In Spring 2023 the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) launched an initiative to have faith and secular communities pledge to be Apartheid-Free. With a goal of connecting like minded communities around issues of freedom from racism, discrimination, domination, and oppression, AFSC reached out to both US and international congregations and organizations. Specifically, AFSC’s framing of apartheid is taking up the current example of Palestinian freedom, justice, and equality in the face of ongoing oppression, violation of human rights, and legal and social discrimination.
By early December 2024 over 420 faith and secular institutions and groups had signed the Apartheid-Free Pledge. Christian, Jewish, Muslim and secular congregations and organizations are part of the mix of signees. 22 Quaker Meetings/organizations have endorsed the Pledge including Westtown MM and PYM’s Middle East Collaborative. Elsewhere in Philadelphia signees include Rabbis for Ceasefire, Jewish Voice for Peace, and Philadelphia Christian-Jewish Allies for a Just Peace for Israel/Palestine.
The Apartheid-Free pledge is aspirational i.e., a community may be committed to working toward freedom and justice worldwide acknowledging our need to not only improve ourselves but to be active locally or globally to bring an end to oppression, discrimination, and violation of human rights. While there is no leeway in endorsing the exact wording of the pledge (see below), groups may add further wordings to the four segments of the pledge.
The Apartheid-Free Pledge:
We affirm our commitment to freedom, justice, and equality for the Palestinian people and all people;
We oppose all forms of racism, bigotry, discrimination, and oppression; and
We declare ourselves an Apartheid-free _________ [community/ congregation/ organization] and to that end,
We pledge to join others in working to end all support to Israel’s Apartheid regime, settler colonialism, and military occupation.
PYM’s Middle East Collaborative at its November 3, 2024 meeting approved endorsing the Apartheid-Free pledge with the understanding that it is grounded in nonviolent activism. After discussion on two points, we agreed to add three short paragraphs to our endorsement of the Apartheid-Free pledge. The first had to do with specifically articulating that we believe, beyond what is stated in sentence 1 of the pledge, in freedom, justice, and equality for Palestinian people, Israeli people, and all people. The second and third paragraphs speak to our supporting the definition of anti-semitism that is congruent with the Jerusalem Declaration.
The approved minute of PYM Middle East Collaborative therefore reads as follows:
WE AFFIRM
Our Commitment to Freedom, Justice and Equality for the Palestinian People and All People;
WE OPPOSE
All Forms of Racism, Bigotry, Discrimination and Oppression; And
WE DECLARE
Ourselves an Apartheid-Free Community and To That End,
WE PLEDGE
To Join Others in Working to End All Support to Israel’s Apartheid Regime, Settler Colonialism, and Military OccupationWe, the Middle East Collaborative of Philadelphia Yearly Meeting, endorse the Apartheid-Free pledge understanding that we are seeking freedom, justice, and equality for the Palestinian and Israeli peoples and all peoples.
Additionally, we wish to affirm that we support the Jerusalem Declaration on Anti-Semitism which notes that it is anti-Semitic to deny “the right of Jews in the State of Israel to exist and flourish, collectively and individually, as Jews, in accordance with the principle of equality”
We further affirm our unity with the Jerusalem Declaration in stating that it is not anti-Semitic on its face to criticize or oppose “Zionism as a form of nationalism, or arguing for a variety of constitutional arrangements for Jews and Palestinians… It is not anti-Semitic to support arrangements that accord full equality to all inhabitants… whether in two states, a binational state, unitary democratic state, federal state, or in whatever form.”
Friends may rightly ask, “What happens next?” after our endorsing the Pledge. Signees are thus included in a growing, ecumenical community of allies confronting racism, oppression, and discrimination. Support will be available from the Apartheid-Free Coalition of AFSC regarding resources and/or actions on behalf of liberation, justice, and equity. Just as congregations named South African apartheid a generation ago, we will be joining many congregations and secular communities in naming Israeli apartheid. Our action will be a message of support to Palestinians the world over in their efforts for liberation.
Sandy Rea, Clerk, PYM Middle East Collaborative
Jerusalem Declaration on Antisemitism is a tool to identify, confront and raise awareness about antisemitism as it manifests in countries around the world today. It includes a preamble, definition, and a set of 15 guidelines that provide detailed guidance for those seeking to recognize antisemitism in order to craft responses. It was developed by a group of scholars in the fields of Holocaust history, Jewish studies, and Middle East studies to meet what has become a growing challenge: providing clear guidance to identify and fight antisemitism while protecting free expression.
The Apartheid-Free Network is a coalition of communities who pledge to work together to end Israeli apartheid. This coalition formed in 2022, following the emerging consensus among the international human rights community that Israel’s treatment of the Palestinian people amounts to the Crime of Apartheid. Originally created by faith groups in North America, the network currently includes congregations, faith communities, solidarity organizations, non-profits, campus groups, businesses, and more.
