When the UCC Palestine Israel Network developed the PowerPoint “Crisis in Gaza: Leading Congregations to Understanding and Action,” we were hoping that this could be a resource to educate members of UCC congregations and their neighboring communities about genocide by Israel and the overarching historical and political context. We were also hoping that, beyond educating, this could lead to action to change the United States government policy of supporting Israel with military aid and diplomatic cover as they carry out a campaign that has, to date, led to more than 33,000 confirmed dead, almost half of those children, and created one of the world’s most alarming humanitarian crises. 

As a member of the Edgewood UCC parish in East Lansing, Michigan, I sit on the Peace and Justice Task Force. We have been active on Palestine since before October 7. We had already engaged in a series of educational presentations by activists, centered around the situation in Palestine and the need for action, specifically leading to letter writing in response to the AFSC No Way to Treat a Child Campaign and congregational support for the UCC 2021 Synod Resolution, Declaration for a Just Peace Between Palestine and Israel.

Our task force knew we needed to address this current crisis. When I mentioned the UCC PIN’s development of the PowerPoint presentation, the task force asked if I would be willing to present it to the congregation – and I happily agreed. I was able to speak not only as a member of UCCPIN, but as an academic at Michigan State University who has worked in Palestine since the 1990s and was a Fulbright Scholar 2015-2016 at Birzeit University. I used UCC PIN’s Crisis in Gaza PowerPoint, but provided my own narration, retitling it Crisis in Gaza: Situation, Context, and Calls to Action. 

There were more than 80 people who attended the Wednesday night, March 6, 2024 presentation including not only members of Edgewood, but people from the community, including members of other churches (one Lutheran, one Episcopal, and the local Quaker meeting among others) and the emerging “Lansing for Palestine” coalition. The spinoff from the presentation has included sending a link to the narrated presentation to people interested in using it in mobilizing their own congregations. The talk was also recorded and is now on the local Peace Education Center Youtube Channel here.

At Edgewood, we used the talk and its success to add to our own activism. At the end of January, having made many calls to Michigan Senators Peters and Stabenow and Representative Elissa Slotkin for ceasefire and humanitarian aid to no avail, we had sent them each a letter “we are outraged, that you and the President have made us complicit in an Israeli oppression and genocide.” Our letters got 40-60 signatures. 

On Palm Sunday, March 25, as a follow-up to my March 6^th talk and presentation of “Crisis in Gaza,” the Peace and Justice Task Force organized a “Pink Table Action” (named after the women’s pink hat demonstration following the 2016 Trump election).

The action involved a letter to President Biden and Secretary of State Blinken calling for 1) enforcing the “Leahy” and Humanitarian Corridor laws against sending arms to violators of human rights or impeding United States humanitarian aid; and 2) reinstating funds to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA). We included with the letters an Frequently-Asked-Questions explanation for each ask. Some 62 members of the UCC congregation signed the letter mailed on the Monday of Holy Week. 

Obviously, there is more to do.  But we have at least been able to use the resources of UCCPIN to galvanize action for peace and justice in Palestine.