#sabeel

According to the International Aid Transparency Initiative (IATI) database, in December 2024-October 2028, the European Commission will provide Sabeel Ecumenical Liberation Theology Center with €1 million for a project entitled “Faithful Futures: Religious Leaders for Accountability, Justice and Peace through the Two-State Solution.” As described in the database, the project, apparently funded through the EU Peacebuilding Initiative instrument (approved under the previous Commission), “seeks to preserve from further erosion and possibly reverse the negative public perception of the prospect for peace and a two-state solution.” 

Yet, in blatant  contrast to the project’s goal and EU policy, Sabeel states that its “ideal and best solution” is “a bi-national state in Palestine-Israel,” “one state for two nations and three religions” (emphasis added). Sabeel, through its “liberation theology” agenda (see section below), demonizes the existence of Israel and promotes antisemitic tropes. As such, Sabeel should be disqualified as a recipient of and a partner in any government-funded peace or development project.

Sabeel 

Sabeel is a Jerusalem-based NGO, presenting itself as an “ecumenical grassroots liberation theology movement among Palestinian Christians” that “encourages Christians from around the world to work for justice and to stand in solidarity with the Palestinian people.” 

Applying “liberation theology,” Sabeel casts Palestinians as the modern-day version of Jesus, blaming the State of Israel and Zionism for their “suffering”. The NGO regularly publishes imagery that violates provisions of the IHRA Working definition of antisemitism, endorsed and used by the European Union, thus also violating EU funding guidelines.1 In particular, Sabeel’s rhetoric conforms to the Working Definition’s examples of contemporary antisemitism is public life, such as:

Using the “symbols and images associated with classic antisemitism (e.g., claims of Jews killing Jesus or blood libel) to characterize Israel or Israelis.”

“denying the Jewish people their right to self-determination, e.g., by claiming that the existence of a State of Israel is a racist endeavor”

At the PSM conference in Georgetown, Bitar had run a sessiondescribing how to best demonize Israel. Next year, he facilitated a Palestinian Student Society summit addressed by Joseph Massad who had called Israel a "Jewish supremacist state" and praised terrorism.

Massad had also argued that the idea that "any manifestation of hatred against Jews in any geographic location on Earth and in any historical period is 'anti-Semitism' smacks of a gross misunderstanding of the European history of anti-Semitism."

A few years later, Bitar could be found presenting at a Sabeel conference featuring some of the worst bigots like Rebecca Vilkomerson of JVP ,who had invited a terrorist to address the BDS hate group, and Richard Falk, who had endorsed a book which wondered whether “Hitler might have been right after all”.

Maher Bitar went to work for UNRWA, interned at the misnamed and militantly anti-Israel

Foundation for Middle East Peace, and and studied at Oxford's Refugee Studies Centre, writing papers on the so-called 'Nakba' and on 'Palestinian' activism. He appeared to describe Israel’s security barrier as a “segregation wall”

Israel's "political existence as a state is the cause for Palestinian dispossession and statelessness," Bitar wrote in one paper. “Israel’s rejection of their right to return remains the main obstacle to finding a durable solution.”

The so-called ‘right to return’ would mean the destruction of Israel.

He helped assemble a BADIL publication: a BDS hate group which seeks to eliminate Israel through the ‘right of return’ and which has opposed bans on working with terrorists.

I appreciated the opportunity today to engage with this witness visit group from Friends of Sabeel North America FOSNA on the last day of their 11 day visit to Palestine. A deep conversation revolving around what can be done in the USA. Short answer: LOTS! Onward and upward, my friends.

Thanks to Omar Haramy for organizing.

NOTE: I share here the link to the article I mentioned about what you don't see on a visit:

It was exciting to speak today with this Chicago-based group led by Rev. Donald Wagner, author of "Glory to the God in the Lowest" (which I recently reviewed). This small but focused group gave me hope. Keep up the good work.