestinians. I expect to be at my post for a very long time, your essay only reinforces my dedication to doing so. Thank you.
Thank you, Clif. Let it never be said that one person cannot make a difference. May many more of your days be justified! Wear layers of socks! =) Stay strong!
Peg, imagine if individuals starting picketing all over the country. It is something that no amount of millionaire money can stop, nor could the police stop it due to our freedom of speech. It would demonstrate people power in a way not seen before. I think Americans are beaten down and feeling helpless, placing hope on some technology that will save us from global warming for example. I would think that mass killing being done in one's name would outrage people to the point of taking action, but very few have done so.
I think of Paul Revere who is to have raced on horseback shouting "The British are coming!" to rouse the Minutemen. In the present case, Zionism has come and taken over, the Zionists aren't coming, they are here, in control and the President is one of them along with his sidekick Blinken. How much more terrifying could anything be for any American that loves liberty and justice for all? The epic hypocrisy of standing for Israel and for liberty and justice for all - it is an impossible thing, two philosophies that could not be further apart. And yet the great mass of Americans simply carry on with daily life as if there is no problem. I think of this very much as I watch so many vehicles passing me by, not really caring about the issue.
I have emailed all of my city council members including the mayor asking them to respond and tell me they stand for liberty and justice for all and against ethnic cleansing. I have not received a single reply. This is moral cowardice of the first order, but it is common. I think the Pledge of Allegiance was lost on 99.9% of the American people. John Stewart Mill said in 1860 that the only thing necessary for evil to triumph is that good men do nothing. How right he was.
Thank you, Matthew. I am ordering a GoPro to monitor my activity as I know there are those out there who would like to shut me down. Though I get a 10 to 1 positive response, the negative shouts are often hateful and filled with rage. Road rage is bad enough, but at least one has the semi-safety of being in a car.
This is a thoughtful account. As a Palestinian Christian born and raised in the US I say I hope to meet you one day and shake your hand. Thank you! Thousands of stories to tell I appreciate you !
Matthew, thank you profoundly for making that trip, for touching those hands, for looking into those eyes, for facing what seems impossible, for seeing the walls and divisions and the sterile absence from what is going on behind those partitions. It's courageous witness.
I still can't see how my going there now would improve anything, but you have me thinking, as I call, write Reps, sign petitions, engage in zooms, watch podcasts, stand in the street with signs. More, we have to do more, echoes in my brain. gratitude.
Thank you for your reportage, Matt. I recently attended a talk given by a retired UMC minister who traveled to the West Bank with a group from Sabeel about a month ago. It's amazing how brutal Israelis can treat visitors at times, as the soliders held them at a surprise checkpoint for hours. You all deserve medals for putting your lives on the line for others. #FreePalestine
"...many in the US and the West are unaware that Christians endure Israel's apartheid, annexation and annihilation equally with Muslims."
That Christians are treated the same as Muslims in Israel should be brought to the attention of all the Christians in the U.S. who wholeheartedly support Israel's genocide. I suspect that would change the minds of many Christians.
One would hope... But many American evangelicals consider other Christian denominations as not "Christian enough" in their eyes to count. And they're obsessed with the Rapture coming.
It would be a good beginning for the new Trump administration to orchestrate a release of all civilian prisoners being held in Israeli prisons. We need tough inspectors (like Scott Ritter was the weapons of mass destruction inspector) who can go through the prisons and find out who is being held verify that innocent people have been released.
It would seem that there is such a long term culture in Israel that simply removing the current administration will not change it. Rescue prisoners and withdraw our funds from the country. What else can the U.S do?
Hi Donna. Yes, correct, a change in government will not do much in Israel. It’s the society, the media, the political system, the entertainment, the school curriculum, etc.
Thank you for covering and writing about this horrific injustice- we need to expand general awareness of this which can only be accomplished by speaking out.
Amen, Matt! Thank you for bringing the experience to life! Just one note about travel to Palestine, noted on other solidarity websites -- although these organizations do a great job hosting at very reasonable prices, they are not as cheap as the Zionist-subsidized ones. Everyone, please resist the allure of these Zionist-sponsored experiences, even if the price is better!
