Apartheid-Free Communities: Launching a New Initiative to End Israeli Apartheid
Community Renewal Society is proud to announce that we have signed on to the Apartheid Free Palestine campaign. At the core of the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC)’s efforts is a push for divestment, education and advocacy to end colonialism and apartheid. The ultimate goal? Justice, equality and freedom for all Palestinians.
Apartheid is pervasive and uses mechanisms to impose its evil on Palestine and Israel. The basic elements of apartheid include:
Oppression/suppression and control
A legal system that allows apartheid to exist
The use of certain enumerated mechanisms (such as torture), specific tactics and methods that are used to enforce the system of control
In launching this campaign, Jonathan Kuttab, the Executive Director of Friends of Sabeel North America (FOSNA), highlighted that the fight against apartheid is not a fight against Israelis or Jews, but against a system of injustice. This idea of not demonizing a people, but challenging unjust systems, is a cornerstone of Community Renewal Society's work in advocating for marginalized communities.
AFSC's campaign parallels the tenets of CRS: advocating for justice, equality and systemic change. The fight against Israeli apartheid isn't an isolated issue; it's a reflection of the larger struggle against racial and social injustices worldwide. To be human and recognize the humanity of the Palestinian people calls us to action. As Martin Luther King Jr. famously said, “injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” Furthermore, a world that is more just and equitable is more stable and peaceful, which benefits everyone, regardless of where they live.
As we've witnessed before, change is most effective when communities band together. It's a call for all of us to stand up, engage in these critical conversations and take action. Whether confronting apartheid in Palestine or battling systemic racism closer to home, the path forward is clear: we need collective action to dismantle oppressive systems and build a world rooted in justice and equality.
RESOURCES:
Get involved with the American Friends Service Committee.
Share this pledge with your congregation or organization and encourage them to sign on.
Read Kuttab’s reflection On Apartheid as well as his piece Ongoing Nakba.
Let us know you want future updates about CRS Global Solidarity work by sending us an email.