Reclamation Collective’s Statement on Palestine

Reclamation Collective is a support and advocacy organization by and for survivors of religious trauma, spiritual abuse, and adverse religious experiences. Zionism/Christian Zionism, antisemitism, and Islamophobia all result in spiritual harm and trauma. (Note: Here, Zionist refers to advocates of the religious/political ideology that supports the state of Israel as a Jewish homeland, and is not a euphemism for all Jewish/Israeli people.)

RC stands against all loss of life, including both Palestinians and Israelis. We also recognize that the violence in Palestine is not a war, but a genocide. The conflict is not as simple as Muslims vs. Jews; rather, it is about usurping resources like oil and land through the settler-colonialism of Palestine by Israel.

Religious harm and trauma are not just individual. It can be passed down through generations or experienced by millions of people at once. The apartheid, violence, death, and displacement from ancestral and spiritually significant land that Palestinians have faced for 75+ years is a form of religious trauma.

Religious trauma can look like Jewish people facing antisemitism; Muslims facing Islamophobia; anti-Zionist Jews and Christians facing hostility and ostracization from their communities; and more.

The personal is political. Recovery and reclamation from spiritual harm can include self-reflection, education, and advocacy. For example, many Reclamation Collective Board members, staff, facilitators, and support group members come from Christian spaces that promoted Zionism. We have gathered a list of resources and action steps for you to consider as part of your own reclamation journeys.