The watchdog group NGO Monitor revealed Thursday that the European Union is set to provide substantial funding to a Palestinian-Christian organization in east Jerusalem that has drawn fierce criticism for equating Israel's military operations with the crucifixion of Jesus and accusing the Jewish state of "genocide" and "apartheid."
According to the International Aid Transparency Initiative (IATI) database, the "Sabeel – Liberation Theology Center" will receive 1 million euros ($1.09 million) between 2024 and 2028. This funding is earmarked for a project titled "Faithful Futures: Religious Leaders for Accountability, Justice and Peace through the Two-State Solution."
While the project's stated aim is to combat eroding support for peace prospects, Sabeel's own position undermines this goal by advocating for "a bi-national state in Palestine-Israel" and "one state for two nations and three religions."
Operating from Jerusalem, Sabeel describes itself as an "ecumenical grassroots liberation theology movement among Palestinian Christians" working to mobilize global Christian support for the Palestinian cause.
NGO Monitor's assessment is unequivocal: the organization "should be disqualified" from receiving government funding due to its antisemitic messaging and rejection of Israel's legitimacy. Though Sabeel claims to separate Judaism from Zionism, its statements frequently cross into antisemitic territory.
In response to the October 7 Hamas attacks, Sabeel issued a statement referring to "armed Palestinian resistance groups" while contextualizing the deadliest attack on Jews since the Holocaust. The organization claimed that "Palestinians have been under attack, suffering dispossession and dehumanization from Zionism, for over 75 years," adding that Israel's "apartheid" policies are enabled by "dominant global powers, notably the US." Since then, Sabeel has escalated its rhetoric, accusing Israel of "genocide" and conducting a "mass extermination campaign."
The organization's religious messaging has become increasingly inflammatory. In April 2024, Sabeel invoked the "Gaza crucifixion," publishing a prayer that directly paralleled Palestinian suffering with Jesus's crucifixion: "Crucified Messiah, we behold how you were tortured, mocked, beaten, stripped, and killed on the cross. Your cry 'My God my God why have you forsaken me' is an exclamation we are saying for more than 75 years."
NGO Monitor emphasizes that this "75 years" reference explicitly challenges Israel's right to exist, while equating Palestinians with Jesus – a parallel that echoes historical antisemitic tropes. This theme was reinforced in December 2023, when Sabeel declared they were "waiting for God to deliver us from 75 years of settler colonial violence," claiming they were "living out the reality of the Christmas story."
Reverend Naim Ateek, Sabeel's founder and former director, has a documented history of controversial statements. During a 2011 Sabeel conference in Bethlehem, he characterized "the establishment of Israel" as "a relapse to the most primitive concepts of an exclusive, tribal God." In his book "Justice and Only Justice," Ateek explicitly rejected Israel's right to exist while acknowledging its need to exist.
The European Commission, through HRVP Josep Borrell, has previously rejected the apartheid characterization of Israel, noting that such claims fall under the IHRA definition of antisemitism when they challenge the legitimacy of Israel's existence.
