Statement in Solidarity with Palestine

We live in desperate times, a time of Kairos to speak truth to the powers that be and practice deep solidarity with the colonized and the occupied people of Palestine, as they engage in the sacred work of reweaving their lives, communities, land, and dreams shattered by the rogue state of Israel and their allies. Trinity Methodist Theological College joins in the outrage and grief, outpouring from around the world, and calls for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza as a first step towards a just peace in the region. Enough is enough!

While we condemn all attacks on public places and the killing of innocent people, we contest the propaganda that it all started on October 7. We also reject the mainstream narrative that what we witness in the Holy Land is a conflict between Jews and Muslims. We consider this narrative as a smokescreen to legitimize the sins of settler colonialism, which is the root cause of the current crisis in the Holy Land. As people of Aotearoa, we are conscious of the ugliness and violence of settler colonialism both on the Indigenous communities and Indigenous land. We reiterate that resistance to occupation and settler colonialism is not terrorism, but the sacred responsibility of Indigenous self-determination (tino rangatirantaga). 

We denounce the distorted interpretations of the Jewish and Christian scriptures and the toxic theologies that offer scriptural and theological legitimation to occupation, displacement, apartheid, ethnic cleansing, and violence. Christian Zionism is antithetical to the basic tenets of the Christian faith. We also deplore the legitimation of genocide in the name of “self-defense.”

We are deeply concerned about the ecological impacts of Israeli settler colonialism and the war in Palestine. Israel has been systematically using ecocide as a tool for further colonization of Palestine. Uprooting trees, destroying wells, contaminating the water bodies, deliberately altering the Palestinian environment, forcefully displacing Palestinians, and using white phosphorous weapons lead to ecocide and genocide.  This is a war crime, and this ongoing Nakba (catastrophe) must be stopped.   

We call upon all nations, global agencies, churches, ecumenical organizations, and all people of goodwill to stand together in opposing Israel’s occupation of Palestine and affirming the rights of the Palestinians to self-determination. While we urge the international communities to create corridors for humanitarian interventions, we reiterate our conviction that acts of mercy and compassion devoid of justice will only result in perpetuating Nakba.

We support the global call for an immediate ceasefire. But we restate that the
ceasefire should lead to a just solution, privileging the dreams, and aspirations of the colonized—self-determination (tino rangatiratanga).

We affirm our solidarity with our brothers and sisters in Palestine and commit
ourselves to accompany them on their long road to self-determination and freedom. We are inspired by the resilience of the Palestinian community and their resolve to resist occupation and celebrate the flourishing of life. We also acknowledge the Israeli and Jewish people who denounce the Zionist occupation and join the peopleacross the border to transform the Holy Land into a just and peaceful home for all. Desperate times make it imperative for us to be subversive troublemakers to protect, defend, and flourish life.