Allowable in- justices, seen -shared -denied , where ever you stand on who is right and to what degree, innocents are obliterated, watching from my own safety environment, gives me deep deep chills, how so little we have taken from WW2, so many gave their life, for them to see where we are now , would they so question their early demise,
So much knowledge in real time seems to have saturated denial by the majorities comprehension of this genocide, undeniably so by the complicit continuation of supply of arms and refusal of delivery of aid. Disgust in my white skin wearing shame.
Hello Matthew. I followed a link from Bill Astore's site to this article. There's an organization I would like to draw your attention to and that I would humbly suggest you add to your list:
I first became aware of Islamic Relief when the earthquake hit Turkey and Syria in Feb 2023 and I was searching for a way to help. I became aware that aid to Syria was being restricted, and that Islamic Relief via sister organizations was somehow able to get around that. To me that indicated their dedication, and so I've supported them ever since.
As you can see from their website, they have numerous programs throughout the world and their aid is not restricted to people of any particular faith. It is a humanitarian organization inspired by one of the five pillars of Islam, and as such I believe they are true to their promise of maximum effect with minimal overhead.
I'm just one guy with no power to alter the course of events, but I can at least contribute to those in a better position than myself to assist. I have put the link on my own substack - it's a small audience so I've no way to know if anyone has responded, but at least it's there. In addition I've made a personal commitment to make Zakat, even though I'm not Muslim. I feel it's the least I can do. I'd encourage others to do likewise if they can. The formula is on the website, and it really isn't a great burden compared to what the people of Palestine and Lebanon have to endure.
As-salamu alaykum, my brother. Insha'allah, we will overcome.
I have nothing to add, Matt, except my disgust at U.S. government officials and agencies so spinelessly enabling, empowering, and protecting Israel as it conducts this genocide.
Thank you for your witness and testimony.
Thanks Bill.
The Power of the 'Israel Lobby' in the USA is Extraordinary... AIPAC is the Strong-Arm of the Israel Lobby... In this last Election, AIPAC started to Meddle in the Primary Races.. To be Critical of Israeli Actions is to invite Anti-Semitic Smears upon Oneself... This is a very Bracing Report reporting on Sequestered Israeli Actions that are not commonly reported in the MSM...
A far bigger threat than AIPAC is the Zionist Christian movement, which is to say almost all evangelical Christians, since according to well done polls virtually all share the belief that Israel's destruction followed by Jewish conversions to Christianity is the bridge to the next coming of Christ.
In fact, Christian support for the jewish settlement of Palestine goes way back to Christians in the days of Oliver Cromwell in England, centuries before Herzl formally introduced Zionism in 1891. And even five years before that the American evangelical leader William Blackstone presented to President Benjamin Harrison a petition signed by over 400 business, political, media, and other leaders, including John D. Rockefeller and JP Morgan, calling for the US to support the Jewish settlement of Palestinian lands.
Today the largest pro-Israeli lobbying group in America is John Hagee's Christians United for Israel, with over 10 million members. So while AIPAC brings money to the table, Zionist Christians bring votes, millions upon millions of votes.
So when you drive past any of the tens of thousands of evangelical churches "planted" in old retail strips and other low-rent places or out beyond urban boundaries, know that their leaders and members are continuing a powerful American religious movement actively supporting the slaughter of Palestinians for over a century.
Thanks TSM... I did not know these Details....
Thanks, Matthew for sharing this report back from Palestine. It is probably the saddest report I have ever read and I have read a lot. It is hard to imagine the amount of suffering of the Palestinians over the last 75 years if one has not experienced it. Robert Gold, Charlotte,NC.
Thanks Robert.
Matthew, I stand at a busy intersection where hundreds of vehicles pass me, wearing sandwich board signs that can be easily read. One of them says PALESTINIAN LIVES MATTER: 50,000 DEAD AND COUNTING and the other says ZIONISM IS NOT JUDAISM. Each day that I do this, and I have no plan to stop, something happens that makes the day worthwhile.
One man jumped out of a car at the stoplight and rushed up to shake my hand. That day was justified.
A man rolled down his window to say "my son in law is Palestinian and what is happening over there is horrible, thank you" That day was justified.
