History does not begin when you start paying attention. And if you only start paying attention when white people get hurt, you are going to miss the root causes of the events you are seeing. 

As we recorded this episode, Gaza was being bombarded,  with the threat of more indiscriminate violence being made by Israeli authorities. UK politicians, including the so-called Opposition, were unwilling to denounce the killing of Palestinian civilians whose ability to leave Gaza was being controlled almost entirely by Israel. 

We weren't planning on recording this week, but the appalling uniformity of media and political coverage, demanding every Palestinian denounce terrorism while asking no supporter of Israel to denounce war crimes like the bombing and starving of civilians (or crimes under international law like settling occupied land) convinced us that we had to add our small voice in solidarity with the people of Gaza and the people of Palestine. 

It's not a massively planned episode, and at times we (Jonty mostly) get a bit cross. But if you cannot get cross when children are being bombed and the international community cheers (and Christians are posting 'I stand with the people doing the bombing' statuses, complete with praying hands emojis), when can you? 

A few things to say up front, in case you're unfamiliar with our style or our stance, and just as a matter of clarity:

1. We can never celebrate the killing of civilians, children and non-combatants, whether you do so as the fourth largest military in the world or as a smaller, independent militia. 
2. We reject Anti-Semitism as the evil it is. Jewish people are not to be blamed for the actions of a nation state, nor should they be made to feel unsafe for expressing their religious and/or ethnic identity. 
3. We remember the significant number of Palestinian Christians who are so often forgotten by the Church in the West. But we reject the idea that Christians should only care about 'our own'. Muslims, Christians, Jewish people and people of no faith are all equally deserving of our compassion.
4. We do not believe it is our place to police the ways in which oppressed people resist their oppression. We will not dictate the organisations through whom they must resist in order to earn our respect or compassion. 
5. We believe that Israel must end the Occupation of Palestine and that all people in the Israel-Palestine should have equal rights and equal access to resources, freedoms and protections. This is not the case currently and it was not the case for decades before the killing started over the last week. 
6. We are appalled that our Government and media in Britain, like many around the world, seem to support ethnic cleansing, the killing of civilians and potential genocide, when the people suffering are Palestinian. 
7. Malky isn't on this one because he was working and we recorded on short notice. 

This episode opens with a clip from this video by @rathbonemakesmusic on TikTok. It's worth watching the whole thing - it starts off talkign about the American War of Independence. 

It is worth noting that before recording we reached out to several Palestinian Christian groups, several charities and a major campaign that supports the cause of Palestinian solidarity, but, understndably, they were petty busy with other things. We do not want to take attention or space from Palestinians at this time, but we also did not want to make demands on individuals who are under immense stress already. Please see this episode as our attempt to engage our specific mostly Christian, mostly western, audience with another way for framing what is happenign in Gaza right now. 

Justice and peace now. Free Palestine.  

About Beer Christianity

Beer Christianity is an anti-capitalist, pro-BLM, pro-LGBTQ+, post-post-post-evangelical (and apparently republican) podcast where we drink a bit and talk a lot. Our aim is to be real, to be helpful and entertaining.

Follow Beer Christianity on Twitter: @beerxianity and find us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube and Stitcher. 

If you leave us a voicenote on Instagram, we might air your question on an episode.

Beer Christianity also has a newsletter in which Jonty and guest authors comment on the news, theological issues and stuff that matters. 

Sign up to the Beer Christianity newsletter on Substack. 

There's a connected Show With Music on Spotify called New Old Music. Check it out if you like eclectic music and weird chat. It's not terribly serious. 

Jonty's novel, Incredulous Moshoeshoe and the Lightning Bird, is not available in all good bookshops, but if you bought it and left a review that would probably make that more likely. 

We don't really want to preach at you, but some people like to know what we believe. It's this: Jesus Christ is the Son of God and came to teach us a better way to be while reconciling us to God and each other in a way we could never do without Him. He also changed water into wine. Nice.