Christy Anastas: The Emmaus Group Responds To Aspersions

The fact that a  recent gone-viral video of a speech at a seminar at Uppsala University in Sweden on Palestinian Human Rights by Christy Anastas, a young Christian woman from Bethlehem whose tell-it-like-it-really is disclosures counter the allegations against Israel made in this CBS documentary from 2012 (more about that here), has of course deeply riled the anti-Israel brigade, as exemplified by this Facebook post of anti-Israel author and crusader Ben White.

As part of the anti-Israel fightback aspersions have been cast on the Emmaus Group, which brought Christy to the West, and which aptly describes Christy in her speech as "a Palestinian Christian exposing the internal corruption, rising of radical islamic groups and the abuses of human rights in the Palestinian territory". 

(See Elder of Ziyon on the saga of controversy here)

Yesterday the Emmaus Group issued a statement:

'Over the last two weeks the founders of the Emmaus Group have been subject to a considerable onslaught of accusations and criticism following a speech made by Christy Anastas in Uppsala, Sweden. To all those who have been angered or shocked by Christy’s talk we understand your reactions. For too long, violations of Palestinian human rights have taken place internally, unexposed, masked by the popular belief that Israel is the major perpetrator.

We appreciate the concerns expressed for her safety and wellbeing in the UK. To satisfy these concerns, she attended a British police station yesterday to confirm that she was not being coerced or used by anyone, that she speaks freely of her own will, and that such claims were politically motivated.

What the Uppsala talk proves, evidenced by the virulent campaign to silence Christy using threats, discrimination and intimidation towards her family, is that there is no freedom of speech in the Palestinian Territories. Her siblings avoid attending education establishments for fear of humiliation. The family have been sworn at and disrespected by the community, and endure a constant stream of abusive phone calls. Crowds have gathered outside her house and tourist organisations in Bethlehem now boycott them. Such actions demonstrate a basic cultural lack of understanding of true freedom of speech.

However, we have also received great support from people around the world, notably from Palestinians and other Arabs nationals too, who cannot speak out for fear of reprisals,proven by the reaction to Christy’s talk. For any Palestinian resident in the territories to expose the internal problems, discrimination and corrupton, would be extremely dangerous.'