A woman drove by and yelled a thank you then went and parked her car so that she could walk up to me and tell me how much she appreciated me standing there alone with my signs. That day was justified.
A kid came down the street on an electric skateboard, right out in traffic with the cars - crazy! The light changed and he zipped up onto the sidewalk to stop and say "I'm Palestinian, thank you for doing this" That day was justified.
I could go on, no day is uneventful. I display a Palestinian flag so there is no doubt about who I am supporting even to someone who cannot read my signs. Freedom of speech still exists though a Zionist millionaire could pay hundreds to stand on corners waving Israeli flags. Interestingly, that would never be done because for all the claimed support of Israel in the US, absolutely no one is flying the Israeli flag, so shameful is what is going on.
Standing still for a couple of hours, my feet get cold, and the weather is getting colder, but when I think of what hell the Palestinians are enduring, I am ashamed to think of my feet. Joe Biden has committed America to supply the slaughter. He may say he stands with Israel, I must make it clear I do not and consider him a traitor to liberty and justice for all.
I stand in front of a synagogue whose rabbi and a delegation of members packed the public comment period to denounce a city proposal for a ceasefire, late last year. When I first appeared on the corner, they called the police, the police came, explained they could not stop me from doing what I am doing and left. A am left standing proudly as a free American USING my freedom for good.
I have explained via email to the rabbi that I will continue my picketing until she makes a statement accessible to the public that declares the synagogue stands for liberty and justice for all and in opposition to ethnic cleansing, no matter who is doing it, be it the US with the Indians, Hitler with the Jews or Israel with the Palestinians. I expect to be at my post for a very long time, your essay only reinforces my dedication to doing so. Thank you.
Thank you, Clif. Let it never be said that one person cannot make a difference. May many more of your days be justified! Wear layers of socks! =) Stay strong!
Peg, imagine if individuals starting picketing all over the country. It is something that no amount of millionaire money can stop, nor could the police stop it due to our freedom of speech. It would demonstrate people power in a way not seen before. I think Americans are beaten down and feeling helpless, placing hope on some technology that will save us from global warming for example. I would think that mass killing being done in one's name would outrage people to the point of taking action, but very few have done so.
I think of Paul Revere who is to have raced on horseback shouting "The British are coming!" to rouse the Minutemen. In the present case, Zionism has come and taken over, the Zionists aren't coming, they are here, in control and the President is one of them along with his sidekick Blinken. How much more terrifying could anything be for any American that loves liberty and justice for all? The epic hypocrisy of standing for Israel and for liberty and justice for all - it is an impossible thing, two philosophies that could not be further apart. And yet the great mass of Americans simply carry on with daily life as if there is no problem. I think of this very much as I watch so many vehicles passing me by, not really caring about the issue.
I have emailed all of my city council members including the mayor asking them to respond and tell me they stand for liberty and justice for all and against ethnic cleansing. I have not received a single reply. This is moral cowardice of the first order, but it is common. I think the Pledge of Allegiance was lost on 99.9% of the American people. John Stewart Mill said in 1860 that the only thing necessary for evil to triumph is that good men do nothing. How right he was.
Thank you so much for what you are doing Clif. It matters!
Thank you, Matthew. I am ordering a GoPro to monitor my activity as I know there are those out there who would like to shut me down. Though I get a 10 to 1 positive response, the negative shouts are often hateful and filled with rage. Road rage is bad enough, but at least one has the semi-safety of being in a car.
We have nothing but small victories but they add up. Keep telling your stories.
This is a thoughtful account. As a Palestinian Christian born and raised in the US I say I hope to meet you one day and shake your hand. Thank you! Thousands of stories to tell I appreciate you !
Thank you Nailah
Matthew, thank you profoundly for making that trip, for touching those hands, for looking into those eyes, for facing what seems impossible, for seeing the walls and divisions and the sterile absence from what is going on behind those partitions. It's courageous witness.
I still can't see how my going there now would improve anything, but you have me thinking, as I call, write Reps, sign petitions, engage in zooms, watch podcasts, stand in the street with signs. More, we have to do more, echoes in my brain. gratitude.
