Solidarity with Armenians
by Jonathan Kuttab
Nagorno-Karabakh (known to Armenians as Artsakh) is a disputed region in the South Caucasus, inhabited until recent days primarily by ethnic Christian Armenians. The whole area lies within the territory of Azerbaijan, but its inhabitants are all Armenian who wish to be either an independent state or annexed to Armenia. With the collapse of the USSR and withdrawal of the Soviet empire from the Transcaucasus in the final years of the last century, a simmering dispute emerged between the Armenians and the Azerbaijanis as to who would exercise control of this enclave. Wars and frequent border clashes over the area have been fought between Armenia and Azerbaijan, but last week, in a swift and bloody move, Azerbaijani forces – who incidentally get 70% of their weapons from Israel as well as Turkey – overran the region. Most of its indigenous Armenian population (of approximately 100,000) had to flee the enclave in sheer terror for their future.
We watched with horror as the entire Armenian enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh/Artsakh was overrun by Azerbaijani forces and as the population was forced to flee en masse in a very clear case of ethnic cleansing. The population was understandably fearful of a repeat of the massacres from the Armenian Genocide during the First World War. Armenians have been surviving for years with the constant fear that they would see a repeat of these crimes. These fears have been prompted by periodic attacks and intermittent sieges of the enclave by Azerbaijan forces, who have not hid their hostility or desire to take over the whole region. A nine-month blockade of the Lachin corridor, the only route connecting Armenia to the enclave, was undertaken by Azerbaijani forces. Russian forces, who provided some measure of protection for the Armenians and oversaw this corridor between Armenia and the enclave, have been thinned out by the ongoing war in the Ukraine. Apparently, that war also provided enough of a distraction for the world community, as Azerbaijani forces swooped in and overran the entire area.
As a Palestinian Christian, the images of long columns of helpless civilians fleeing their homes reminds me of the 1948 Nakba and the horror of those chased from their homes to become refugees, perhaps never to be allowed to return. Ethnic Cleansing, which is clearly illegal under international law, seems to still occur even in the twenty-first century, as the international community stands by watching helplessly. In particular, the United States, which hypocritically proclaims the need for a “rules-based” international system while actively orchestrating military assistance to the Ukrainians and organizing sanctions against Russia, has had little or nothing to say about this travesty except for a few tepid words by Secretary of State Anthony Blinken.
Palestinians do not only oppose such ethnic cleansing on the basis of principled solidarity and support for international law, but we do so also as a result of our shared experience. Many of the survivors of the Armenian Genocide, from the period of 1915-1923, found refuge in Palestine. They were housed in the Armenian Convent and other properties in the Old City of Jerusalem and were gradually absorbed into the life of the Palestinian Christian and Muslim communities there. Unlike the Jewish refugees who came to Palestine fleeing persecution in Europe and ultimately the horrors of the Holocaust, the Armenians never wished to conquer the land in which they sought refuge nor displace the native inhabitants, as did the Zionists, but they became truly integrated as an integral element of the Palestinian community. I grew up with many such Armenians in Jerusalem, seeing them as Palestinian as anyone else but with their own distinct Palestine-friendly culture, language, and history as well. The famous blue and white “Palestinian Pottery” sold to many tourists actually originated in Western Armenia, and now it has become fully part of Palestinian culture. Armenians found a niche in some industries like photography and goldsmithing, and their Arabic accent was very distinctive, but they have always been seen as fully Palestinian and joined in Palestinian life and politics as part of the rich tapestry of multi-ethnic, multi-cultural Palestine. One of them, Dr. Hassasian, even became the Palestinian Ambassador to England.
They, like other Palestinians across the whole swath of Occupied Palestine, are also currently taking the brunt of extremist Jews, who are regularly spitting on and harassing them, and who are trying to take over much of their property in the Old City as part of their efforts to Judaize the city. Literally, one has only to walk across the Armenian Quarter in the Old City of Jerusalem to feel the harassment and hostility of Israeli settlers and Orthodox Jews, as they walk through these pathways on the way to the Jewish Quarter or the Western Wall. Spitting, scuffles, swearing, and shouting insults are commonplace, but they hardly lead to any action or follow-up by the Israeli police.
While attempts are underway to marginalize and erase the Armenian-Palestinian presence in Jerusalem, their sisters and brothers in Nagorno-Karabakh are being violently overrun and ethnically cleansed yet again from their historic lands. We stand in solidarity with our Armenian siblings in their tragic hour of need, and we stand firmly in favor of international law and norms in a world free of prejudice, racism, and ethnic violence.
Take Action!
