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Members of Presbyterian solidarity delegation standing in direct action against Israeli land grab of Palestinian land. (Photo: Noushin Framke)

As American Christians who enable Israel’s actions through our government’s support, we are not separate from what is unfolding in Palestine. We must accept our part in it, bear witness, and stand in support of the besieged Palestinian people. 

Noushin Framke was born in Iran in 1960 into a family where politics was ubiquitous and permeated every layer of life. Her father was a political prisoner under the last Shah’s regime; he had been rounded up with many writers and intellectuals after the 1953 CIA coup. Now, she reflects on President Trump’s executive order banning immigration from Iran and how a family that has always been obsessed with politics is coping.

A number of the prominent leaders who fought hard for LGBTQ rights in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) have stood as the biggest obstacles in the struggle for Palestinian witness in the denomination, writes longtime Presbyterian activist Noushin Framke. These PEP’s throw their bodies in the way of holding any event that might be critical of Israel.