Thanks Anthony
Thank you for your reportage, Matt. I recently attended a talk given by a retired UMC minister who traveled to the West Bank with a group from Sabeel about a month ago. It's amazing how brutal Israelis can treat visitors at times, as the soliders held them at a surprise checkpoint for hours. You all deserve medals for putting your lives on the line for others. #FreePalestine
Thanks. Sabeel was the group I went with.
"It were well to die if there be gods, and sad to live if there be none."
~Marcus Aurelius
"...many in the US and the West are unaware that Christians endure Israel's apartheid, annexation and annihilation equally with Muslims."
That Christians are treated the same as Muslims in Israel should be brought to the attention of all the Christians in the U.S. who wholeheartedly support Israel's genocide. I suspect that would change the minds of many Christians.
One would hope... But many American evangelicals consider other Christian denominations as not "Christian enough" in their eyes to count. And they're obsessed with the Rapture coming.
Sadly true.
Just horrific!
It would be a good beginning for the new Trump administration to orchestrate a release of all civilian prisoners being held in Israeli prisons. We need tough inspectors (like Scott Ritter was the weapons of mass destruction inspector) who can go through the prisons and find out who is being held verify that innocent people have been released.
It would seem that there is such a long term culture in Israel that simply removing the current administration will not change it. Rescue prisoners and withdraw our funds from the country. What else can the U.S do?
Thank you for bringing this information to us.
Donna Martz
Everett, Washington
Hi Donna. Yes, correct, a change in government will not do much in Israel. It’s the society, the media, the political system, the entertainment, the school curriculum, etc.
Thank you for covering and writing about this horrific injustice- we need to expand general awareness of this which can only be accomplished by speaking out.
Thanks Sadie.
Amen, Matt! Thank you for bringing the experience to life! Just one note about travel to Palestine, noted on other solidarity websites -- although these organizations do a great job hosting at very reasonable prices, they are not as cheap as the Zionist-subsidized ones. Everyone, please resist the allure of these Zionist-sponsored experiences, even if the price is better!
Very good point Nozomi. I hope you and James have had a happy and safe holiday weekend, and that James’ arm is healing well.
Thanks Matthew for your hard but essential and necessar testimony/report. Translated in French with a huge pleasure on my Substack account https://zanzibar.substack.com/p/rapport-de-mes-huit-derniers-jours
Thank you so much!
Free Palestine
إن شاء الله
Allowable in- justices, seen -shared -denied , where ever you stand on who is right and to what degree, innocents are obliterated, watching from my own safety environment, gives me deep deep chills, how so little we have taken from WW2, so many gave their life, for them to see where we are now , would they so question their early demise,
So much knowledge in real time seems to have saturated denial by the majorities comprehension of this genocide, undeniably so by the complicit continuation of supply of arms and refusal of delivery of aid. Disgust in my white skin wearing shame.
Hello Matthew. I followed a link from Bill Astore's site to this article. There's an organization I would like to draw your attention to and that I would humbly suggest you add to your list:
https://islamic-relief.org
That's the parent organization in Britain. They also have branches in Canada and the US:
https://www.islamicreliefcanada.org
https://irusa.org/
I first became aware of Islamic Relief when the earthquake hit Turkey and Syria in Feb 2023 and I was searching for a way to help. I became aware that aid to Syria was being restricted, and that Islamic Relief via sister organizations was somehow able to get around that. To me that indicated their dedication, and so I've supported them ever since.
As you can see from their website, they have numerous programs throughout the world and their aid is not restricted to people of any particular faith. It is a humanitarian organization inspired by one of the five pillars of Islam, and as such I believe they are true to their promise of maximum effect with minimal overhead.
I'm just one guy with no power to alter the course of events, but I can at least contribute to those in a better position than myself to assist. I have put the link on my own substack - it's a small audience so I've no way to know if anyone has responded, but at least it's there. In addition I've made a personal commitment to make Zakat, even though I'm not Muslim. I feel it's the least I can do. I'd encourage others to do likewise if they can. The formula is on the website, and it really isn't a great burden compared to what the people of Palestine and Lebanon have to endure.
As-salamu alaykum, my brother. Insha'allah, we will overcome.
Thank you for this. Yes, inshallah.