Protect the Rights of Arab Americans
(Arab American Institute) Protect the Rights of Arab Americans and All Citizens, Demand Transparency on Israel's Visa Waiver.
On September 27th Israel was admitted into the U.S. Visa Waiver program, which allows reciprocal, short-term travel between member states and the U.S. The reality, however, is that our government admitted Israel into the program despite ongoing discrimination against our community.
Instead of ensuring that the rights of all Americans are respected, our government has allowed Israel to continue to implement biased travel procedures against American citizens based on their ethnicity, national origin, religion, and personal beliefs. In admitting Israel into the VWP, our government has agreed to the continued blatant discrimination against Arab Americans, especially Palestinian Americans, and others who advocate for Palestinian human rights.
A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed by the U.S. and Israel prior to admittance laying out criteria for Israel's entry into the U.S. Visa Waiver Program. The government also collected reports of discrimination throughout the effective dates of the MOU. To add insult to injury, the Administration has not released the full MOU to the public, nor has it offered any transparency in the data used to determine admittance. While we continue to strongly oppose Israel's entry into the Visa Waiver Program because their treatment of our community violates the spirit and letter of the reciprocity requirement of the law, we are also demanding that our government release the actual agreement and data that allows Israel to deny our U.S. citizenship.
Please join us in asking your member of Congress to exercise oversight over the Administration's decision to ignore the rights of U.S. citizens.
Get Involved!
We invite you to join us in the following events and activities:
October 13 - 14: New York & Santa Cruz
Battling the ‘IHRA definition’: Theory & Activism
Join the first convening of the Institute for the Critical Study of Zionism in October 2023! This inaugural gathering will bring together ICSZ’s community of scholars and activists to build and share knowledge about how “the IHRA definition of antisemitism” both amplifies and hides repressive power and state violence.
This is a working meeting for scholars and activists of ICSZ’s community, particularly those engaged in researching and confronting the repressive use of “the IHRA definition” to foreclose critical discussion and scholarship on Zionism. A selection of papers and videos of presentations will, however, be published after the event.
Registering: Please use this form if you’re interested in attending. Due to limitations on attendance, filling out this form does not immediately register you for the convening. You will receive a response as quickly as possible from our volunteer team to confirm the status of your registration. Deadline: October 9.
October 15: Online
Voices From the Holy Land presents: Israelism
Israel is central to the political and cultural life of the American Jewish community. But it has also become a deeply divisive subject, as painful generational cracks have emerged within the Jewish community over the Israel-Palestine conflict, inspiring argument, protest and even censorship.
Focusing on the stories of two young Americans raised to defend Israel at all costs, Israelism traces their awakening to Israel's dehumanization of Palestinians and the ongoing violence of the occupation. The film explores the past, present, and future of the relationship between American Jews and Israel, as growing numbers question whether support for Israel should condition and define their Jewish identity. Featuring a range of American Jewish thinkers, community leaders and activists, Israelism asks how and why Israel became the cornerstone of American Judaism, what the consequences have been, and what will happen as divisions continue to grow.
Watch the film for free at your convenience; Join the Q&A Discussion
Eric Axelman: filmmaker, co-founder of Tikkun Olam Productions
Simone Zimmerman: Jewish American activist, co-founder of IfNotNow
Lubna Alzaroo: instructor at University of Washington specializing in settler colonialism
Peter Beinart: editor-at-large at Jewish Currents, professor of journalism, CUNY and Publisher, The Beinart Newsletter
You must register to get the free film link and to participate in the Q&A discussion.
Weekly
Sabeel Prayer Service. Join Sabeel every Thursday (6pm Palestine) for online Bible Study, discussion, and prayer. Examine scripture in light of the ongoing realities confronting the Palestinian Church and the pursuit of Palestinian liberation.
Wave of Prayer. Subscribe to receive Sabeel's Wave of Prayer, enabling friends of Sabeel around the world to pray over issues of critical concern to the Holy Land on a weekly basis.
Kumi Now! October 8 to 14: Week 41 - Mental Health
Kumi Now is an online gathering every Tuesday (6pm Palestine) with a guest speaking on the weekly topic. Register here.
Mental health is too often a taboo subject even in the healthiest of societies. But in societies torn apart by violence or affected by constant hardship mental health can become an even more difficult subject to address. World Mental Health Day, celebrated on October 10, was founded by the World Federation of Mental Health to raise awareness of mental health issues around the globe and direct resources where they are needed. One such area is Palestine, where the constant use of tear gas, night raids, checkpoints, and other forms of psychological warfare take their toll in the West Bank and the combined injustices of the blockade of have created a society on the brink of crisis in Gaza. Here’s what you need to know about mental health in Palestine and what you can do so that together we can rise up.