1. The Reality on the Ground for Palestinians
The conditions that triggered
Kairos Palestine

2. Walking in their Shoes…
To understand what daily life is like
for Palestinian Christians & Muslims
under the Israeli occupation…

3. What’s it like over there?
Best to go and see for yourself
Next best thing is to bring it as close to home as possible through an analogy…

4. The Delaware Occupation
An analogy

5. (part of Delaware-Maryland-Virginia)
Israel/Palestine
10,916 sq. miles
DelMarVa Peninsula
10,800 sq. miles
(part of Delaware-Maryland-Virginia)

6. Delaware 2,026 sq. miles
West Bank
2,270 sq. miles

7. Israel 8,500 sq. miles
New Jersey 7,790 sq. miles

8. Gaza
170 sq. miles
Philadelphia
143 sq. miles

9. Now just suppose…
Delawareans once lived throughout the entire Delmarva Peninsula, from bay to bay until…

10. The federal government partitioned the peninsula giving away 56% of the land to Maryland and leaving Delaware only 44%

11. Then suppose…
When Delaware tried forcibly to take back their land, Maryland prevailed and ended up with even more land, occupying 78% of Delmarva and leaving Delaware with only 22% of the peninsula. In effect, Maryland takes land approx. equal to the size of New Jersey.

12. and suppose…
Maryland wins yet another war and occupies Delaware by deploying Maryland National Guard troops throughout all that remains of Delaware.

13. It is now under a military occupation And controlled by Maryland.
Delaware is no more…
It is now under a military occupation
And controlled by Maryland.

14. Living Under Maryland Occupation
Suppose Marylander settlers…
Forcibly took prime areas of Delaware land & demolished many homes to build & populate settlements the size of small cities throughout Delaware
These Maryland settlers steal Delaware’s water resources & best farm land. They destroy the Delawareans’ crops and their apple & peach orchards

15. And suppose Maryland National Guard…
Operates check points stopping all Delawareans at will to search & harass them and impede their travel or prevent them from getting to work, their crops, hospitals, church or visiting family members
Places Delaware under a separate military legal system with military personnel as judges
Raids Delaware homes at night, terrorizing families and kidnapping Delaware’s sons to detain them in prisons for unlimited periods without formal charges

16. And suppose under this Occupation the State of Maryland
Built “Marylander only” roads throughout Delaware leaving them only back roads for travel
Occupied and claimed Dover, Delaware’s capital, as the new capital of Maryland
Created a 9 mile wide “no go security zone” along the entire Delaware river & bay shoreline…

17. How might Delaware react?
Might they become very frustrated and angry?
Might they engage in episodes of collective resistance?
Might they resort to economic boycotts of Maryland products?
Might some among them resort to acts of violence against Marylanders?
Might they plead for help from outsiders?

18. Then suppose the State of Maryland responds with measures of collective punishment by
Building fences & high concrete walls snaking around Delaware towns, making them pass through checkpoints operated by Maryland’s soldiers when they leave or enter their own cities & towns
Building a 470 mile long concrete wall up to 26ft high supposedly along the Mason-Dixon line, but that actually confiscates another 9.5% of Delaware land which is under occupation anyway.
The wall Hinders Delaware’s commerce & stifles their economic development
And yes, the wall also keeps those few Delawareans resorting to violence behind the wall

19. The occupation leaves Delawareans “controlling” only scattered islands of land equaling only 12% of the land that once was Delaware…
and looking very much like the remaining territories controlled by the Palestinians today…

21. There ARE some differences
But wait…
There ARE some differences

22. Demographic Comparisons
West Bank – 3.8 million (Delaware 900,000)
Conclusion: West Banks 4x more densely populated
Gaza – 1,657,155 (Philadelphia 1,526,006)
Conclusion: densities comparable - very dense
Israel million (New Jersey- 8.7 million)
Conclusion: Israel’s density almost equal to America’s most densely populated state

23. PC(USA) 2010 General Assembly Actions re: Palestine
219th General Assembly calls for:
Cessation of all violence by Israelis & Palestinians
End of Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories & diversion of water resources
Immediate freeze on Israeli settlements & acquisition of Palestinian land & buildings in East Jerusalem
Relocation of Separation Barrier to 1967 border
Withholding of U.S. aid to Israel as long as Israel persists in creating new West Bank settlements

24. PC(USA) 2010 General Assembly Actions re: Palestine
219th General Assembly calls for:
Corporate engagement with U.S. corporations that profit from non-peaceful & inhuman uses of their products in order to change their policies
Shared status for Jerusalem (2 nations/3faiths)
Equal rights for Arab Israeli citizens in Israel proper
i.e. Palestinian Christians and Muslims
Cessation of systematic violation of human rights by any party including:
Administrative detention
Collective punishment
Torture of prisoners
Home demolitions & evictions
Deportation of dissidents

25. PC(USA) 219th General Assembly
Calls on the U.S. Government to make aid to Israel contingent upon compliance with:
International law & peacemaking efforts
U.S. Foreign Assistance Act prohibiting aid to countries that consistently violate human rights
U.S. Arms Export Act prohibiting use of U.S. weapons against civilians & civilian infrastructure
U.S. foreign policy peacemaking efforts

26. PC(USA) 219th General Assembly
Calls on the U.S. Government to:
Eliminate tax loopholes permitting donations to organizations violating human rights & international law (e.g. support of Israeli settlement building or Palestinian militant groups)
Account for aid to Mid-Eastern countries to prevent financing human rights abuses & breaches of international law
Withhold aid to countries other than Israel until civil, religious & other freedoms of their peoples are fully exercised
End taxpayer support of regimes that perpetuate inequality
End support of blockade of Gaza

27. PC(USA) 219th General Assembly
Calls on Israel to:
Honor family reunification of Christians & others
Permit home construction w/out discrimination, both in Israel & Occupied Territories
Calls on Israel & Egypt to:
Limit blockade of Gaza to military items only
Guarantee Gaza adequate food, medicine, building supplies & other humanitarian items & allow commercial exchanges
Strongly denounces Caterpillar’s profit making from non- peaceful uses of its products that violate human rights

28. PC(USA) 219th General Assembly
Commends for study Kairos Palestine, a Moment of Truth and endorses its emphasis on:
Hope for liberation
Non-violence
Love of enemy
Reconciliation
Lifts up … the often neglected voice of Palestinian Christians

29. follow this presentation with 3-part Kairos Study PowerPoints
free download available at
study booklet also available